As a joint service company owned by the municipalities of Gentofte and Gladsaxe, Gentofte Gladsaxe District Heating plays a key role in advancing local climate goals through efficient and customer-focused district heating services.
Ownership structure and purpose
Gentofte Gladsaxe District Heating is a joint service company owned by the municipalities of Gentofte and Gladsaxe, established in 2018. The service company is responsible for serving current and future district heating customers on behalf of both municipalities, through the two district heating utilities, Gentofte District Heating and Gladsaxe District Heating.
The two district heating utilities
Gentofte District Heating and Gladsaxe District Heating are owned and part of Gentofte Municipality and Gladsaxe Municipality, respectively. The municipal council of Gentofte and the city council of Gladsaxe are decision makers and approve expansion plans and tariffs in their respective municipalities, among other things.
Collaboration and efficiency gains
Like all district heating utilities in Denmark, Gentofte District Heating and Gladsaxe District Heating operate under a “break-even” principle as required by the Danish Heat Supply Act. This means that the utilities neither make a profit nor incur a loss from supplying residents with district heating.
Expenses and revenues must balance out each year, and the heating tariffs are adjusted annually, either slightly up or down, depending on whether the cost of heat has increased or decreased. The municipalities of Gentofte and Gladsaxe have collaborated closely since 2012. Since the establishment of the joint service company in 2018, they have been able to cut costs and operate more efficiently by pooling their resources.
Supply area and grid expansion
The district heating utilities supply more than 10,000 district heating customers with heat and are significantly expanding their grids, with more than 1,000 new connections expected annually through 2030. This expansion is a central part of the utilities’ contribution to the green transition of the municipalities, supported by the ongoing installation of climate-friendly solutions, including online heating calculators and drone inspections of the pipe system.
Organization and governance
Gentofte Gladsaxe District Heating employs approximately 70 people. Its board of directors includes representatives from both Gentofte and Gladsaxe municipalities, with the chairmanship rotating every four years.