City-scale combined heat and power / district heating (CHP/DH) brings to a number of European countries major social and commercial benefits which have been almost totally overlooked in the UK. To bring CHP/DH to the UK, it is necessary first to convince people of the benefits and then to persuade the Government to introduce the necessary legislation to allow the establishment of true city energy utilities on European lines. Neither task will be easy because of the resultant effect on the British fuel industries. The necessary changes must inevitably be gradual and there would, in any case, be a substantial role for the fuel industries - which they must be made aware of.