Process for production of vinyl chloride by thermal cleavage of 1,2-dichloroethane in a vinyl chloride complex incorporating a distillative purification of 1,2-dichloroethane comprising at least one high-boilers column in which substances boiling higher than 1,2-dichloroethane are removed and incorporating an optionally attached polyvinyl chloride plant, said process involving the measures of a) operating the high-boilers column at overhead temperatures between 120-150°C, and b) using at least part of the overhead stream from the high-boilers column to obtain thermal energy used in heatsinks of a downstream plant component dedicated to producing vinyl chloride, and/or in heatsinks of a downstream plant component dedicated to producing polyvinyl chloride, with c) the overhead stream being used for indirect heating of heatsinks by using at least part of the overhead stream from the high-boilers column in a heat exchanger to generate low-pressure steam and returning the overhead stream into the high-boilers column following condensation with or without supercooling and using the low-pressure steam for heating selected parts of the plant, characterized in that the parts of the plant are selected from - the following plant component from the vinyl chloride complex: a stripping column for purifying or removing hydrogen chloride from the vinyl chloride; and/or - the following plant components from the polyvinyl chloride plant: apparatuses for removing residual monomer from PVC, a predevolatilizing device and a downstream devolatilizing column, a stripping column for removing vinyl chloride monomer from wastewater, an apparatus for drying PVC powder and/or an apparatus for heating batch water for the polymerization reaction. a) operating the high-boilers column at overhead temperatures between 120-150°C, and b) using at least part of the overhead stream from the high-boilers column to obtain thermal energy used in heatsinks of a downstream plant component dedicated to producing vinyl chloride, and/or in heatsinks of a downstream plant component dedicated to producing polyvinyl chloride, with c) the overhead stream being used for indirect heating of heatsinks by using at least part of the overhead stream from the high-boilers column in a heat exchanger to generate low-pressure steam and returning the overhead stream into the high-boilers column following condensation with or without supercooling and using the low-pressure steam for heating selected parts of the plant, characterized in that the parts of the plant are selected from - the following plant component from the vinyl chloride complex: a stripping column for purifying or removing hydrogen chloride from the vinyl chloride; and/or - the following plant components from the polyvinyl chloride plant: apparatuses for removing residual monomer from PVC, a predevolatilizing device and a downstream devolatilizing column, a stripping column for removing vinyl chloride monomer from wastewater, an apparatus for drying PVC powder and/or an apparatus for heating batch water for the polymerization reaction. - the following plant component from the vinyl chloride complex: a stripping column for purifying or removing hydrogen chloride from the vinyl chloride; and/or - the following plant components from the polyvinyl chloride plant: apparatuses for removing residual monomer from PVC, a predevolatilizing device and a downstream devolatilizing column, a stripping column for removing vinyl chloride monomer from wastewater, an apparatus for drying PVC powder and/or an apparatus for heating batch water for the polymerization reaction.