heating

Paul Taylor, Head of Renewables for Panasonic UK discusses how social housing providers can help tackle fuel poverty at the root, using heat pumps to provide more energy efficient homes.

The government’s recent release of new research exploring the challenges faced by fuel-poor households in winter 2022/23, has brought renewed focus to the conversation on tackling fuel poverty. It is in no doubt that Housing Associations want to do all they can to help mitigate the impact of rising energy prices on tenants and leaseholders. However, with gas supplies continuing to be disrupted by the impact of the war in Ukraine, there is a need to seriously invest in energy efficient alternative technologies to the gas boiler, to support those who cannot afford the rise in energy bills.

A new wave of government funding is driving fresh opportunities for social housing providers and developers to decarbonise their UK housing stock. Adam Greaves, Panasonic Key Account Manager – Heating Solutions, puts forward the case that embracing renewable technologies such as installing heat pumps can have a significant effect in meeting net-zero goals.

Leading trade retailer ElectricalDirect has added the innovative Radbot 1 Intelligent Thermostatic Radiator Valve (TRV) from Secure to its expanding range of heating solutions. This new type of heating control has been designed to optimise energy usage which is an ideal solution for those looking to reduce their energy bills in the cost of living crisis.

The easy-to-fit device, now available at ElectricalDirect, can be installed within minutes on any radiator that has an existing thermostatic radiator valve. It is compatible with wet central heating systems, including gas, oil boilers and heat pumps, and works with all standard heating controls and smart thermostats.

The challenges and opportunities of improving heat network performance to support residents will be explored at a free conference in central Manchester on Thursday 8th June 2023.

Hosted by heat network specialist Switch2 Energy, the event will explore solutions to three major challenges facing the industry. These are how to reduce operating costs and residents’ energy bills; how to reduce carbon emissions, and how to comply with tougher new regulation.

The rise and rise of the heat pump is seeing the need for larger and higher capacity radiators. Stelrad has responded to these needs by broadening its already massive range of sizes and shapes for its most popular radiators and the introduction of a wider range of vertical radiators. It is also meeting the enhanced need for its K3 radiators – with three panels and three fins offering 50% more heating capacity from a radiator with the same footprint as a K2 format radiator for example. 

There are 282,000 people currently classed as homeless in the UK, according to the national charity for homeless people, Crisis1. To help tackle this, award-winning housebuilder The Hill Group set out a mission to donate 200 purpose-built modular homes that would provide people experiencing periods of homelessness with fully equipped, safe and secure single dwellings to live in before finding a permanent home.

Having cultivated a collaborative working relationship with Hill for several years, Vaillant specified and installed six of its aroTHERM air source heat pump units to Hill’s SoloHaus development in South Tottenham, London to help with the heating and hot water needs.

The majority of Britain’s tower blocks have originally been designed to provide affordable and safe housing to a large number of residents. With great views and surrounding public open spaces, many of them were created to replace damaged or unsanitary pre-war dwellings, with the aim of modernising our cities and improving the living conditions of many.

However, despite the designers original intentions, tower blocks are now notorious for high energy bills. This is due to the fact that most of these high-rise, multi-occupancy buildings use electric storage heaters that are expensive to run and don’t provide adequate temperature control. This challenge is especially serious in the case of social housing blocks, where residents are particularly vulnerable to fuel poverty.