HA improves quality of homes using Mitsubishi Electric

A housing association has been able to maintain and improve the value of its housing stock after installing Mitsubishi Electric’s Ecodan heating systems across its homes in the East Midlands.

By upgrading to a modern heating system EMH Homes will reduce its carbon emissions, reduce running costs for its residents and improve the SAP ratings of their homes
EMH Homes has been providing good quality, affordable homes to individuals and families in the East Midlands since 1946 in more than 35 local authority areas.
Housing associations are under increased pressure to adhere to legislation covering both new-build properties and refurbishments. Carbon reduction and fuel poverty reduction targets drive improved energy efficiency throughout their housing portfolios.
Most of EMH Homes’ properties were built between 1970 and the present but some date back even further. The housing stock is a mixture of two, three and four bedroom semi-detached properties as well as one and two bedroom flats, covering an area from Chesterfield to Northampton in towns and rural areas.
EMH Homes began a refurbishment project in 2016 to upgrade its properties’ heating systems to something more modern and energy efficient.
John Thornley, Planned Surveyor at EMH Homes, explained: “Many of our heating systems were outdated; some were even based on solid fuel going back to the days of coal allocation, the majority were storage heated. We wanted to implement a complete upgrade that would not only raise the properties’ energy efficiency ratings, but also future-proof the homes and make them more user-friendly for our residents.
“The new heating systems will reduce the company’s carbon emissions and reduce running costs for our tenants. EMH Homes has also taken 350 families out of fuel poverty and improved living conditions of our residents by installing the low cost heating solution of the Ecodan ASHP system.”
Mitsubishi Electric’s Ecodan air source heat pump was ideal for this project as it can be easily retro-fitted to almost any property.
Whether installed in small flats or large detached properties, Ecodan can reduce running costs, lower CO2 emissions and offer reliable, sustainable heating and hot water all year round. The refurbishment programme across the EMH Homes housing portfolio was based on a 12-month increment specifically funded for that period.
The contractor for the refurbishments was T&S Heating Ltd, a heating installation firm that has been trading in the East Midlands since 1974. Company Director Robert Bluff commented: “Switching to the Ecodan system is a good move for EMH Homes and something the housing association and its tenants will really benefit from. It was a straightforward project for us and the residents have been on-board ever since they learned of the advantages the new systems bring.”
Each installation included an Ecodan pre-plumbed system using slim-line cylinders, wireless stats, Wi-Fi adaptors, drain sets, wall mounting trays and Monitoring and Metering Service Packages (MMSPs). By the end of March 2018 there were approximately 350 fully-packaged systems in the housing stock of EMH Homes.
John Thornley of EMH Homes is delighted with the 350 heating systems installed so far and is looking forward to the living  affordability they will give to the housing association’s residents.

UK heating is all about to change
TV presenter George Clarke is on a mission to change the way we build and heat our homes in the UK.
The architect, writer and lecturer, who is currently Ecodan ambassador for Mitsubishi Electric  has written his latest article for the company’s blogsite and says that:
“Air source heat pumps are a tiny part of the market, but I promise you that is all about to change.”
Explaining how ‘amazingly simple’ heat pumps are compared to the antiquated and carbon intensive methods we are currently using George talks about how they work, what they cost and why he is getting one for his own home.
You can read this and his other articles by visiting www.les.mitsubishielectric.co.uk/the-hub