Housing

ELECTRIC BOILERS: A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO ADDRESSING FUEL POVERTY FOR THE SOCIAL HOUSING SECTOR

Adam Taylor, Heating and Plumbing Product Specialist from builder’s merchant, Beesley & Fildes, discusses the potential of electric boilers to reduce fuel poverty and provide an easy retrofit solution for the social housing sector.

The social housing sector has grappled with the issue of fuel poverty for some time. Now, with energy prices rising and the average home’s fuel bill set to increase by as much as £700 a year, many social housing tenants, already making tough decisions on a tight budget, may have to choose between eating and heating.

The Government is taking steps to try to take some of the sting out of the price rises in the short term, with a package of measures that includes a £200 rebate, paid back as prices begin to drop again. But, what if prices don’t drop, or drop enough during that five-year payback period? What if the choice between eating and heating becomes a public health crisis for the most vulnerable and those on the lowest incomes?

At this time of year, the biggest hope is that a warm spring and summer and a mild autumn will take the pressure off a little, allowing social housing tenants to switch off their heating and turn down the thermostat on their hot water. But, even the warmest of springs, summers and autumns become winter again eventually, and tenants will be only too well aware that the heat or eat dilemma will return.

For social housing landlords, therefore, now is the time to consider if anything can be done to rethink how their properties are heated. For those already investing in retrofitting new energy systems to replace inefficient or older gas boilers, electric boilers could provide an ideal and affordable option. Why upgrade?

There are a number of reasons why social housing providers should consider replacing gas boilers in existing properties and explore alternatives to gas for any new properties. The duty of care to offer tenants homes that are both comfortable and affordable is a key driver and, while much has already been done to improve insulation and leverage increased value from the heat produced, cost for the tenant is still an issue. Gas boilers also have an environmental impact; particularly if they are older, less efficient models and most gas boilers never reach condensing mode as they are set too high, so even modern gas boilers are often only around 87% efficient.

Operationally, sticking with gas rather than investing in other technologies presents additional challenges. For safety reasons, gas boilers must be serviced and safety checked each year, which is both a cost to the social housing provider and a disruption for tenants. There are also safety risks to consider including carbon monoxide, gas leaks and explosions.

Social housing providers should also be mindful of the effects of fuel poverty on building maintenance. Tenants who cannot afford to put the heating on are much more likely to keep windows closed and wet washing hanging in a cold, damp environment, creating a risk of mould which will affect their health and wellbeing, as well as the building fabric.

Why are electric boilers a good solution for social housing?

While the Government is encouraging renewable energy installations – in particular, air source heat pumps – as an alternative to gas boilers, this can be both an expensive and disruptive switch for social housing. Air source heat pumps are not suitable for all property types, they can be difficult to retrofit and they are expensive to buy and fit, with an extended payback period. Moreover, they are most efficient in generating heat when the weather is warmer – not in the winter when tenants are in most need of affordable heating.

Conversely, electric boilers are easy to retrofit using existing pipework and radiators and they can be used in combination with renewable energy sources – such as solar power – or with renewablesonly energy tariffs. It is also possible for social housing tenants to benefit from cheap electricity tariffs during the night to heat all their hot water for the following day. A combination electric boiler is most appropriate for a one- to two-bedroom apartment with a shower, while for two- to threebedroom homes, an electric boiler and an unvented cylinder will provide enough energy to heat the property and deliver sufficient water pressure to support use of a bath.

For social housing providers considering how to keep energy costs down for tenants, a combination of an electric boiler for each tenant with rooftop solar power for the building is ideal. While, historically, electric heating has had a reputation for providing a less consistent heat output than gas, this is no longer the case. Contemporary electric boilers, such as the EHS boilers stocked by Beesley & Fildes, are efficient and reliable: the key is to specify the correct size and type of boiler for the property. Just like gas boilers, they can also benefit from the use of smart controls, enabling the tenant to programme in their own requirements or control their heating remotely for improved comfort, energy efficiency and cost management.

The switch provides operational benefits for the social housing provider too, with no mandatory annual servicing requirements, no risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and none of the safety risks associated with gas, providing an assurance of tenant safety. Uncertainty and investment

There are some tough choices ahead, for both tenants and providers in the social housing sector. With so much uncertainty about gas pricing and so much investment in renewable electricity generation, easy retrofitting of electric boilers is an opportunity to take a different approach to tackling fuel poverty.  www.beesleyandfildes.co.uk