Residential rewards
Residents in 74 homes in Ashford, Kent, are having their lives changed and bills reduced thanks to ground source heat pumps (GSHPs).
The GSHPs are being fitted at homes in Appledore and Charing, replacing a mix of oil-fired, electric and gas heating systems.
The £2.2 million scheme is the first time that Ashford Borough Council has installed GSHP heating systems in its residential properties. The council is working with Kensa to deliver the project, which is due to be completed this summer.
The scheme is part of a bigger drive by the council to retrofit around 700 homes with energy-saving measures using government funding of £5.1 million. The money – from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2 – is bolstered by a £6.2 million contribution from the council.
Working with a delivery partner, improvements already delivered over the past 18 months include cavity wall insulation, external wall insulation, new windows and doors, underfloor insulation, air source heat pumps and solar panels.
The Kensa Shoebox heat pumps being installed are compact enough to fit inside each property and provide the home with heat via radiators as part of a traditional central heating system.
