BY Sam Walker | Thursday 23 May 2024
Ideal Heating has launched a heat pumps trial with Hull City Council.
The Living with Heat Pumps project will explore the benefits of living in a home with an air source heat pump compared to a traditional gas boiler.
Ideal Heating has worked with Hull City Council and regional net zero campaign, Oh Yes! Net Zero, to install four of its flagship Logic Air heat pumps in council homes in the city, as well as four new gas-powered combi boilers in neighbouring properties.
The project will track the thermal comfort for residents, as well as the cost, energy performance and efficiency of both the heat pumps and boilers.
It is hoped it will produce valuable information and experiences on the use of heat pumps in social housing.
Formerly known as Ideal Boilers, Ideal Heating was founded in Hull in 1906 and the city remains home to its manufacturing facilities and its UK headquarters.
The company is undergoing a £60m transformation, including new manufacturing, distribution and research and development facilities largely focused on the transition to heat pumps.
John Jackson, Heat Pump Technical Sales Manager at Ideal Heating, oversaw the install and commissioning element of the heat pumps project.
He said: “We’re delighted to be working with Hull City Council on a project which could have a real impact on the way homes in the city are heated in the future.
“Ideal Heating has a strong relationship with Hull City Council and shares its commitment to creating a sustainable future for all.
“It’s so important that residents living with heat pumps enjoy the same level of comfort and convenience. In addition, they will benefit from reduced energy bills.
“This project aims to demonstrate that the transition from boilers to heat pumps is a simple one and one which shouldn’t impact on the way we live and use our homes.”
The trial is taking place at eight flats in Nornabell Street, east Hull.
All of the properties are similar-sized flats which have the same level of energy efficiency and performance.
Over the coming months, data will be collected from the homes’ air source heat pumps to measure their energy efficiency and compare this to the efficiency of combination gas boilers.
Residents will be directly involved in the project, sharing their experiences to better understand the day-to-day impact of transitioning to low carbon heating technologies.
Hull City Council’s 2030 carbon neutral strategy sets out eight key themes which require focused action. One of these key themes is heat, an area which will be explored through the new project with Ideal Heating.
Cllr Paul Drake-Davis, Portfolio Holder for Housing at Hull City Council, said: “We have a duty to tackle climate change and make our communities green, sustainable places to live.
“A significant part of that commitment is the way homes across the city are heated. We currently manage a housing stock of thousands of properties within the Hull boundary and are continuously investing to improve energy efficiency across those homes, thereby supporting our tenants.
“Working with Ideal Heating, a respected and long-established heating manufacturer in the city, will give us a greater understanding of further improvements we can make to reduce the carbon footprint of our housing stock, at the same time providing comfort and affordability for residents.”
The way homes are heated is set to change drastically over coming years.
The Government’s Future Homes Standard will mean no new build homes in the UK can be heated by fossil fuels from 2025, reducing carbon emissions of each property by as much as 80 per cent.
Social housing does not form part of that legislation, but with the UK’s net zero target of 2050 driving the low carbon transition, it is widely expected that similar legislation will in future dictate the way all homes are heated.
The project builds on an existing strong relationship between Ideal Heating and Hull City Council.
The organisations have recently worked together to tackle fuel poverty in Hull, providing energy efficiency courses to residents and donating cold weather hampers to those most in need across the city.
- To read more about Ideal Heating’s work with Hull City Council on fuel poverty, visit www.idealheating.com/blog/ideal-heating-partners-with-hull-city-council-to-keep-residents-warm-and-well-this-winter.
