£220,000 pilot project to cut heating bills for group of tenants in Northumberland village

Housing association Bernicia led the installation programme with energy giant E.ON at 11 retirement living bungalows it owns in Norham, located on the banks of the River Tweed just yards from the border with Scotland.

A skilled team from specialists SHS Heating and Renewables Limited removed old electric heating systems from the properties and replaced them with state-of-the-art air source heat pumps fitted outside their homes.

Solar panels will be fitted onto the roofs of all 11 homes in March as the final part of the project, powering household electrical items and allowing tenants even more flexibility to manage their energy costs.

The new systems draw heat energy from the outside to generate heat inside homes – powering new radiators fitted into the bungalows, as well as new thermostatic showers.

Gareth Wright, Bernicia retrofit manager, said: “We are focused on reducing the energy costs for our tenants and the older inefficient heating systems in these homes meant that some tenants felt they couldn’t afford to heat their homes properly.

“They thought it was too expensive to run and were sitting in one room of the house to cut down on the electric they used.

“The air source heat pumps and solar panels should help reduce their bills by heating their homes more efficiently, while also reducing the carbon intensity of their home.

“Our tenants are especially pleased with the heat and extra power of the thermostatic showers – their houses are noticeably warmer due to extra, bigger and more efficient radiators being installed.”

Any new energy solution for the Norham homes could not involve gas as the village is not connected to the mains supply.

The air source heat pumps are three times more energy efficient than the old electric systems they replaced, producing three times as much energy for every kilowatt of electricity consumed.

Bernicia is aiming to achieve SAP C energy ratings – the Government’s measure to assess a home’s energy and environmental performance – for at least 90 per cent of its homes by 2025/26, making them more energy efficient.