Turning up the heat in Hull

Arden Court in Hull is home to Sharron and her loyal whippet, Buddy. A retiree, Sharron lives in social housing within an exclusive estate managed by Pickering & Ferens Homes, a specialist provider for those aged 60 and over. She was among the first residents of Arden Court to volunteer for an upgrade, replacing her gas heating system with an energy-efficient Daikin air source heat pump, combined with rooftop solar panels.

We spoke with Sharron to discuss her reasons for volunteering for the upgrade and her positive experience since. We also caught up with Lee Pearson from The Gas Company UK Ltd, the team behind the installation, to learn more about the process.

Social housing in the UK provides affordable housing options for those in need, including retirees like Sharron. These homes invariably come with modern amenities and are managed by housing associations dedicated to improving the quality of life for their residents.

A pioneering lady

For many, a heat pump might be a new and unfamiliar upgrade - but not for Sharron. A true pioneer, she had already experienced the many benefits of heat pumps in previous homes, as she explains: 

“In two other homes I’d lived in before moving to Arden Court I had heat pumps, so I already knew how efficient they could be. When Pickering & Ferens reached out to the residents here, I was very willing to put myself forward. The fact that the system they proposed also came with solar panelling was another good reason for me to sign-up, as I’m keen to support anything that potentially supports the environment.”

Moving away from gas

Lee Pearson, Contract Manager at The Gas Company UK Ltd, which specialises in working in the social housing sector, oversaw the entire project. He explains a little about his company and the relationship with Daikin; “We’ve been supplying Daikin products since 2021, having changed from a previous supplier who were having difficulty in terms of product and service delivery. With Daikin the process couldn’t be smoother – we can order a Daikin system and it’s usually with us in 48 hours to pick up from a local merchant.”

Lee provides an insight into the direction of travel for councils in Hull and North Yorkshire, in relation to social housing heating systems: “What I’m seeing is that local authorities, and private companies like Pickering & Ferrens, are looking to get phase out gas heating systems in their properties over a planned period of time. Where it gets very progressive – as in this case – is also building in Solar PV units, with a Daikin Switchover System, so that when the sun is shining, properties are generating energy for the home via the Solar PV panels. With this system, when more energy is being created than being used, the switchover kit directs surplus energy back to the heat pump to top up the hot water, or the central heating, rather than sending it back into the national grid!” 

Arden Court is a property development of approximately 25 bungalows, and introducing heat pumps is something of a first for Pickering & Ferrens, according to Lee; “Their properties are really well insulated, and perfectly appointed for heat pumps. They sent out a letter to residents, essentially looking for ‘guinea pigs’ to trial the new approach. Sharron was keen to put herself forward, apparently based on her own positive experiences.”

Done and dusted in just four days

The entire installation process - removing the old gas central heating system and fully installing the new Daikin equipment, including an unvented cylinder and all new radiators and pipework, along with the solar PV panels - was completed in just four days. Sharron was delighted with the work, even taking the time to write to Lee afterward to personally thank him and his team:

“The lads that came and did the job were really professional, and I’ve been delighted with the system since day one.”

What is it about her new Daikin system that Sharron likes in particular? “The performance is great. For example, the hot water system is much better than previously: there’s more pressure and it stays at a constant pressure much better. Before I had to set my thermostat at 21 degrees to keep the house comfortably warm, but now I set it to 18 degrees and it’s constantly perfect.”

Savings of up to 75%

Critically, how has the new Daikin system affected Sharron’s energy bills? “The previous combination of my electric and gas bills were high. And the fact that there were rumours we may lose the winter heating allowance was also another factor for me to get the new heat pump system installed. The great news is that if I compare like-for-like between December 2023 and December 2024, there’s a genuine saving of about 75% on my energy costs.”

Talking from Daikin’s perspective, Ben Andrew, Installer Sales, Daikin UK notes; “Daikin monoblocs latest technology, matched with the solar array/battery will ensure costs are kept down. Housing associations are trying to do everything to keep their clients heating bills as low as possible. The Altherma range are some of the most efficient systems on the market, with every pound spent on electricity utilised and turned into heat. The heat pump provides heating and hot water even at minus 25oC, meaning even in the cold depths of a UK winter, homeowners are kept warm.”