From cold to cosy

Fairytales seldom come true in real life, but thanks to Shropshire Council, Communitas and the Daikin system, Mrs Martin has her very own Goldilocks solution in place – not too hot, not too cold…just right!

24/7 heating at a consistent temperature 

Jackie and her sister oversee their 93-year-old mum’s welfare at her property in Clee Hill, Ludlow. Jackie gives an overview of mum’s situation; “My mum is 93, and while she is generally in good health, she needs 24/7 heating at a consistent temperature. Her home, which was originally a council house purchased decades ago, had developed some issues with the existing energy and heating system. 

We were approached by the council who told us that they were willing to re-fit the house with an air source heating system. That would provide the comfort she needed and help to keep energy bills much lower. We discussed it with mum, and we all agreed it was a great idea.”

Communitas in the community

Lee Cattermole heads up Communitas Energy CIC, a regulated not-for-profit Community Interest Company. “Authorities like Shropshire Council are happy to work with a specialist organisation such as ourselves to manage and deliver heat pump programs. We work closely with the Shropshire Council Team and residents to ensure the right advice is given and systems are installed to meet the needs of the users. That was how we approached the re-fit of Mrs Martin’s home, with our primary aim being to achieve high system efficiency and comfort for Mrs Martin.”

The removal of the old systems and new installation was carried out in just one week. Jackie describes events from her family’s perspective: “During the consultation period, Communitas were very thorough. They evaluated the home and said that there were no issues from a technical perspective, as long as my mum understood that they’d be working at the property for a week, and to expect a little disruption. 

Radiators in every room

Tom Shepherd led the project, and he details what turns out to have been a pretty straightforward installation: “There were no surprises. The property is a two-storey, three-bedroom house, which had been oil-heated for decades. We removed all the old infrastructure, including the radiators, and fitted the new Daikin system, together with a hot water tank. Because the overriding requirement was to ensure efficiency and temperature stability, we fitted nine radiators in all, throughout the home – one in every room, apart from the lounge, which has two.”

“Mum thinks it’s wonderful”

On returning to her home, how did Mrs Martin, Jackie and the family find the new system set-up? Jackie again: “Just as we’d hoped, the house is at a consistent temperature - around 21 degrees Celsius - throughout the home, day and night, and mum thinks it’s wonderful. The temperature is set and rarely needs changing, though we can easily override the thermostat if Mum wants to increase the temperature further.

Meeting resident’s individual needs

Rob Clayton is Shropshire Council’s representative for the HUG2 programme, and he provides further insights into the Council’s choice of energy solutions in circumstances such as Mrs Martin’s: “We liaise closely with residents to ensure we work sensitively around any personal situations in the home. We’ve witnessed great improvements in living standards for all occupants not living in a cold house anymore. Heating a home throughout also has great benefits protecting the fabric condition of a property and reducing the likelihood of damp and mould. We’re delighted this has worked out so well for Mrs Martin and her family.”