A Hull-based housing association is turning over a new, greener, leaf this year through the launch of an energy efficiency programme.
Pickering and Ferens Homes – which operates from its headquarters in The Maltings, Silvester Street, Hull city centre – has already installed new central heating, boilers and new fires at 92 of its properties at the Westgarth scheme, in north Hull, as part of a £300,000 investment.
Pickering and Ferens Homes is a non-profit making registered charity and manages more than 1,200 properties in the region. The first residents to benefit from the energy efficiency programme are delighted.
Dawn Snell, who lives in one of the properties in Endike Lane, north Hull, said: “We had new radiators, a new boiler and a new fire put in a couple of months ago, just before the cold weather kicked in so it was perfect timing really.
“Everything was done in a day and no mess was made. My husband used to be a tradesman so he was very impressed with this. Now that we’ve had the new heating in for a couple of months we’ve already noticed a difference in our energy bills.
“Unlike the old system we don’t need the heating on all day, we can have it on just for an hour and then turn it off – it’s more than enough to keep us warm.
“We’ve had lots of information and advice on how to use the temperature control and pinned up the card given to us at the original meeting next to our controls so we know when it gets to the right temperature to turn it off or down.
“It’s made bedtime much more comfortable as the house is a lot warmer. When you ask anyone about their new heating they haven’t got a bad thing to say and neither have I. I would definitely give it 11 out of 10.”
Roger Elliot, director of Pickering and Ferens Homes, said: “We’ve been delighted with the feedback we have received about our new energy efficiency programme.
“This is just a small step in Pickering and Ferens Homes’ aim to be more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.”