Warm Homes Fund case studies

Case study one 

Mr and Mrs Pilkington received an Air Source Heat Pump through Sunderland City Council's Warm Homes Fund in June 2023 and can't speak highly enough of their new heating system. They said, "compared to our old storage heaters the new heat pump is a positive in every way".

The couple from Blencathra in Washington continued "we were so pleased to replace the electric storage heaters with an Air Source Heat Pump which costs us less to run, and the radiators in the rooms are much more pleasing on the eye".

"Importantly for us, the new radiators felt far safer for our young grandchildren running around, as radiators with a heat pump operate at a more efficient temperature compared to the hot storage heaters".

The couple were initially invited to an information event in the local community centre which was arranged by the City Council and its partners. They were advised about the Warm Homes Fund opportunity and benefits of the Air Source Heat Pump system compared to electric storage heaters. The Green Doctors also answered Mr & Mrs Pilkington questions about heat pumps and helped them apply for the grant.

Before the installation, the heating engineers appointed by the council visited the property to conduct a technical survey to ensure a heat pump was suitable for their property. This led to the couple enjoying additional radiators in more rooms as it was a better fit for their home.

The couple added "since the switch, we have set the heat pump to come on automatically at 10^oC in the summer and it's very easy to adjust on cold days if we need an extra boost. We are looking forward to seeing a reduction in the amount of heating we need in the winter".

On whether other Sunderland residents should consider replacing their electric storage heaters with a heat pump they had one simple message to share - "get it in!"

Case study two

Mr & Mrs B of Washington received a fully funded Air Source Heat Pump through Sunderland City Council's Warm Homes Fund in May 2023. After hearing how heat pumps are a lot cheaper to run compared to their relatively new electric storage heaters, the couple successfully applied for a Warm Homes Fund grant. They were delighted when they were accepted because their electricity bills had increased after the recent fuel price rises.

Mr & Mrs B were very impressed by the heat pump's ability to heat all their rooms to their preferred temperatures rather than wasting electricity by heating to the expensively high temperatures of electric storage heaters. They regarded the Warm Homes Fund as their chance to have more efficient radiators installed to replace their storage heaters.

They said "after our application was accepted, we were told installation would take three days in total. The engineers and installers were very good and extremely tidy. The disruption was minimal, and we were provided with continuous updates about the progress of the job. They were good lads - we couldn't fault them".

After the new heating system was installed, the couple said they needed a little help from Green Doctors on how to use the system. Mr & Mrs B added that they talked this through in easy steps and were given an easy-to-read instruction booklet but haven't needed it because they quickly realised how easy it is to use.

They have already noticed a reduction in their heating demand costs. The last bill before the installation was £355.00, compared to the first bill with the Air Source Heat Pump of £80.00.

Mrs B said "I'm looking forward to seeing the winter savings and I've already noticed a big difference. This new technology is certainly the way forward and it's the best thing we ever did - both financially and for our health".

Case study three

A couple from Washington have enjoyed their first 18 months with an Air Source Heat Pump.

They said "we've had gas central heating system in a house we had before this one and our new Air Source Heat Pump works in a very similar way. Our son works in the construction industry and he explained the benefits of a heat pump system compared to the electric storage heaters we had in this house. We say Air Source Heat Pumps are the best way forward for anyone with electric storage heaters".

Last winter (2022/23), the couple had the opportunity to compare their new heat pump against their old electric storage heaters and are delighted with the savings made on their electricity bills and how comfortably warm their whole house is all day and night.

The couple said "the installation process was straightforward, with the engineers having everything ready to go when they arrived. We had been worried about mess as our home was newly decorated, but the team were very clean and tidy. The installers gave us a thorough demonstration of the system and ensured we knew how to use it. Our Air Source Heat Pump has been very easy to live with".