Council tenants in Renfrewshire will be hoping for a warmer start to the New Year as a programme to install new central heating boilers gets under way.
Using Apollo and Wates to fit the more energy efficient boilers, Renfrewshire Council has invested around £138 million in the Delivering Housing Improvements programme, which will see some 4,000 council homes fitted with the new boilers over the next five years.
Councillor Brian Lawson commented: “These [boilers] are more environmentally friendly and will cost tenants less, helping to tackle fuel poverty. This is part of a massive, long-term investment in Renfrewshire Council tenants’ homes. They will also be getting brand new kitchens, bathrooms and upgraded rewiring.”
Councillor Lawson added: “This second year of the programme will see work stepping up across Renfrewshire including the start of pilot external improvement projects. The Delivering Housing Improvements scheme also benefits the community by providing employment and training opportunities for residents, supply-chain opportunities for businesses and sponsorship for community sports clubs through the contractors.”
Renfrewshire Council’s social housing programme is designed to meet the requirements of national targets. In particular, all non-private rented accommodation in Scotland must meet the requirements of the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015. Replacing old, energy inefficient boilers with modern systems can greatly improve the quality of life for council residents whilst helping to meet the demands of wider environmental policies. Energy efficient boilers produce less carbon emissions than earlier models, so if entire housing stocks can avail of new technology, it follows that carbon emissions throughout the land can be substantially cut.
The new boilers will also serve to reduce the plight of fuel poverty. Energy inefficient boilers use far more fuel to heat properties than the latest energy efficient condensing boilers. Council homes in Renfrewshire should, therefore, require substantially less money to keep warm. If utilised alongside other energy saving measures such as double glazing and loft and cavity wall insulation, the new boilers could save residents more than £200 on annual fuel bills.
The business manager at Wates, Gillian Lavety, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the council on a framework that will make a hugely positive impact on the lives of thousands of tenants.”
