One Way To Solve The Fuel Poverty Issue
The recent jump in fuel bills has been blamed on climbing gas and coal prices as Britain becomes increasingly dependent on imports to fire its power stations. With industry experts predicting that wholesale energy prices will continue to rise as North Sea reserves dwindle, should the government, affordable housing providers and the heating industry be taking decisive action?
The Government estimates that there may be 1.2 million vulnerable households - pensioners, the disabled and long-term ill - still facing fuel poverty in England by 2010. This contravenes The Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act, passed eight years ago committing the UK to end fuel poverty in vulnerable households by 2010 and eradicating fuel poverty altogether by 2016. Fuel prices might have soared since then, but government funding for energy-saving measures has actually plummeted. The reality is that the government has been ignoring the issue but sticking their heads in the sand is no longer an option with the news that charities and other groups, led by the Association for the Conservation of Energy, are preparing a legal challenge to force the government to meet the 2010 target.
With 18% of households in England living in affordable housing and with more than half of these tenants having an annual income of less than £10,000 there is clearly a compelling need to focus on long-term heating costs for affordable homes - especially in areas off the mains gas network. Penwith Housing Association paved the way by retro-fitting 14 bungalows with ground source heat pump (GSHP) technology at Chy An Gweal in Penzance, Cornwall. Previously the residents had struggled to cope with solid fuel heating. The most important outcome of the award-winning project is it has encouraged other social landlords to take up heat pump technology. To date 25 housing associations and local authorities have installed a total of 700 GSHPs around the UK.
But this is still not enough - what is needed is a joined up strategy where seeking long-term solutions to tackle fuel poverty is viewed as a priority for the UK's existing housing stock and new build. The government has an ambitious target to deliver three million new homes by 2020 and a firm commitment to build at least 70,000 affordable houses a year by 2010-11. Sustainability is something the government has trumpeted as a key element of the process but it remains to be seen exactly how committed they are to facilitating the zero carbon housing agenda and what they are planning for older properties.
Proven energy efficiency
So how could renewable technologies combined with UFH deliver cost savings and a greener heating solution?
A review of the Standard Assessment Procedure - which calculates the energy performance of new buildings - has confirmed that UFH is more efficient than radiators. Heating a building using a condensing boiler will use 5% less energy with UFH than with radiators. However, the potential savings are even more impressive when UFH is used in conjunction with renewable technology - 20% with air-source heat pumps and 30% with ground-source heat pumps. The low flow temperatures in UFH work particularly efficiently when installed with with ground and air heat pumps The low operating temperatures required by UFH (typically 35°C to 40°C) allow heat pumps to operate more effectively and to provide even greater energy efficiencies.
Retro-fitting UFH
In the past there has been a reluctance to retro-fit UFH as traditional screed methods have required a large increase in floor height. Continental has developed their SlimFix system, which makes it hassle-free and cost-effective to fit UFH systems into ground floor space, as it takes up just 25mm of room height and can be fited over an existing screed, slab or wood floor. For joisted floors the SlimFix joist system uses a highly flexible thick foil insulation, which is simply rolled out across and between the joists prior to fitting pipe brackets over the joists, into which is clipped the pipe. The simplicity of the system results in 50% faster installation.
Installation costs for new build
Although the initial cost of installing UFH can appear more expensive than radiators, independent research has shown that UFH is in fact less expensive and quicker to install than radiators. Because UFH is a first fix item, overall time on site is reduced by at least a week and there is a reduction in snagging costs, as well as a lower charge for the post completion warranty.
For affordable housing developers looking to select an energy efficient and low maintenance solution, UFH is ideal. Being able to offer year-on-year savings for energy and maintenance is a key driver for UFH that those involved with the affordable housing market cannot afford to ignore.
Continental Underfloor Heating offers the most comprehensive range of warm water UFH in the UK and has an expert team on hand to answer any questions. For more information log onto www.continental-ufh.com or call 0845 108 7001.
