DSA Electrical has recently started work on a new energy saving project at St Mary’s Court, Clacton for Tendring District Council. The heating and lighting upgrade commenced early June and should be completed by the end of the summer.
The 26 properties in St Mary’s Court are currently heated by storage heaters and their hot water is supplied by one of thirteen immersion heaters.
Tendring District Council was becoming concerned with the aging hot water system and the inconsistency of the water temperature for its residents; the hot water could be extremely hot in the morning or to the properties nearest the immersion tanks and not so hot, even lukewarm, to properties furthest from the tanks by the end of the day. If water temperatures do not maintain a high enough temperature then there is an increased risk of legionella bacteria developing.
The current system of heating the properties and communal areas of St Mary’s Court is by storage heaters. These aging heaters are also of concern to the council because they are increasingly breaking down and requiring repair.
After receiving costly quotes to install gas central heating and air source heat pumps, Tendring District Council decided upon DSA Electrical’s suggested course of action to install small individual water tanks to each property with an electric shower and also install infra-red ceiling heaters to properties and communal areas. The suggested infra-red heater had performed particularly well in a 12 month pilot scheme in another area of the borough – saving one particular resident £30 each month compared to the storage heater’s running costs!
The Herschal infra-red electric panel heaters will not only be far more economical, easier to control and look more attractive than the current storage heaters, they require no maintenance, do not leak and require no annual check; it is hassle free heating.
Installing a small electric hot water tank under the residents’ kitchen sinks will supply enough hot water for that property’s needs. The hot water will then be at a consistently hot enough temperature for all residents and the installation of an electric shower will mean each resident will have complete control over the hot water in his/her home.
Whilst at St Mary’s Court we will also be carrying out an upgrade to all the communal lighting. All inside communal area lighting will be replaced with Ansell LED fittings and we will also be installing brand new LED lighting to outside areas of St Mary’s Court – improving safety for the residents and adding to security.
The combined effect of these changes will result in significant cost savings for Tendring District Council and for its residents at St Mary’s Court. Each property will have its own hot water supply at a safe, consistent temperature, the new heating will be cheaper to run, easy to use and immediately effective and the new lighting will deliver low energy, quality lighting. At a time when councils are constantly having their budgets reviewed and reduced it is important that we find new and innovative ways to stop energy wastage and reduce the amount of energy used.
For more information on the services DSA Electrical can provide, please click here, or call our office on 01245 478970 to speak to an advisor.
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