Tenants that are part of Melville Housing Association in the South Lanarkshire town of Forth will benefit from a major boost to their home heating following the fitting of eco-friendly air source heat pumps, which will replace the old, inefficient systems.
Part of a £600,000 investment in the South Lanarkshire community, 25 Melville homes with older solid fuel and electric heating systems fitted before 2010, will see new greener solutions installed in their homes. Moreover, 40 properties will benefit from new kitchens as part of the same investment.
“For some time now we’ve been exploring options for improving the energy efficiency of our homes in Forth,” said Melville chief executive Andrew Noble. “Not being on the gas grid has made this a challenge, however these air source heat pumps are a very good solution and should make a big difference to these 25 households.”
“We will now be working closely with our tenants to make sure the installation process runs smoothly and that they get the best from the new systems as they operate differently from traditional forms of heating. We look forward to the work beginning, and with it taking place over the spring and summer, the new systems should be ready in time to make a real difference next winter,” Andrew added.
The installation work will be carried out by Glasgow-based Ecoliving and is expected to begin shortly, lasting through the spring and summer and achieving completion by the autumn. Half of the cost of the heating systems is expected to come from the UK Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.
The decision to invest in heating systems for the South Lanarkshire community follows on from a major insulation project completed in 2016. The project saw all Melville properties in Forth fitted with external insulation and cladding to reduce damp, improve weatherproofing and comfort levels, making them much cheaper to heat and keep warm.
