BAXI PROVES A STIRLING CHOICE FOR FIGHTING FUEL POVERTY
1/3/2013 7:23 AM EST
As part of its fight against fuel poverty in one the most underprivileged areas of Scotland, Stirling Council, in a joint venture with British Gas, has specified Baxi Duo-tec Combi GA boilers with Multifit GasSaver passive flue gas heat recovery devices for a retrofit housing scheme in Killearn. Early results show that Baxi’s heating and hot water solution is helping to significantly cut fuel bills for tenants on this project, in some cases by as much as 30%.
The ruralvillageofKillearnwas targeted by Stirling Council in a bid to reduce fuel bills, increase comfort for residents in council-owned homes as well as contribute to their set-aside targets. The substantial retrofit project, which was completed at the end of 2011, provides 16 properties with energy efficient and cost effective heating, thanks to the latest generation of Baxi boilers.
Replacing and updating a mixture of back boilers and electric storage heating, Baxi Duo-tecCombiGAboilers and Multifit GasSavers were selected for exceptional heating and hot water supply combined with an impressive eco-performance.
“The Baxi solution is specifically designed to reduce fuel consumption, cut CO2 emissions, save water and increase flow rates in housing developments”, says Donna Campbell, Project Planning and Contract Office at Stirling Council. “All of these factors are important for our tenants, and the responses we’ve received have demonstrated the project’s success.”
A post-retrofit tenant analysis, conducted six months after installation, has assessed the impact on resident comfort, ease of use and fuel consumption. 100% of respondents indicated exceptional performance following the heating upgrade, with nearly 90% commenting on the positive impact to their lifestyle and general well-being.
Major reductions in energy bills were also noted. For example, for one three-bed semi-detached house on the project, the tenant reported a 30% quarterly fuel bill reduction from just over £300.00 in March 2011 to a little more than £200.00 for the exact same period ending March 2012.
Other comments provided by tenants remarked on the change in heating performance being like night and day. Another tenant spoke of how there was now no need to turn on the fire in the living room whilst another talked of a greatly reduced gas bill.
“It’s extremely important to us to ensure that our customers know how to operate and make the most out of their new heating systems. This is why, post installation, Baxi heateam engineers joined with Stirling Council Building Services to train the tenants and explain the importance of product maintenance and fault finding”, adds Bryan Dick, Business Development Manager of Baxi Scotland.
Perfect for this type of social housing refurbishment project, the Baxi Duo-tec Combi GA range of boilers features innovative ‘THINK’ combustion management technology to optimise reliability, efficiency and cost savings. Gas Adaptive Control constantly monitors gas and air levels and adapts itself for optimum combustion efficiency. Available in a broad range of outputs, the Baxi Duo-tec Combi GA offers a wide modulation range of 1:7. This ensures the boiler can match output with heat demand, saving on fuel, reducing NOx and carbon dioxide emissions.
Installed neatly between the boiler and flue, the Multifit GasSaver is a passive flue gas heat recovery device that reduces the energy used to generate hot water by up to 37% and water consumption by up to 7%.
For more information on Baxi’s heating and hot water solutions, please visit www.baxiknowhow.co.uk.