200 council homes in Southampton to be fitted with heat pumps
The project will cost £27,000 per property
Ageing gas boilers will be replaced with heat pumps in more than 200 council houses in Southampton.
City councillors signed off on receiving a £4.824million grant from the Warm Homes Social Housing Fund to deliver the scheme.
The installation of new systems will reportedly provide improved energy efficiency and comfort, reducing annual energy bills by an estimated £76 to £108 per household.
Labour cabinet member for housing Cllr Andy Frampton said the project was a significant investment in low carbon heating upgrades over the next three years.
Opposition councillors questioned the payback time for the scheme and warned there could be unintended consequences of a switch to heat pumps.
The full council meeting on Wednesday, November 26, heard the funding would be bolstered by £724,000 in local authority match funding.
The project will support 205 homes at a cost of around £27,000 per property.
Conservative group leader Cllr Peter Baillie said a saving on bills of £100 a year equated to a 270-year payback time
Cllr Baillie said: “Yes, great to have the money, great we are going to make a difference on 205 homes, but it is an enormous cost per home.”
Fellow Conservative councillor Steven Galton said heat pumped worked best when homes had good insulation, adding that the sections of the council’s housing stock were the least well insulated.
Cllr Galton said: “What you don’t want to do is put technology in that means you get rid of your gas boiler, you’ve got the heat pump working getting the heat but then you find moisture in the building because you have added extra insulation to keep that heat in and then you get problems with mould inside your property.”
The Millbrook ward member said he could also see a scenario where gas would be cheaper than a heat pump if electricity prices go up and investment is not made on insulating homes.
Liberal Democrat councillor George Percival said the project highlighted the scale of money that was required to get all of the authority’s homes to a suitable standard.
He said members needed to start seeing a “radical change” to increase investment if the council was going to meet its targets.
Cllr Frampton said: “This programme is about more than just infrastructure. It is about improving the lives of our residents.
“By modernising outdated gas heating systems and installing new energy efficient technology we will help residents reduce annual bills for council tenants by an estimated £76 to £108 per household.
“These upgrades will not only enhance thermal comfort and safety but also support our commitment under the corporate plan, the housing strategy and the Southampton city plan.”