Installation of intelligent heating controls, weather compensators, boiler flue gas heat recovery systems (CP751)

Northwards Housing installed various combinations of the 3 technologies funded by the NEA grant in 34 homes across North Manchester at the same time as a new boiler was fitted. The original project was to trial the controls and boiler enhancing technologies on the old boilers but when NEA learned that new boilers had been fitted at the same time, the project evaluation methodology shifted to household experience and impact and away from a technical monitoring trial due to the difficulty in accessing reliable pre and post installation data for analysis to disaggregate the impact of the new boiler.

The tenants were a mixed group including couples with children, single people with children, elderly single people and retired couples. A number had limited English language skills and some of the properties were in a supported housing scheme (SHOUT).

Of the 34 properties assisted, 13 were monitored by NEA to establish whether any reliable data could still be gathered through other methods and to gather insights into the impact of the new heating systems. 7 properties had all 3 technologies installed; 3 had the FGHR only installed; and 3 had the Honeywell evohome installed. A control group of similar types of properties was also established where new boilers had also been installed but with none of the other measures, to compare the performance of those boilers with those which had enhanced performance technologies and controls.