Residents in one of Birmingham’s poorest areas will save money on their heating bills thanks to the installation of the award-winning EcoPod system.
The revolutionary heating and hot water system has been installed in three tower blocks on the St George’s Estate in Newtown in a bid to tackle fuel poverty.
Tenants living in Geach Tower, Martineau Tower and Scholefield Tower could save more than 40 per cent on their bills, while the EcoPod system will also significantly reduce carbon emissions.
The multi-million pound project has been carried out in conjunction with Birmingham City Council as part of the government’s Green Deal.
Keith Rimmer, Managing Director of EcoPod Heating Systems Ltd, which is a collaboration between Warrington based Belfry Group and Carillion Energy Services, said: “This is the first installation we’ve undertaken in Birmingham and it will transform this development into one of the greenest in the country.
“The EcoPod was specifically designed to help tackle fuel poverty in high-rise buildings.
“As well as reducing fuel costs and carbon emissions, the system also features an innovative Building Management System (BMS), which automatically alerts landlords when ‘at risk’ tenants fail to adequately heat their properties.”
The EcoPod is a cascade boiler system, which utilises solar panels and highly efficient cascade boilers to provide heating and hot water.
Carillion Energy Services director Phil Shepley said: “With the increasing need to save energy and carbon, the EcoPod has already proved to be an outstanding solution – reducing bills by over 40% in some cases.
“A major benefit is that it allows green solutions to be fitted into large apartment blocks, which can help landlords manage sustainability targets and tackle fuel poverty among vulnerable residents.”
The project at Newtown – which follows on from a major deal with a Glasgow Housing Association to heat 542 homes in the city – also included fitting external wall insulation in four buildings to aid heat retention.
An order for three more EcoPods is in the pipeline and a further 24 could be installed across Birmingham as part of the city’s Green Deal.