Frequently asked questions

 This work is part of our commitment to reducing our environmental impact and tackling climate change. Our 16,500 homes produce a whopping 50,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year. We plan to get that number to zero by 2050 and to help us do that we’re investing more than £30 million up until 2028 in improving the energy efficiency of our homes.

This could include things like installing smart heating controls, replacing windows and doors, upgrading insulation, and using low carbon heating solutions to make sure all our homes achieve an energy performance rating of SAP Band C or above by 2030.  SAP stands for ‘Standard Assessment Procedure’. It’s the official government approved system for assessing the energy rating of your home.  

No, the good news is it won't cost you anything. The work we're doing is part of our £30 million investment to reduce our environmental impact, tackle climate change and make our homes warmer and more comfortable to live in.

If your home has an energy performance rating that’s below SAP Band C it’ll use more energy and have higher running costs than homes that are rated Bands A, B and C.

The improvements we’re making to your home will help you reduce how much energy you use, and will make your home warmer, healthier and more affordable (not to mention reducing its carbon footprint which is good for the environment).

The changes we’re making will help you to reduce the amount of energy you use, and if you’re using less energy, then it’s likely you’ll save money too. 

Yes, we’ve already done similar energy efficiency upgrade work on lots of our homes across Yorkshire. (link back to projects here)

There will be times when we’ll need to do certain bits of work in and around your home, and it would be great if you could help us to make sure we can get access when we need to. Don’t worry, we’ll give you plenty of notice and we’ll always do our best to carry out the work at a time that suits you.

And we might need you to do things like moving furniture out of the way or clearing your loft space before we start work.  But we’ll help you out with this if you’re not able to do it yourself.

We know some of the work we’ll be doing can be a bit of an upheaval, and we’ll always try to keep any disruption to a minimum, as well as keeping you up to date with our plans. Your support in making things run smoothly is really appreciated!

Some of the work can be quite disruptive, and while we’ll do our best to keep it to a minimum, at some stages you can expect there to be a bit of noise and dust.

There might also be some disruption to gardens and footpaths, and, depending on the work we’re doing, we may have to put scaffolding up.

You’re likely to notice an increase in traffic, with contractors’ vehicles and some machinery and equipment  in the street. This means you might have to park your car somewhere else while certain bits of the work’s being carried out.

We always do our best to keep things clean and tidy while we’re working, but if we do make any mess or damage anything, we’ll make sure we put it right.

Yes. There will be some disruption but there’s no need for you to move out of your home while the work’s being done.  We’ll always do our best to work around you and make sure we keep disruption to minimum.  We usually only work on week days during the day, so there won’t be anyone disturbing you in the evenings or weekends.

We aways do our best to keep disruption to a minimum and there shouldn’t be any need for you to take time off work. If you have to go out to work we’ll always do our best to fit in with your plans.

Yes! We know that some of the equipment we’re installing will be different to what you’re used to, so we’ll give you a full handover to show you how everything works. And if you need any extra help after that you can get in touch with our customer experience team on 0354 366 4404.

Think of it like a fridge, but working in reverse. It takes warmth from the air outside (even when it’s chilly) and transfers it into a hot water tank, which then powers your heating and hot water.

Your heat pump is controlled by your wall thermostat and a control panel on the hot water tank. You can adjust the thermostat to suit you, but we recommend leaving the control panel as it is - our installers have already set it up for the best efficiency. Not sure how to use the thermostat? Check the manual or please get in touch with our Sustainability Liaison Officer. 

No need to worry! The heat pump isn’t running constantly, it just tops up the hot water when needed. If you switch it off at the wall, your tank will go cold, meaning the pump will have to work much harder (and use more energy) to heat everything from scratch. It’s much cheaper and more efficient to leave it on standby.

Yes! The models we are installing work even into negative temperatures.

All you need to do is make sure that the outdoor unit remains clear and free from debris – and don’t lean anything against it as this decreases the efficiency of the unit and may damage it. If you notice any leaks or unusual noises, please let us know via the Portal, the repairs section of the website, or by calling 0345 366 4404, quoting the warranty information included in this care pack.

It shouldn’t be much louder than a refrigerator or normal fan. If it’s making any strange noises, let us know.

Yes! We will be attending yearly to make sure the unit is serviced. However, if you notice anything unusual or believe the unit is faulty, please contact us.

Where necessary, we’ve also made improvements to how your home is insulated. To help further, make sure your unit remains free of debris and set your thermostat to an energy-efficient temperature that suits your needs. You can also use a scheduling function to heat your home when needed – and remember, the Air Source Heat Pump will keep your home at a stable temperature, so you may find you need a slightly lower temperature than previously.

Solar panels can generate electricity even on cloudy days, but their efficiency does change depending on the weather. Even in Yorkshire, where we have less blue-sky days than Cornwall, solar panels are still an excellent way to generate low-carbon electricity.

Our solar panels have a lifespan of 20+ years, so they won’t need replacing anytime soon.

We’re looking into it! Where possible, we’re setting up panels so that batteries can be added later when funding allows. Even without batteries, your solar panels will still cut down the amount of electricity you need from the grid.

Some energy providers offer monitoring devices, or you can check the meter connected to your solar panels to see how much electricity they’ve produced.

Not much! We’ll take care of any maintenance. If you notice anything unusual, like major debris or damage, please let us know as soon as possible.

That depends on a few things - panel size, angle, and weather all play a part. You can check the meter or use an energy monitor to keep track. The Energy Saving Trust also has a handy calculator to estimate your production.

Your home uses the solar power first. If you’ve got battery storage, any spare energy goes there next. If there’s still extra, it gets fed back into the national grid.

Check your meter or monitoring system for error messages, then get in touch so we can sort it. Having your warranty details handy will help us fix the issue faster.

Got more questions? Our Sustainability Liaison Officer is on hand to help.

It’s a clever way of heating that works like the sun - warming up objects and people rather than the air. It’s safe, efficient, and gives a nice, even heat.

Just set your thermostat! You can adjust the temperature and even set timers. Within about 15 minutes, you should feel the warmth.

Hardly any - just dust it now and then and make sure there’s nothing blocking it. Don’t lean anything against it, as that can reduce efficiency or even cause damage.

Check the thermostat for any error messages, then get in touch with us so we can sort it. Again, having your warranty details ready will help us fix the problem quicker.

Got more questions? Our Sustainability Liaison Officer is here to help.