Calor LPG fuels affordable rural housing

A leading social housing provider in South West England has highlighted affordability, familiarity and easy maintenance as key reasons for choosing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from Calor gas at a new rural development in Devon.

Falcon Rural Housing provides affordable rented housing for local people in the picturesque village of Sandford, at the new Creedy View development.

Constructed by Summerfield, an award-winning property developer, seven of the properties on the site are owned and managed by Falcon Rural Housing.

Speaking about the efficiencies LPG delivers over alternative heating solutions, the housing association’s managing director, Samantha Southam, explains: “I have witnessed other technologies in action myself and, personally, I am yet to see any clear evidence that air source heat pumps (ASHP) or renewables can save tenants money. In my experience, ASHPs can be complicated to operate, which means tenants do not use them effectively and, subsequently, the technology may not deliver on the cost efficiencies it promises.

“In contrast, LPG offers a tried and trusted solution that can help our tenants save money, while being simple and easy to use. Tenants like the familiarity of LPG boilers and their controls, which are exactly the same as a mains gas boiler. Gas also provides an instant and controllable flame for cooking, so our tenants are not penalised by living off-grid and can enjoy the same conveniences offered in urban properties.”

Having traditionally worked with electric storage heaters in its properties, Falcon Rural Housing’s new tenants at Creedy View can take advantage of lower fuel costs, as electricity prices are typically three to four times higher than gas prices per unit of energy.

Heating and hot water are provided via three bulk LPG tanks at Creedy View, which are buried underground to help protect the aesthetics of the rural setting. This creates a ‘metered estate’, offering the closest alternative to mains gas for sites located off-grid.

Each of these tanks features Calor’s intelligent top-up technology, ensuring a delivery service is automatically scheduled when a tank begins to run low on fuel. Supported by the UK’s largest LPG delivery fleet, security of supply for Falcon Rural Housing’s tenants is assured.

With easy payment plans available, the ability to manage an account online and the automatic refueling process, customer service is a simple and straightforward process with Calor, so tenants can focus on enjoying rural living.

Samantha concludes: “Creedy View has clearly demonstrated the benefits that LPG provides. As we look to progress new homes over the next 12 months, we will certainly be recommending LPG to other housing associations following its success at this site.”