It is estimated that half of all those people who are in fuel poverty live in hard to treat homes. Usually without access to mains gas, these homes cannot easily be insulated and often suffer from damp caused by condensation which can damage the health of the tenant and the fabric of the building.
Most hard to treat homes have a solid wall construction. In order to insulate these walls an expensive external cladding system is usually required which can cost around £4000-£6000 for a typical social housing property. In addition, with no access to mains gas, a heating system such as an oil boiler may be considered which is expensive to install, has ongoing maintenance costs and with record oil prices could be an expensive and unaffordable option for low income tenants.
Enact has been working with local authorities and housing associations for over 12 years making homes more energy efficient and healthier living environments. With hard to treat homes in mind, Enact has conducted an international search for alternatives to the expensive options that have traditionally been used to treat these properties.
After extensive research, Enact has identified a new heating system from a Dutch company, Lexin, which it believes could help to solve many of the problems associated with hard to treat homes. Already sold across Europe and in the USA, the electric Lexin panel provides heat into a room through an invisible infrared light. Rather than being a negative attribute, solid wall properties are in fact the best type of construction for this heating system. The Lexin panel warms the walls to a few degrees above the air temperature creating heat flow into the room and minimising heat flow out.
This method creates a comfortable and even radiant heat around the room to complement the direct infra red warmth from the panel. The Lexin heating system dries the walls thereby giving a better thermal resistance and reducing the likelihood of condensation mould making the home a healthier place to live. Unlike radiators, the Lexin system also generates very little air movement which minimises the disturbance of the small particles known to trigger symptoms in people suffering from asthma and eczema. The infrared light that the Lexin panel gives out can actually reduce or eradicate the growth of mould, fungi and other bacteria by drying the environment. The Lexin panels are simple to install and unlike boiler systems require no annual maintenance or safety checks. By harnessing the fabric of the building as a heat store and through the use of patented technology, the Lexin heating panels are believed to heat a home for around 40-50% less than a standard on peak electric heating system.
With installation costs for a full Lexin heating system in a typical 3 bedroom social housing property being less than £5,000, there are few other solutions for hard to treat homes that can provide a brand new heating system and tackle condensation mould and potentially improve other health issues at the same time.
Enact in partnership with Lexin are looking for a number of social housing providers with hard to treat homes in their stock to work with on trials around the UK.
If you are interested in taking part in the trial and benefiting from heavily subsidised installations please email Adrian Wright, managing director of Enact, at adrian@enactenergy.com for more information.
