When a major problem came about with the heating system in Meadow View, a group of properties in Highbridge, our team was on hand and happy to help.

Residents at Meadow View faced problems with an inefficient heating system that included high energy bills meaning that, at times, they could not have the heating on which was not ideal, particularly during the colder months and SWHS wanted an urgent solution.

Our renewable technical manager, Richard Blackmore, was called in to assess the properties found flaws that were causing the problems and made a recommendation on how best to fix it.

The solution was to replace the ineffective 12kw heat pump with a 5kw one with a cylinder. The existing air to water heat pumps and hot water cylinders were replaced with Mitsubishi Ecodan pumps, cylinders and associated controls.

The work commenced with a test using two houses before completing the scope of work across 13 properties within ten weeks.

The upgraded cost-effective systems considerably improved the energy efficiency enabling the residents to have heating that doesn’t break the bank and resulted in reduced running costs of 30% and overall a much better quality of life for all.

Tenant feedback to SWHS has proved to be some of the most positive comments the Society have ever received and the work featured in their tenant’s magazine.

All in another day’s work for the Gregor team in keeping residents warm & cosy.

Pictured: Gregor Heating’s MD, Steve Gregor, (sitting left) with SWHS team.

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With over 30,000 visitors to the show across two days, the event provides Gregor Heating with a great opportunity to be part of a fantastic, local community event just down the road in  Westerleigh Park, Warmley, BS30. In providing home heating solutions to residents and businesses of Bristol and Bath for over 30 years,  community is very much at the heart of the brand.

“People choose Gregor Heating to install their boiler because of the customer service we provide”, explains managing director, Steve Gregor. “By  installing over 3,000 boilers a year, people trust us to let us into their homes and advise them on the most energy efficient solutions to help keep their homes, warm and cosy. We have always considered that quite a privilege so anyway we can support events in the local community, like this show, is our way of giving something back.

Our team will have ringside seats with our trailer located next to the main arena and (our now famous) giant deckchair on show.  All visitors are invited to come and talk to our experts about the latest Home Smart Technology heating solutions and also have the opportunity to take part in the selfie competition to win £75 meal voucher.

Come rain or shine (and, let’s face it, we never know what we will get until the day) the Gregor Heating trailer offers brilliant shelter and place to watch the shows in the arena.

One of the Gregor team’s favourites is the amazing Stampede Stunt Company and of course the Ringside Little Nippers always draw in the crowds.

So, whatever the line-up is for 2019, it’ s set to be another great year. See you there?

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With an increasing number of homeless people on the streets of Bristol and Bath, this time of year can be particularly hard and poignant for many.

Following the success of our ‘Gregor Giving Day Out’ earlier this year, we are going ‘back to the streets’ on 26th January 2019.  We will donate much needed food, clothing and other essential supplies to three local charities that work closely with the homeless.

We are already off to a great start with donations from employees and customers.

Our first donation came from a very happy customer who was so pleased with the professionalism and standard of work from one of our engineers, he and his wife donated three bags of shopping after having their new boiler fitted.  Thank you!

We have an ‘Essentials’ shopping list and will gratefully receive donations from anyone who wishes to take part.  All donations are being collected at Gregor HQ situated at UNIT 1-2, Southway Drive, Warmley, Bristol BS30 5LW.

Here are some ideas on how you can donate: –

·      Pop one extra item from the shopping list into your weekly shopping basket

·      Instead of having an advent calendar this year, put aside one item a day for 24 days

·      Donate any un-opened/un-wanted gifts you may have such as hats, scarves and gloves or toiletries, boxes of chocolates or a tin of biscuits.

We cannot emphasize enough how these seemingly small contributions can make a significant difference to people who have much less than us and who have found themselves in this most unfortunate situation.

Thank you.

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In particular, Landlords of HMOs (house of multiple occupation) often find that energy/electricity bills can run high.

Generally speaking, tenants of HMOs aren’t as careful about saving energy than they would be if they owned their own home or unless they are paying the energy bills themselves.

What’s more lots of older HMOs have poor energy ratings. Regulations that came into force in April 2018 now stipulate that all landlords are required to provide a minimum Energy Performance Certificate of at least an E or above, and all landlords are legally required to adhere to this.

The good news is there is a solution, by using energy saving devices you can help to lower your energy bills.

One of the key benefits of energy saving devices for landlords is that it puts you in control. Today’s smart energy saving devices mean that you’ll be able to view and change the settings of the house without needing to be present.

Using energy measuring devices also means that if needed, it is much easier and simpler to divide up bills by the different tenants when required.

Nowadays the heating temperature can be controlled from the comfort of your own home for example, you’ll be able to check the heating settings of the properties you manage, and adjust if necessary. If it comes down to it, you can intervene if needed, with evidence provided.

A popular smart control we install frequently here at Gregor is the Nest Learning Thermostat, which records the heating habits of users and the changing seasonal temperatures. It also detects the absence of people and adjusts the temperature accordingly to save extra energy.

Honeywell Evohome allows you to manage and monitor the energy usage of each individual room through ‘smart zoning’ technology. This means you only need to heat the rooms you are using; ideal for landlords with frequently changing tenants.

Using sensors on other devices, such as outdoor lights, is an easy way to cut down electricity bills. This leaves you with the peace of mind in knowing lights won’t be left on by accident and they’ll automatically turn off.

We hope these tips have helped you understand why energy saving devices can make the life of landlord a lot easier!

Interested in installing energy saving devices? Get in touch with our friendly electrical team today for a chat on 0117 935 2400.

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The residents are thrilled with their new external heating systems since they allow for more space inside their homes which was once taken up by large oil fired boilers. What’s more, thanks to the new heating systems and the energy saving controls we installed, their bills are much lower.

Chief Executive of the SWHS, Donna Johnson, complimented our hard work and told us ‘I have worked within the social housing sector for many years and it is rare for me to come across quality and clear pride in workmanship as I did on my recent visits. So thank you for having worked with us in the spirit in which we seek to deliver services ourselves.’

At Gregor we really pride ourselves on our quality of service and it’s incredible to have our hard work recognised. From the initial installation, we have been contracted for 10 years of servicing and will be there for the residents if they ever have any troubles!

The post Transforming Residents’ Homes with Energy Efficient Technology appeared first on Gregor Heating, Electrical & Renewable Energy.

The Foyer is run and managed by Knightstone Housing Association and is part of the Foyer Federation, a not-for-profit organisation that helps young people who have faced barriers in their lives.

It supports vulnerable young people aged between 16–24 through a range of services including housing advice, supported housing, educational support and assistance with developing the everyday skills that are vital to leading an independent life..

Property Manager at the Yeovil Trinity Foyer, Pauline Smith, said;

“Other people may take things like stationery for granted but we don’t have the funding to provide young people with things like stationery that are a necessity in education. Gregor’s donation will help a number of the students complete their studies without having to worry about paying for equipment.”

We are very happy to have been able to help such a fantastic organisation and wish the students well in their studies. If you would also like to get involved and help support The Foyer Federation you can visit their website for further information

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We are delighted to have been able to help Knightstone Housing Association’s into Work Team assist resident, Ryan Edwards, in getting back to work. This forms part of our ongoing commitment to provide social value for our community through things such as work placements and training.

Ryan (pictured with Andy Williams, Gregor Heating Manager) said; “I used to be a Plumbing and Heating engineer but couldn’t continue to do that work after I was injured in 2007. Since then I’ve done some work for friends, as an administrator for a taxi company for example, and I’ve worked in a call centre, but I’ve been unemployed for the last three years.

“I applied for lots of different sorts of jobs during this time but I rarely had any replies and I didn’t get offered interviews. The whole experience was very frustrating.

“The role I’m doing is a Service Response Customer Service Advisor. I’m actually handling calls from Knightstone residents and booking appointments to repair their heating and hot water systems. I was able to help my neighbour the other day when they rang!

“I like helping other people and I enjoy solving problems. My colleagues are professional and are 
a good crew. They’ve been very supportive of me. And it’s made a massive difference to my life.”

Watch the video below to find out more about Ryan’s story and the work of Knightstone’s Into Work Team.

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Gregor has worked with Selwood for over four years on boiler upgrades and heating systems, and their contribution towards MyWorkSearch is all thanks to the Silva Social Enterprises Contract Clause. This is a new scheme introduced by Selwood Housing which encourages its suppliers to invest in our tenants and their local communities.

MyWorkSearch will help tenants access their dream job by giving them support services such as creating a CV, monitoring specific employers for vacancies and other training and advice. The system even links up with Universal Jobmatch, the system used by Jobcentre Plus to help people search and apply for work. On average users find a job in 61 days.

A spokesperson for Selwood Housing said; “MyWorkSearch is a really good idea that helps to support the local community in finding a job, and we were delighted that  Gregor’s contribution has helped make the service available to our tenants.”

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