In order to maintain heating for its residents and stay gas compliant, LiveWest runs an extensive planned programme of annual new boiler installations as well as regular servicing and emergency works across its properties in Somerset and the West of England.

Gregor Heating has been the boiler installation, repair and servicing partner of LiveWest, for over six years and for many years previously as Knightstone HA (in excess of 15 years in total).  

Gas servicing programme

Our dedicated service team is responsible for carrying out gas servicing for over five thousand LiveWest properties with around 450-650 service appointments for us to complete each month.

Together the two organisations developed a shared IT system interface to keep booking information and engineer progress up to date in real time.

The main logistical challenge is seeking access to properties. This is a three step process that we are also involved with but working closely with the Gas Safety Team Leader, we manage it well and look to maintain a good track record of zero overdues.

Boiler installation programme

With planned boiler installations, there are around 175 properties each year including urgent replacements. LiveWest sends the programme at the start of the year then our dedicated installation team plans which properties they’ll go to each month. We also provide a health and safety plan including all relevant training to support the contract.

“Gregor Heating is a family-oriented business – very friendly, that’s also very professional. The administration team is very good at answering any queries. Their customer service is top notch and they always go out of their way to help when they can. They’re a really nice company to have working for us.”

Richard Humphries, Project Manager, LiveWest

Providing a fast response service

As a boiler can break down at any moment, emergency heating repair works are less predictable. LiveWest takes the calls in their customer contact centre and then hand them over to our team to arrange the emergency appointment with the resident.

To maximise the engineers’ ability to complete a first-time fix, our vans are all stocked with common parts. We also check with the planned install team to check where a boiler is close to needing replacement, to choose the most economical option for LiveWest.

Boiler replacements include a full survey and they are able to turn properties around quickly, fitting the new boiler within one day in most cases to ensure vulnerable residents are not left without heating or hot water.

LiveWest’s Resident Satisfaction Survey monitors our performance regularly so we can address any challenges or issues quickly.

• Customer service – 96%
• Quality of work – 94%
• Completions within agreed timescales – 96%

“We originally chose Gregor Heating because of their track record and reliability. We have a really open and honest relationship with them, with common objectives for great customer service and a strong safety ethic.  They are locally based, know our customers well and they share our value of working together in partnership for the long term.”

David Greenhalgh, Executive Director Property Services, LiveWest

The post Working in partnership with LiveWest appeared first on Gregor Heating, Electrical & Renewable Energy.

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.

The post Resident heating woes resolved thanks to new heating system appeared first on Gregor Heating, Electrical & Renewable Energy.

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?

The post The Gregor Heating Arena at South Glos Show is back for the sixth year in a row appeared first on Gregor Heating, Electrical & Renewable Energy.

Over the last six years we have built a strong relationship with the Society, by working together to service, maintain and install central heating systems to ensure their residents are kept safe and warm.

We are now delighted to announce that following a rigorous selection process, we have been appointed as main contractor for maintenance, servicing and installation of central heating systems, for their entire property portfolio starting 1^st April 2017, for five years.

Vic Wheeler, Gregor Heating’s Operations Manager said; “The rigorous selection process included interviews, presentations and visits from the Society’s management team but the team successfully rose to the challenge. We are now looking forward to building on the strong working relationship we already have with the Society’s management team and residents.”

Martin Carney, South Western Housing Society’s Operations Director added;

“Gregor Heating was awarded this five year contract because of their technical expertise, high standards of workmanship and customer service. We look forward to working with Gregor Heating, to continue to provide an excellent service for our residents, that will exceed their expectations.”

Pictured:

Steve Gregor, Gregor Heating’s Managing Director (left foreground),

Martin Carney, South Western Housing Society’s Operations Director (middle foreground)

Vic Wheeler, Gregor Heating’s Operations Manager (right)

Neil Buckland, SWHS Asset Manager (background middle)

Nigel Marsh, Partner – Baker Ruff Hannon consultants (background left)

The post Gregor wins key Maintenance and Servicing Contract for South Western Housing Society appeared first on Gregor Heating, Electrical & Renewable Energy.

The post Landlord Expo showcases our landlord and agent services appeared first on Gregor Heating, Electrical & Renewable Energy.

This is 90 x 6KW Air to Air Heatpumps installed into 1 and 2 bedroom apartments.

The post Commercial – Western Challenge appeared first on Gregor Heating, Electrical & Renewable Energy.

The post Commercial – Air to Air Heatpump appeared first on Gregor Heating, Electrical & Renewable Energy.

56 Solar PV Panels and Air to Water Heatpumps installed

Gregor Renewable are the appointed Mechanical & Electrical Contractor installing renewable technologies in the form of Solar PV Panels and Air-to-Water Heatpumps for a new-build development in association with Halsall Construction. This consists of the Housing Association’s new Headquarters and 6 two-bedroomed houses at Rooksbridge, Somerset.

Housing Association Headquarters

The single-storey U-shaped Headquarters is heated by two Mitsubishi Ecodan Air-to-Water Heatpumps supplying underfloor heating throughout, with an Air-to-Air Heatpump to allow cooling of the Boardroom area.

Helping to offset the heatpumps’ running cost are twenty Schuco Photovoltaic Monocrystalline 190-watts-peak panels installed onto the south-facing roof elevation. These produce an output of 3.8kwp, with an annual generation of circa 3.375kwh/a. They are installed in a single row on two strings.

6 Two-Bed Properties

Each property’s heating and hot water is provided via a 5kw Mitsubishi Ecodan Air-to-Water Heatpump installed at the back of the house.

To assist with the electrical usage, six Schuco 190-watts-peak Photovoltaic Monocrystalline panels have been fitted to each roof. These link back through an inverter unit to the main consumer unit. They can generate just under 1.2kwp, yielding 865kwh/a per annum, per property.

View Post

The post Commercial Case Study – Solar PV & Heatpumps Installations appeared first on Gregor Heating, Electrical & Renewable Energy.

90 Air to Air Heatpumps installed

Although not concerned with Photovoltaic panels, this case study demonstrates our ability to be able to organise and deal with a large-scale housing association contract on a very tight timescale, completing it within the period and on budget.

It also demonstrates our competence with dealing with tenants and the challenges that can be presented, whilst maintaining a courteous and professional approach at all times.

The scope of works

We were given the opportunity to tender for the above contract, which we were delighted to be successful in winning. The contract consisted of removing electric night storage heaters and extraction equipment from 90 one- and two-bedroomed apartments in Chippenham, Wiltshire. These were to be replaced with Worcester Air-to-Air heatpump units.

The heatpumps come as two units, an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, which are connected together using refrigerant pipework.

Many of the apartments were two- and three-storey, meaning scaffold was required to allow the external units to be installed at a high level. The scaffold went up and was removed the same day.

There were many different trades required to complete each apartment, all directly employed by us and working closely together. These trades included refrigeration engineers, plasterers, builders and electricians, as well as the heatpump installers.

A considerable amount of electrical works was involved in each installation, and the timescale meant that we had to start and finish two installations every day.

Our works involved day-to-day contact with tenants throughout the duration of the contract. These were dealt with in a friendly and professional manner by our Tenant Liaison Officer, Mrs. Sarah Mahadevan.

The aim of the installations was to reduce the day-to-day fuel costs for the tenants by installing Worcester Air-to-Air Heatpump units, which are between 400% and 500% efficient.

The post Commercial Case Study – Air to Air Heatpumps appeared first on Gregor Heating, Electrical & Renewable Energy.

South Gloucester Council – Kingswood Civic Centre

85 Solar PV Tiles installed and inset into a slate roof

The Councils remit was to install a range of Photovoltaic panels to the newly refurbished Kingswood Civic Center. This was a showpiece installation and is fully visible to the general public and from the main road.

The remit was to install a product which aesthetically blended in with the Marley Eternet type Slate roof tiles.

We used the Solar Century C21E inroof range of Photovoltaic tiles over a 30.85sq mtr area of roof space set in 5 rows of 17 panels. The energy yield from the system installed could be 3.78kwp which could produce circa 3400.00kwh/a.

Our scope of works also involved the DC electrical side, installed through Gregor Electrical and finally the installation of a Fronius inverter. The installation was completed in 5 days.

This case study demonstrates our ability to be able to organize and deal with a large scale Local Authority contract, completing it within the given time period and on budget.

The post Solar PV installed & inset into a slate roof appeared first on Gregor Heating, Electrical & Renewable Energy.