Partnering arrangement delivers savings for Anchor Trust
A £3000 saving in fluing costs compared with a fan-dilution system system and lower running costs have been delivered for Anchor Trust at Edgewood Court in Birmingham by a partnering arrangement with ATAG Heating.
Faced with a 20% increase in fuel costs in a year, Anchor Trust has embarked on replacing and maintaining central-heating and hot-water systems across all its properties based on a partnering arrangement with ATAG Heating. Anchor’s fuel bill stood to rise by about £1 million across its 700 retirement properties and over a hundred care homes. 40 plants are scheduled to to be replaced each year. Partnering provides Anchor with the main prerequisites of the tender process for its investment programme over the next five years. They include a one-stop shop, single monthly invoice providing detailed design, supply and installation and a regional maintenance service covering the whole regeneration period. Phil Bell, managing director of ATAG Heating UK, explains, ‘We were not just looking at economies of scale, but the chance to institute the most energy-efficient practices, from initial design to everyday performance and maintenance issues. That way, we could utilise the independent advice of consultants, control specialists and contractors to maximise the capabilities of our boiler range and provide a single point of authority for implementation and invoicing.’ Some projects have been particularly challenging. At Edgewood Court in Birmingham, Anchor assessed the need for complete boiler replacement in a cramped underground plant room with difficult access and limited headroom. The aging flue-dilution system made the project a priority, as fan failure would close down the entire plant. Four compact ATAG Blauwe Engel SHR 60 boilers eliminated the need for a fan-dilution system and enabled a much neater arrangement of flues and pipework, with access to both sides of the boilers. These room-sealed appliances reduced the cost of the flue installation by £3000 and reduced fuel costs by £1400 over a 4-month assessment. The partnering team includes JSH Consulting, ARK Measurement & Controls, Grundfos Pumps, ACV Cylinders, Fabricated Products and A1 Bridge Flue Systems.
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