First-of-its-kind technology installed in over 1000 social houses across the South West
Hewer, a leader in sustainable heating solutions, has launched Heat Saviour™, a groundbreaking technology that simplifies heat pump installations and maintenance, saving time, money and hassle.
As part of its Net Zero plan, the government aims to install 600,000 heat pumps annually by 2028, with gas boilers banned in new homes from 2027. Yet heat pump sales fell short last year, barely hitting 100,000 according to the Heat Pump Association. In response, the government has pledged to double the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) to £295m and launched a public awareness campaign to spotlight the £7,500 heat pump grant.
Stuart Hesk, Director at Hewer, said: “Installing and retrofitting heat pumps can be complex, costly and disruptive. They are often designed with non-universal parts, requiring entire heating systems to be ripped out – systems that could have years of use left in them.
“Heat Saviour™ is a much smarter and cheaper way to install and use a heat pump, making property management easier and improving residential satisfaction. We saw the amounts of unnecessary waste, cost and downtime that installing and retrofitting heat pumps was causing. As a customer-first business, we set about inventing a solution to tackle these issues.”
Heat Saviour™ is a first-of-its-kind pre-assembled unit which conveniently sits underneath a standard hot water cylinder. Unlike traditional heat pump systems, which tie households into specific manufacturers’ components due to their singular loop design, Heat Saviour ™ enables the use of off-the-shelf components for quicker installation. Operating on a dual-circuit loop, the heat pump runs independently of the existing central heating, eliminating the need for system overhauls. This minimises disruption and downtime, cuts labour costs by up to 20%, and delivers homeowners savings of up to £2,000 per installation.
With glycol only in the heat pump circuit (expensive antifreeze), it cuts glycol use by 80%, which is better for the environment, and allows radiator maintenance without the costly expense of having to drain and replace the glycol. The unit also has a built-in backup heating element, which can either be switched on manually or controlled remotely, avoiding downtime during maintenance or pump failure – crucial for vulnerable people – and reduces how often engineers need to enter the property.
Installed in 1,000 social houses
Over 1,000 social housing properties across the South West are already benefiting from Heat Saviour™, including those managed by social housing providers Two Rivers Housing Bromford, Green Square Accord, Rooftop Housing Group, Community Housing and Cottsway Housing Association.
Stuart continues: “There’s been no post-installation callbacks on the social housing installations since we implemented Heat Saviour™. One of the reasons for this is due to the central heating circuit being separate from the heat pump. This helps to prevent sludge from older systems – often still present even after cleaning – from reaching the heat pump filters, which can reduce performance and affect reliability.
“Our mission was to design a cost effective, durable and sustainable solution which makes the government heat pump grant go further. A design which simplifies installations from new builds to even older properties, which aren’t conducive to heat pump systems; meeting the needs of all homeowners, landlords and tenants, including social housing providers.
Sam Batt, Asset Investment Manager at Two Rivers Housing in Newent, Gloucestershire, said: “Heat Saviour has been a valuable part of our latest Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund project at Two Rivers Housing, installed successfully as part of the wider renewable technologies we have employed. Both these and the air source heating systems have proven reliable and have been an important step in our journey towards net zero. We have found them a reliable solution, smoothly installed by engineers who have been a pleasure to work with.”
Stuart added: “If the government succeeds in its goal of installing heat pumps in 600,000 UK homes a year, and each property is fitted with a Heat Saviour™, that’s an annual saving of £1.2 billion for the economy. Our unit empowers more communities to adopt greener heating methods, and most importantly, offers peace of mind – delivering reliability without the fear of premature failure.”
Founded in 1965, the company employs over 160 people, offering a wide range of heating, mechanical, electrical and renewable services for both domestic and commercial customers.
For further information please visit: www.hewerfm.co.uk/heat-saviour/
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