Chelmer Housing Partnership (CHP): Energy Efficiency Measures & Associated Works
Sector: Housing
Client: Chelmer Housing Partnership (CHP)
Client address: Myriad House, 33 Springfield Lyons Approach, Springfield, Chelmsford, CM2 5LB
Website: www.chp.org.uk
Scale: 50 properties in first stage. Over 480 in second stage so far, with over 700 estimated by competition.
Contract length: 01/01/2020 – 31/03/2022.
The contract
As part of its mission to meet the areas’ affordable housing needs, CHP, an Essex-based housing association and community benefit society, launched a heating installs and refurbishment programme.
This aims to provide improved planned heating installations, as well as reactive boiler replacements, for over 700 of CHP's properties, and includes gas, oil, renewable heating, and hot water systems.
To achieve this, CHP required an efficient and easy-to-use procurement process, to help them find a quality-driven local contractor with a proven track record, to assist them to deliver better home services.
By using LHC's Energy Efficiency Measures & Associated Works Framework (N8), they found the perfect contractor to carry out the work.
Graham Thompson, CHP’s Compliance Manager, said: "We want to support the growth of strong communities by helping people to improve their living situation and energy efficiency, in homes where they feel safe and secure.
"Utilising a framework like this has provided a great foundation to our work and has allowed us to find a local contractor whose culture aligns with what we're trying to accomplish."
The partnership
Aaron Services Ltd, a specialist multi-fuel heating contractor, was appointed for the initial three-month contract which involved replacing oil boilers in 50 properties across Chelmsford. This was so successful that CHP extended the contract for another two years (beginning in April 2020) to include their wider multi-fuel heating installations. These contracts complement Aaron Services pre-existing arrangements completing CHPs servicing, maintenance, repair, and electrical safety inspections with around-the-clock support for emergency callouts.
As a partnership that prioritises the local communities it serves, the contract has also provided local charity support and jobs. This includes the recruitment of two heating operative apprentices, donations to CHP’s local foodbank, and involvement in the Emergency Fuel Vouchers initiative from the Energy Redress Scheme’s COVID-19 Crisis Fund.
As part of the scheme, vouchers were provided to some of CHP’s most vulnerable residents to help alleviate fuel poverty, which had been particularly exacerbated by Covid-19.
"Aaron Services' hard work and dedication has been key to maintaining our installation programme through such an unprecedented time and has helped us to improve the way our services are tailored and delivered to our customers," says Graham. "It has been a pleasure to work with a company with such expertise and experience in the area, and have our communities benefit from their local initiatives, employment and supply chain spend.”
The solution
To ensure they deliver each part of the programme effectively, on time, and within budget, Aaron Services utilise their extensive local presence and resources, careful programme, and risk management (leaving in space for reactive works), and real-time performance monitoring. This provides CHP with greater access to specialist items and enhanced price, service standards, and delivery terms for parts and equipment.
Aaron Services also enable the contract’s success by ensuring materials are delivered directly to site on the first morning of installation, and by using their secure, real-time interface to enable automatic material orders directly from site via operatives’ handheld devices.
The Emergency Fuel Vouchers initiative, combined with the ongoing heating installations and servicing programme, means that many who would not have been able to heat their homes due to loss of income, and increased fuel use over the last year have been able to do so.
David Lummis, Aaron Services Managing Director, said:
"Our contract with CHP embodies everything that is good about collaboration and what it can achieve. I am proud of the work that we have produced for this contract and the real difference it has made to the local communities and individuals served. Both the contract itself and the charitable initiatives that we have taken part in, supported by CHP, have helped many households to fight fuel poverty and the impact of the pandemic. Consideration of residents will continue to be at the forefront of everyone's minds throughout this contract and I look forward to continuing our relationship with CHP into the future."
