'Our smart heating costs too much to run'

People living in retirement bungalows in Hull claim an energy efficient heating system is too expensive to run, leaving them unable to afford to adequately heat their homes.

The Ryde Avenue development, comprising eight homes and completed in 2023 by housing association Pickering & Ferens Homes (PFH), was part of a trial of infrared heating.

However, some residents have said the running costs are too high, with one resident Pete Cheney switching off the system when he received a quarterly bill for £1,160.

In a statement, Hull-based manufacturer iHelios said a number of residents had not followed "operating recommendations" for the system.

PFH told the BBC "some residents lost confidence in the system" following "initial problems", which coincided with a hike in energy costs triggered by the war in Ukraine.

The company said early problems with the system were rectified, with an "independent specialist" confirming in 2024 that it was functioning correctly after remedial work.

It added a residents' survey the following year had identified no issues with the heating system.

The system comprises thin, metallic sheets, hidden behind the plaster of walls and/or ceilings, which are connected to the mains electricity. The sheets emit heat by infrared waves.

The system is usually operated using an app, although thermostats had been provided for residents, the housing association said.

Pete Cheney and his wife Johann said they had "problems from day one".

He said: "[We have had] thermostats breaking and not working. The heating saying it's at 25C but it feels like 10 or 12C.

"We've had that many people say, 'that's working' and 'you should do it this way, you should do it that way'.

"We got to a point now where we have just said it's off. It's never ever coming back on in our house. The minute the heating comes on, it [the heat] just flies out the window."

Pete, 68, who has osteoarthritis and Crohn's disease, added: "We've done everything we've been told to do with the heating. But you just can't keep it warm. We're sat here shivering and that meter [thermostat] is sat at 18C. It doesn't work.

"We can't afford to live here."

Johann added: "We shouldn't have to live like this."

The 56-year-old said because they are unable to afford to heat the whole bungalow mould has grown on the bathroom ceiling and walls, with paint flaking off.

Another resident, Andy Brown, 73, agreed the heating system "gobbles up" electricity.

Andy, who has mobility issues following an accident, said he was "fed up" with the heating system.

"The recommendation is that I should put it (the thermostat) on 12C and leave it on all day," he said.

"It doesn't reach the temperature it should do for about four hours.

"They left me a remote to operate the heating, but they never really explained to me how to do it."

Andy said he spends most of his time in his bedroom.

He said he has made four complaints to PFH, but the problem has not been resolved.

"They haven't fulfilled their obligation for the heating," he claimed.

In its statement, PFH said: "Following early feedback and some concerns from residents, PFH reviewed the installation during the defects period in 2023 and identified that the system wasn't installed to sufficient specification in some properties.

"This was rectified with additional infrared radiators and ceiling film, and affected residents were compensated for additional costs and provided with further training.

"In 2024, an independent specialist also confirmed the system was functioning correctly after these works."

PFH said it had addressed "a small number of historic damp cases", but added they "do not appear to be linked to the heating system".

In a statement, iHelios said: "In the majority of cases, our engineers found that iHelios Heating System was switched off at the time of inspection and that residents were instead using portable electric oil-filled heaters, which are known to generate high electricity costs.

"Our operating recommendations for the system were not followed by a number of the residents."

The company said infrared heating "is designed to be left on to allow the building fabric to warm up, with the thermostat then only "topping up" the temperature when required.

It said turning the system off and relying on portable heaters "significantly reduces efficiency and increases costs", adding overall electricity bills "are influenced by a range of household appliances and usage patterns, not heating alone".

iHelios said a number of residents at Ryde Avenue did not report any issues "as the system was used correctly and performed as intended".

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