Heat Pump Installation Nears End
Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust (ŌCHT) and Christchurch City Council (CCC) are on track for completion of heat pump installations into nearly all OCHT managed properties by the end of July 2020. The number of installations currently stands at 2000 with Citycare Property one of eight accredited installation contractors for the programme.
The Warm & Dry Initiative is a collaboration between CCC and ŌCHT to manage and deliver a significant programme of work to improve the warmth and dryness of OCHT community rental properties. The initiative is being funded by CCC through a $10 million loan and $6 million from the Housing Development Fund and project managed by ŌCHT.
As part of the initial programme of work ŌCHT intended to combine ventilation work and heat pump installation but the installation programme, which started in February 2020, was forced to shut down during the COVID 19 lockdown. Installation contractors then went into catch up mode at Alert Level 3, which meant that the focus shifted to heat pump installation only.
“The accelerated programme has gone really well and we have had very positive feedback from tenants about the process and the end result. It’s a programme of work that is really important and we are proud to have had a part to play in delivery,” said Aidy Hodson Minor Capital and FM Building Operations Manager, Citycare.
ŌCHT tenants have been kept up to date with the work programme with many providing positive feedback to the Trust for the new installation.
“ŌCHT is pleased that we have been able to install heat pumps in nearly all our tenanted properties despite some of the most challenging times in our history. It has been very positive to receive feedback from tenants about the difference the heat pumps have made to properties. Our contractor team has been very accommodating and flexible under these unusual circumstances. Installing 2000 heat pumps over five months is a big ask under normal circumstances so achieving this goal and accommodating a nationwide lockdown has been a good effort from the large team of project managers and installers,” says ŌCHT Chief Executive Cate Kearney.
Feedback from tenants has also been positive with Katarina saying that the contractors were a great bunch of guys and others saying how much they are enjoying the warmth of the heat pump.
