Ashford council tenants to benefit from GSHPs
19th May 2025
UK: Residents in 74 homes in Kent are to benefit from the installation of ground-source heat pumps as part of a £2.2m scheme to decarbonise social housing.
The scheme is part of a bigger drive by Ashford Borough Council to retrofit around 700 homes with energy-saving measures using government funding of £5.1m. The money from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2 is bolstered by a £6.2m contribution from the council.
Improvements already delivered over the past 18 months include cavity wall insulation, external wall insulation, new windows and doors, under floor insulation, air-source heat pumps and solar panels.
Work on installing the ground-source systems involves drilling multiple bore holes to depths of around 100m. The council is working with GSHP manufacturer Kensa to deliver the project, which is due to be completed this summer.
The ground-source heat pumps are replacing a mix of oil-fired, electric and gas heating systems.
The Kensa Shoebox heat pumps being installed are compact enough to fit inside each property and provide the home with heat via radiators as part of a traditional central heating system.
