Vericon Systems’ Intelligent Technology at Heart of Innovative Social Housing Project

Intelligent remote monitoring and management technology for heating systems from Vericon Systems that help prevent the harmful effects of damp and mould is at the heart of a first-of-its-kind SMART home project introduced by SHAL Housing.

Based in the historic market town of Bridgwater, Somerset, SHAL Housing is a social housing group managing approximately 4,000 homes across the county. It launched its SMART home scheme working in partnership with Vericon, ADEY Sense and City Plumbing to test and evaluate the benefits of utilising intelligent technologies to enhance the efficiency and management of heating systems within its property portfolio.

City Plumbing equipped five SHAL Housing properties with ADEY’s Sense, a range of digitally enabled systems that help prevent heating system breakdowns, integrated with Vericon’s IoT sensors and agnostic boiler monitoring system.

Vericon’s technology provides precise evaluations of system health with real-time data that enable effective maintenance strategies. With the capability to monitor temperature and humidity in individual rooms, any potential damp or mould can be detected early on with alerts sent to SHAL Housing.

Detect magnetite or sludge

With ADEY Sense’s connected filters, SHAL Housing can now detect high risk levels of magnetite or sludge in their systems, which can block radiators and damage boilers. Real-time data alerts the housing provider to prioritise ‘at-risk’ systems, allowing for timely rectifications before breakdowns occur. This not only keeps gas bills low by maintaining an efficient heating system but also ensures consistent radiator output and prolongs boiler life.

The collaboration has led to significant improvements in four out of the five properties assessed with the new technologies enabling SHAL Housing to adopt a more proactive approach to property maintenance, swiftly identifying any faults and inefficiencies within the heating system before tenants report them or before they are aware of them.

Angela Gascoigne, SHAL Housing CEO, says SHAL Housing is dedicated to using technology as a crucial tool.

She comments: “The Vericon and ADEY system enables us to make sure that the gas boiler and whole gas system is working as efficiently and effectively as possible. As a landlord we can monitor the information from the system and be proactive in terms of maintenance, instead of relying on our busy tenants to tell us there’s a problem.”

Jorden Guest, Marketing Manager at Vericon Systems, says low boiler pressure contributes to 60% of callouts to social housing providers.

He says: “Our intelligent remote monitoring and management technologies can help to dramatically reduce that figure. We’re proud to be working in close collaboration with ADEY and City Plumbing to deliver this innovative project for SHAL Housing that serves as a blueprint for how other social housing providers should invest in technological advancements.”