For many, a home with an open fire conjures up romantic images of cosy winter evenings. However, the reality of living off-grid, reliant on burning solid fuel to get heating and hot water, is quite different.
For Valerie Stepney, who lives in a Karbon bungalow in the rural village of Allendale, Northumberland, a coal fire did have its perks. However, filling it, emptying it, and the constant cleaning require due to the mess it made, was a real pain and was getting more difficult with age.
After eight years living with solid fuel, when Karbon offered to fit Valerie’s bungalow with a more environmentally friendly air source heat pump, Valerie was delighted with the opportunity to switch.
“I wasn’t actually sure what an air source heat pump was or how it worked, but I knew it was going to be better than solid fuel so I jumped at the opportunity,” said Valerie.
“The system is great, I’ve had no problems with it at all. It’s nice and warm when I come in, which is all I want, and another big benefit is that the house isn’t as dirty as it used to be. Ash used to get everywhere and I still find myself pleasantly surprised when I run my hand over a surface and it’s clean. I’m sure it’s also been positive for my health, not breathing in all that muck.”
Valerie’s air source heat pump is one of 273 that Karbon has fitted into rural, off grid homes across Northumberland and County Durham. The system works by absorbing heat from the outside air, boosting it to a higher temperature using a compressor, and transferring it to the heating system when needed. The pump can absorb heat even in extremely low temperatures, making them effective all year round.
Despite the fact that fitting an air source heat pump is a major installation which typically takes around a fortnight to complete, Valerie couldn’t fault the team for their professionalism.
She said: “The lads who did the work were smashing. They were honest about the scale of the work and how long it would take to complete, and they were really respectful of the fact that they were carrying out such disruptive work in my home, leaving it clean and tidy at the end of each day.
“Since it was fitted, someone comes out annually to service the system and the chap from Karbon who does the work is very helpful. If I have any questions, he always does his best to help and get me answers.”
In the last 12 months Karbon has invested £2.4million in energy saving measures for its homes, modifications that support the UK Government’s commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Valerie added: “In some ways I would have loved to keep the coal fire but we can’t keep using solid fuels like that, it’s bad for the environment. When you drive down into the village, particularly in the winter time, you can see the haze over the houses from the coal fires. And that’s now, when quite a few people have switched to other systems.
“Any measures we can take to help prevent the problems we’re experiencing with the environment are better, and this seemed like a simple solution which has helped me do my bit.”
For many, a home with an open fire conjures up romantic images of cosy winter evenings. However, the reality of living off-grid, reliant on burning solid fuel to get heating and hot water, is quite different.
For Valerie Stepney, who lives in a Karbon bungalow in the rural village of Allendale, Northumberland, a coal fire did have its perks. However, filling it, emptying it, and the constant cleaning require due to the mess it made, was a real pain and was getting more difficult with age.
After eight years living with solid fuel, when Karbon offered to fit Valerie’s bungalow with a more environmentally friendly air source heat pump, Valerie was delighted with the opportunity to switch.
“I wasn’t actually sure what an air source heat pump was or how it worked, but I knew it was going to be better than solid fuel so I jumped at the opportunity,” said Valerie.
“The system is great, I’ve had no problems with it at all. It’s nice and warm when I come in, which is all I want, and another big benefit is that the house isn’t as dirty as it used to be. Ash used to get everywhere and I still find myself pleasantly surprised when I run my hand over a surface and it’s clean. I’m sure it’s also been positive for my health, not breathing in all that muck.”
Valerie’s air source heat pump is one of 273 that Karbon has fitted into rural, off grid homes across Northumberland and County Durham. The system works by absorbing heat from the outside air, boosting it to a higher temperature using a compressor, and transferring it to the heating system when needed. The pump can absorb heat even in extremely low temperatures, making them effective all year round.
Despite the fact that fitting an air source heat pump is a major installation which typically takes around a fortnight to complete, Valerie couldn’t fault the team for their professionalism.
She said: “The lads who did the work were smashing. They were honest about the scale of the work and how long it would take to complete, and they were really respectful of the fact that they were carrying out such disruptive work in my home, leaving it clean and tidy at the end of each day.
“Since it was fitted, someone comes out annually to service the system and the chap from Karbon who does the work is very helpful. If I have any questions, he always does his best to help and get me answers.”
In the last 12 months Karbon has invested £2.4million in energy saving measures for its homes, modifications that support the UK Government’s commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Valerie added: “In some ways I would have loved to keep the coal fire but we can’t keep using solid fuels like that, it’s bad for the environment. When you drive down into the village, particularly in the winter time, you can see the haze over the houses from the coal fires. And that’s now, when quite a few people have switched to other systems.
“Any measures we can take to help prevent the problems we’re experiencing with the environment are better, and this seemed like a simple solution which has helped me do my bit.”
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