Plus Dane Housing is piloting an innovative way of increasing energy efficiency in its homes - by using a robot to lay underfloor insulation.
Q-Bot is a machine that makes it easier to do this in certain kinds of properties that are usually very hard to insulate.
Plus Dane identified 50 bungalows across Congleton to begin the project. Built nearly 100 years ago, the properties have suspended timber floors that mean they lose a lot of heat.
The Q-Bot works by being placed in the underfloor void and controlled remotely to spray insulation to the underside of suspended floors. This immediately reduces heat loss through the floor and stops draughts, saving on average £150 a year on heating bills.
“We are very excited that our customers will be the first to benefit from PfH’s new framework to access new technologies such as Q-Bot. Anything we can do, to reduce the energy bills of our customers, particularly at the moment is vital. We look forward to seeing the difference that Q-Bot makes and gathering feedback from our customers.”
Bridget Guilfoyle, Director of Assets at Plus Dane
Over the next two years, Plus Dane’s retrofit programme of work aims to improve the energy efficiency of at least 200 of their homes across Cheshire and Merseyside, while reducing carbon emissions as part of the organisation’s progress towards net zero.
They are the first housing association to use a special framework, the PfH Social Housing Emerging Disruptors (SHED), giving access to new, cutting edge technology to upgrade their properties, and look forward to making use of more exciting innovations in future.
