Telford Homes is the first housing provider to sign up to a new energy management service – known as the ESCo Manager Service – from heat network metering and billing specialist Insite Energy.
The new offering covers all the same services as traditional Energy Service Companies (ESCos), but on a single-year contract and with a fixed and transparent service fee based on actual costs.
ESCo Manager went live at Stone Studios, Telford Homes’ new development of 120 luxury apartments and characterful sky villas in Hackney, East London, in December 2021.
Under the new contract, Insite takes over handling of the operation and maintenance of the entire heating infrastructure, as well as fulfilling all ESCo management and administration responsibilities on a not-for-profit basis on behalf of Telford Homes.
Insite has been providing heat network services across much of Telford’s housing portfolio since 2013 and was already running the heat metering and billing at Stone Studios from April 2021, using the Guru pay-as-you-go (PAYG) system.
Anthony Atkinson, Estates and Customer Service Director at Telford Homes, said: “We’re always looking at ways to improve services and value for money for our residents.
“Having worked closely for some time with Insite on metering and billing for many of our developments, we have co-developed the additional roles that Insite bring as ESCo Manager in order to enhance the customer experience and promote the delivery of a holistic, high quality heat network service.”
Emily Lister, Head of Business Development at Insite Energy, said: “The thinking behind ESCo Manager is that it enables developers to hand over all their specialist heat network responsibilities to our team of experts, freeing them up to focus on what they do best. Unlike a traditional ESCo, we’re not taking a profit on each unit of heat. The charges are based solely on real energy and maintenance costs and fixed management fees. That means fair and transparent tariffs for residents and full recovery of costs for the client. And if they’re not happy with our service for any reason, they’re not tied in.”
