Decision details

Purpose of report: To ensure a consistent approach and reduce future maintenance costs. Customers will no longer have the choice of gas fires within their home.

Timescale: The decision is required promptly to apply a consistent approach for those customers included in the Tenants Choice Scheme and heating appliance replacement contract.

The results will be almost immediate as the number of gas fires reduce year by year thereby reducing the number of gas fires to be serviced and maintained.

Members are asked to: The report will ask members to consider the removal of gas fires from the current customer choices. Over the years chimneys currently within our housing stock have been subject to a number of modifications from that which they were originally designed. The modifications are such that cannot support new gas fires without being fully re-lined at a considerable cost. The cost of re-lining a chimney flue is approximately £1500 plus the cost of the appliance. The flue lining has an industry standard lifespan of 15 years which is less than the appliance it is serving therefore may need replacing again. The electric fire suites are visually more attractive and are the most popular choice with quite a large percentage of our customers. A number of customers still demand gas fires which causes a considerable expense to the Council, disruption to the customer and future maintenance costs to the Council.

Members considered a report, which presented proposals regarding the adoption of a policy for the replacement of focal point fires to customer homes. Officers reported that the Authority had no direct policy in operation governing the choices available for customers when focal point fires were replaced.

It was reported that there were still specific requests for replacement gas fires but that the longer-term impacts of these installations often contradicted the Council’s responsibilities to value for money and sustainability. In view of this members were asked to consider the following options:

Option 1 - Do not fit any new focal point fires.

Option 2 - Replace all fires with electric

Option 3 - Give customer’s choice

Advice of the Advisory Panel

i)That the Executive Member agree Option 2 to adopt a policy to replace all focal point fires with electric in customers homes as set out in paragraph 9 of the report.¹

ii)                  That Officers investigate with suppliers bulk purchasing arrangements for energy, including any legal implications, and email members the results of their enquiries.²

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  As electric fires offer value for money, are efficient and reduce health and safety risks for customers.