CityWest Homes has reported that it is the first UK housing provider to introduce an innovative technology to transform how it services its boilers.
Using the same contactless technology as payment and Oyster cards via a chip in each boiler, the new system from Stics Asset Control allows engineers to access all boiler information simply by tapping their smartphone on it.
By allocating a unique code to each boiler, engineers use an app on their smartphone to access information on each boiler, allowing them to review, assess and update CityWest Homes’ records in just a few seconds.
With the Gas Safety Register estimating that over one million false certificates are issued each year, the contactless technology ensures that gas certificates can only be filled in if an engineer has physically touched the boiler with their phone, guaranteeing authentic certification, monitored via a check in, check out process.
Developed by Stics Asset Control, the technology has previously been tested on and rolled out on emergency lighting, plant rooms, and used in the security and healthcare sectors but this is the first time it has been adopted on this scale.
John Hayden, head of mechanical and engineering, CityWest Homes, said, “We began rolling out the Stics technology across our properties over the past few months and have already seen a dramatic increase in efficiency, particularly in the reduction in time it takes our engineers to perform a boiler service.”
The new technology is currently installed in 79 plant rooms and is expanding into tenanted properties at the rate of 60 homes per week, with complete installation across over 7,000 tenanted properties expected by May 2018.
