100-year-old London flats prove heat pump sceptics wrong
- Social Housing
- 5 min read
Quick summary
- An ambitious central London regeneration project serves as the perfect heat pump myth-buster
- Pre-first World War social housing estate embraces modern low-carbon heating as 81 flats are equipped with British-made ground source heat pumps
- Estate has the oldest blocks of flats to receive Kensa’s networked heat pump system giving residents low-cost, renewable heating and hot water
- Annual heating costs for residents will be close to £300 for a 1-bed flat and around £700 for a 4-bed flat
- Represents the compact, urban estate’s third era of heating after transitioning from coal to gas and now low-carbon heat pumps
- Installation proves that older and existing residential buildings can be preserved while embracing modern technologies
The Sutton Dwellings estate, built in 1913, has seen 81 flats across four blocks fitted with Kensa’s British-made ground source heat pumps, making these the oldest blocks of social housing flats in the UK so far to be heated using a 
A decarbonisation solution for over 60% of UK homesNetworked Heat Pumps
This unique project is part of an extensive regeneration of the estate by housing provider Clarion Housing, which started in 2019. In this phase, each new, modern social home has received highly energy-efficient heating and hot water via its own compact ground source heat pump, that will keep energy bills low for residents while producing zero carbon emissions at the point of use.
Like traditional gas boilers, the heat pumps are small enough to be housed inside a cupboard in each flat. However, unlike gas, renewable heat energy used by the heat pump is sourced from the ground via the 27 boreholes drilled deep beneath the estate’s tight, urban footprint. This method ensures there’s no visible impact on the historic property’s traditional red-brick exterior and allows residents to fully enjoy the landscaped outside spaces around each block.
Installing networked heat pumps for Sutton Dwellings showcases one of the solutions to decarbonise existing buildings in the UK, 80% of which are expected to still be standing in 2050. It also busts commonly held myths about heat pumps, proving that:
- Adaptable: Ground source heat pumps can work for almost any property type, including older buildings and those with limited outdoor space
- Perfect for flats: Multi-unit dwellings are perfectly suitable for ground source heat pumps, with Kensa’s Shoebox fitting inside a cupboard – much like a traditional gas boiler
- Urban compatibility: Dense urban environments pose no issue for ground source heat pump installations
- Preserve history: Heat pumps can be installed without impacting a property’s historical architecture and external features
- Space saving: Ground source heat pumps require no outdoor storage space, leaving residents to fully enjoy gardens and outside spaces without compromise
- Affordable: Expected annual heating costs of around £300 for a 1-bed flat to just over £700 for a 4-bed flat in the estate demonstrate the affordability of heat pumps for consumers
Installing Kensa’s A decarbonisation solution for over 60% of UK homesNetworked Heat Pumps
Regenerating the 100+-year-old buildings highlights how heat decarbonisation solutions can work for the UK’s existing properties, potentially saving others from future demolition. It also follows other major social housing retrofit projects completed by Kensa, including the installation of Shoebox heat pumps in 
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Stuart Gadsden, Commercial Director at Kensa, said:
Often you see claims heat pumps don’t work, they aren’t suitable for older buildings, there isn’t enough space to install ground source heat pumps in cities. This project is proof you can do all these and more!
This was an ambitious project, but at Kensa, we’re always searching for the next innovation, the next solution that can improve people’s lives and be the answer to decarbonising heat in the millions of UK buildings that need it. Hopefully, this project can serve as a blueprint for other social housing providers with properties that need decarbonising.
While this can be seen as a great myth-busting project for renewable heating, particularly ground source heat pumps, the most important outcome will be the benefits felt by residents. With our systems they will be getting low cost, low carbon heating and hot water, allowing them to keep their whole homes warm.
Paul Quinn, Director of Regeneration at Clarion Housing Group said:
Kensa’s contribution to the regeneration of the historic Sutton Dwellings in Chelsea, one of the UK’s first examples of social housing and an incredibly important site for Clarion, has been invaluable. We initially faced considerable challenges in realising our low-carbon, fossil fuel-free ambitions for these densely packed, heritage buildings, but Kensa’s ground source heat pump technology provided the ideal solution. They worked closely with the main contractor and residents to ensure a smooth process, with minimal disruption and their professionalism throughout was exceptional.
John Bromley, Managing Director of Clean Energy & Climate Strategy (Private Markets), Legal & General, said:
We see a huge opportunity in the global transition to a low carbon economy – particularly in private markets, where Legal & General invests in companies and infrastructure with significant growth potential in the medium to long term. Combining analysis of energy systems with infrastructure and property development expertise led to our equity investment in Kensa: to provide a high-efficiency, scalable heating and cooling solution for homes and businesses.
I’m delighted to support Kensa as they successfully deploy this technology across varied and complex tenures and locations, including new developments and retrofits like Sutton Dwellings. Supporting the roll-out of reliable, efficient energy solutions is crucial to improving the standard of our built environment and occupier experiences whilst also decarbonising UK properties at scale.
