New lease of life for failed Wick heat scheme
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A FAILED controversial heating scheme is set to be given a second chance ? after attracting “sufficient” support.
Residents in Wick connected to the Caithness Heat and Power scheme had until Hogmanay to decide between having a traditional heating system reinstated by the local authority or signing up to Ignis Energy’s plans for affordable heating using CHaP equipment.
Ignis director Craig Ibbetson needed enough support from local householders to ensure that the project was viable. He told the Caithness Courier yesterday that the demand was there and the transition of power from the Highland Council to Ignis was good to go.
“We have sufficient contracts to be able to continue operating the scheme at the end of April,” he said. “We’re very pleased about this.”
Mr Ibbetson would not reveal how many of the 246 tenants connected to the CHaP system had signed up to the new contract but said that of the respondents around nine out of 10 had opted for Ignis.
According to Mr Ibbetson, only 12 of those who responded are to be reinstated with traditional heating systems by the Highland Council, although he did point out that several householders had failed to get in touch by the deadline.
“We had a satisfactory response,” he said. “Only 12 people have told us that they wish to be reinstated to conventional heating systems and we’ve got something like nine out of 10 people signing a new contract with us – of the ones that have told us what they want to do.
“There are still a few people who have not signed or said anything and they still have to be dealt with.”
Mr Ibbetson has previously explained that his company will convert the heating scheme from oil to wood-chip fuel after the Highland Council withdraws from operating it at the end of April.
He assured the Caithness Courier yesterday that Ignis is still on target to make this time frame and that the transition of power will be “seamless”.
“The residents will see no change,” he said. “On April 30 all that will happen is that we will take over responsibility for operating what is there now and as quickly as we can after that we will install a wood-burning boiler in order to stabilise the cost situation.
“That is the root cause of the problem at the moment – burning oil is not economically viable for a district heating scheme.
“But we accept that we are going to operate on oil for as short a time as possible as obviously we can’t turn the system off without providing an alternative for heating these people’s homes.”
He added: “I think it’s an excellent move. It’s by far and away the cheapest form of heating and, of course, it comes with all the benefits that comes from renewable energy.
“It is the right answer for the residents of Wick and it’s also the right answer in terms of coming to a more sustainable form of heating.”
Ignis offered customers a fixed weekly tariff or a meter. Both methods are cheaper than gas or electric heating, claimed Mr Ibbetson.
The fixed weekly tariff allows customers to use as much heat as they need. Customers who opt for the meter would only pay for what they use.
Ignis was invited to be the Highland Council’s preferred bidder to take over the CHaP scheme last year but the local authority then said the firm had “failed to achieve the conditions required for concluding an agreement” and decided not to award the contract.
Subsequently the council made moves to reinstate conventional heating and hot water and cut off the oil-fired boiler system.
However Ignis Energy bought equipment which previously belonged to CHaP in an online auction and announced its intention to go ahead with the scheme ?regardless.
