Cookstown Resident’s Gas Switch: Cheaper, Less Hassle, and More Space for the Grandkids!

When local Cookstown resident Fiona Allen saw how easy it was for her son to heat his home with gas, she wasted little time in making the switch after 30 years of using oil.

“My son moved into a new-build home in Magherafelt in March that had gas installed and he couldn’t believe just how easy it was to use, especially as he downloaded an app to control his heating remotely,” said Fiona. “At the time we had a pretty old boiler, which ended up costing us more money as we had to use more oil to heat our home. It was either get a new oil boiler or switch to gas, and I’m so happy that we went with the switch.”

After making an enquiry to her local gas network operator, Evolve, a member of the team promptly visited Fiona to explain the switching process and to discuss the financial incentives  available to residents in the Evolve network area to assist with the cost of connecting to natural gas. These include a fully funded grant through the Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme available to low income households, as well as the £500 Carbon Reduction Grant for customers not means tested. 

Since converting to gas, Fiona has also downloaded an app so she can control her heating remotely. She explained: “It comes in handy on the colder days when I’m out and about and don’t want to come home to a cold house. Ten minutes before I’m due home I can turn on the heat from my phone so that it is nice and warm by the time I arrive. It’s also saving us lots of money as we can choose which specific room to heat and to what temperature. I know many people may be apprehensive about the app, especially the older generation, but it really could not be easier to manage.”

 

The added benefit of removing her old oil boiler and water tank has meant that Fiona has benefitted from extra space in her garden and attic. “Removing the oil boiler and water tank has been a blessing—my grandchildren have so much more room to play in the garden, and I finally have extra space in the attic for storage. It’s made our home feel so much bigger and more welcoming!”

When asked about the environmental benefits of switching to gas, Fiona agreed that it was an important point to note which the public may not be aware of. Last year saw the first ever direct-to-grid injection on the island of Ireland of biomethane, a fully green energy source, take place in the heart of the Evolve network in Co. Tyrone. Connecting to the gas network to take advantage of the plan to fully decarbonise the gas being used is a recommendation in the Northern Ireland Executive’s Path to Net Zero Energy Strategy.

Fiona’s positive experience has since led to friends of hers also deciding to install gas into their homes after seeing just how cost effective it is and how easy it was to do, as the gas heating install took less than a day to complete.

She said: “I couldn’t recommend switching to gas enough, especially with Evolve. The installation took no time at all, the engineers were very respectful of my home, making sure they didn’t leave any mess behind them, and I was able to start using the gas straight away. Do not hesitate to make the switch – I only wish I had done it sooner!”

Further details about upgrading to gas, including available financial incentives, can be found by completing the handy postcode checker on the Evolve website: www.evolvenetwork.co.uk