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Find out more about our improvements, our contractors, the technologies and what to expect

About
Our contractors

Cynon Taf is partnering with Evolve, accredited experts in home energy efficiency.

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The Improvements

Learn about the different upgrade technologies we may install in your home.

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What to expect

We’ll let you know well in advance before any work starts.

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Environmental sensors

For some houses, we may need to install environmental sensors.

Aico sensor

Environmental sensors are devices that measure and monitor various aspects of the surrounding environment, such as temperature, humidity and indoor air quality.
Before we can do any work on your property, we need to gather some data from the sensors, so there will be a period of time to allow us to collect the relevant data before any work begins. 
We will contact you to schedule a convenient time for an electrician to visit your home and install the sensors. 
The data collected from these sensors will assist us in determining the necessary steps to make your home more energy-efficient. We will not be sharing the data with anyone, and we will only receive the relevant data.

Aico environmental sensor page

FAQs

Environmental sensors measure the indoor environment to see if there are any risks of conditions such as condensation, damp, and mould by measuring temperature, CO2 and humidity levels.

The installation can take up to an hour and a half. They will start working once the electrician has activated them.

No, the sensors will work automatically and transfer the data we require. 

The sensors are battery-operated with the battery expected to last 10 years.  The Gateway is connected to your mains supply and uses a small amount of electricity, and the cost will be minimal. The environmental sensors and service are completely free to use, however the gateway hub uses a small amount of electricity to run, whilst the sensor devices are battery powered. This is approximately £4.00 per year on average; however, if we are putting in energy efficiency measures, the cost will be more than covered.

There is no cost to you for having sensors fitted to your home.

Aico systems are a type of environmental sensor. These wireless sensors will monitor CO2 levels, temperature, and humidity in your home and alert you to potential problems like condensation, dampness, or mould. To keep everything connected, we’ll need to install a small Gateway Hub, which will be wired to your fuse box.

A qualified electrician will install the environmental sensors and they take between 30 mins to an hour to fit them.

The sensors will be fitted in your bathroom, lounge and a bedroom and will be discreet and secure. A Gateway Hub will also be added near or close to your fuse box. They will be placed at least 2 meters above the ground.

Cynon Taf Community Housing Group will collate information using the sensors as it helps us to continue to provide warm and affordable homes. 
To do this, we need to measure the condition of the home and see how the work has improved it afterwards. 
The sensors analyse the environmental data to provide information about the house’s condition. They find areas that need improvement to help us keep the homes in good shape.  
These include: 

  • Damp and mould
  • Heat loss
  • Indoor air quality
  • Cold homes
  • Excess heat
  • Draught 

Sometimes, the sensors are essential conditions for funding we receive from Welsh Government to reduce the carbon emissions of our tenants’ homes. If so, we will notify you that the data will be shared with Welsh Government.
Welsh Government need this information to analyse it to find the best value for money and returns on their investment. They will also use it to calculate the overall reduction in carbon emissions achieved by their national work programme to improve homes across Wales.