Do you know where your main stop valve is to turn off the water if you have a burst pipe or think you may have a burst pipe?  If you cant locate your stop valve please call us and we’ll arrange for someone to visit.

Protect Your Home 

• Keep your home as warm as you can.
• Try not to leave taps dripping as this can lead to frozen waste pipes.
• If you notice any un-lagged pipes, let us know and we’ll get them lagged.
• If you are going away over the winter, tell us. We will come and drain your heating and water system free of charge while you’re away.

Frozen Pipes 

• Usually people become aware they have frozen pipes when heating systems don’t come on. Usually this is because a water pipe or an external condenser pipe is frozen.
• Damage to pipes happens when they freeze and start to thaw. If a pipe is frozen isolate it and turn off the stop value.
• Don’t try to thaw pipes using a naked flame or boiling water. It’s more likely to burst when direct heat is applied. A hairdryer can be used to heat up frozen pipes, but take care, the pipe may burst as it thaws and spray water. Thaw the pipe at the end nearest the tap first.
• Don’t switch on water filled heating appliances including boilers and immersion heaters until you’re sure the system has thawed out.
• Protect your possessions – If you think a pipe might burst move everything around it to protect your contents or belongings from water damage and switch off your water at the stop valve

If unsure please call Shire Housing on 01290 421130

 

Our office will close at 4.45pm on Thursday 21 December 2023 and will reopen at 8.45am on Thursday 4 January 2024. 

Our normal out of hours emergency repairs service will be in operation via 01290 421130.  

Rent Payments can be made at any time by:

• • calling 0330 041 6497,
  • via the AllPay website www.allpayments.net,
  • using the Allpay mobile app.

You can also continue to make payments directly into our bank account, or using the Post Office or PayPoint outlets.

The following numbers may also be of use:

For gas escapes: Transco 0800 111 999

For electrical supply faults: Scottish Power 0800 092 9290

For burst water mains: Scottish Water 0800 731 084

Wishing you all a lovely Christmas and Happy New Year.

RENT CONSULTATION 2024/25

Our rent consultation for 2024/25 is now live.  This is an opportunity for tenants to influence both their rent for the year ahead and the services we offer.

Packs have been posted to all tenants to read at home but you can also access the pack here.

You can give us your views by:

• Posting your paper survey to: Shire Housing Association Limited, FREEPOST RTJA-LEEA-KXRX, Netherthird House, Cumnock, KA18 3DB
• Emailing us: info@shirehousing.com  
• Phoning us: 01290 421130
• Completing the online survey: Rent Consultation 2024/25 (cxfb.co.uk)

All tenants who include their contact details will be entered into a draw to win a £50 shopping voucher.

 

Our office will be closed on Friday 22nd and Monday 25th September for bank holidays. 

Our normal out of hours emergency repairs service will be in operation via 01290 421130.  

Rent Payment can be made at any time by calling 0330 041 6497, via the AllPay website www.allpayments.net or by using the Allpay mobile app. You can also continue to make payments directly into our bank account, or using the Post Office or PayPoint outlets.

The following numbers may also be of use:

For gas escapes: Transco 0800 111 999

For electrical supply faults: Scottish Power 0800 092 9290

For burst water mains: Scottish Water 0800 731 084

 

As part of our rolling review programme, we have been updating some of our policies and procedures.

Our tenants have a right to be consulted on key policies and proposals that may have an impact on them.

We welcome you to review our draft policies below and give us your feedback using the survey links below. We will take into account any views that you have before making a final decision.

The consultation period will run until Friday 15th September 2023.

Thanking you in advance for your cooperation.

MEDICAL ADAPTATIONS POLICY 

• Draft Policy – Medical Adaptations – August 2023
• Survey – Medical Adaptations – August 2023

GAS SAFETY POLICY

• Draft Policy – Gas Safety  – August 2023 
• Survey – Gas Safety – August 2023 

ELECTRICAL SAFETY POLICY 

• Draft Policy – Electrical Safety – August 2023
• Survey – Electrical Safety – August 2023

 

Our office will be closed on Friday 14th and Monday 17th July for bank holidays. 

Our normal out of hours emergency repairs service will be in operation via 01290 421130.  

Rent Payment can be made at any time by calling 0330 041 6497, via the AllPay website www.allpayments.net or by using the Allpay mobile app. You can also continue to make payments directly into our bank account, or using the Post Office or PayPoint outlets.

The following numbers may also be of use:

For gas escapes: Transco 0800 111 999

For electrical supply faults: Scottish Power 0800 092 9290

For burst water mains: Scottish Water 0800 731 084

 

As part of your tenancy agreement, you are required to let us know when there are changes to who is living in your home.  To ensure our records are fully up to date, we will be contacting you to confirm the details of the members of your household.

As part of this exercise, we will ask you to, if possible, provide us with an email.

This will allow for a smoother transition to the new method for telephone payments (please see the separate news article here).

All details are held in line with our Data Protection Policy and Fair Processing Notice.

Thanks in advance for your co-operation with this exercise.

As part of our annual target setting review, we have been considering our “hard to reach” targets regarding repairs and maintenance delivery.

Our tenants have a right to be consulted on key delivery targets that may have an impact on them.

We welcome you to consider our draft proposals below and give us your feedback using the survey links provided. We will consider any views that you have before making a final decision.

The consultation period will run until Friday 21^st July 2023.

View analysis report here.

Complete survey here.

Thanking you in advance for your cooperation.

 

Card payment arrangements are changing

To keep your card details secure, we are changing the way we take telephone payments.  In future, when you phone or visit the office to pay by debit card we will send you a link via email or SMS.  Our staff will confirm the reference on the link so that you can verify it is from us.  You will then complete your card payment details yourself.

If you are not comfortable with this, please speak to us for support or consider using one of the other ways to pay, listed below…

Other ways to pay your rent:

By Direct Debit

Please contact your Housing Officer to set up an automated recurring payment.

Standing Order/Faster Payment

You control when and how much you pay directly into our bank account.

Using the Allpay website or app

Make payments using your debit card at any time that suits you, via the Allpay app.

If you don’t have your rent card to set up the payment reference, please call the office to have it confirmed.

www.AllPayments.net   

You can also contact the 24 hour Allpay payment line on 0330 0416497.

Post Office and PayPoint

Take your rent card to the Post Office or a PayPoint outlet and make your payment there.

Thank you for your cooperation, should you have any queries at all please contact us at the Office.

 

The Association continues to invest in its Housing Stock.  As part of this drive of investment, we are installing the exciting and innovative SmartLINK Home Technology into more of our properties.

The SmartLINK Home Technology involves the installation of environmental sensors in each room and a Gateway System to connect to all Aico devices in the property.

This will allow the Gateway System to gather useful data to give you, and us as a landlord, a better understanding of the structural and environmental risks and factors within your home.

What does the technology do?

The environmental sensors will collect humidity, ventilation, and heat loss data to determine the air quality, thermal efficiency and the use and function of the mechanical ventilation components in your home.

This data will be uploaded to the HomeLINK Portal to allow us to monitor key data and establish if intervention or guidance is required to resolve issues in your home.

You will also be able to access the HomeLINK Resident App to monitor the data and trends to determine what changes you can apply to reduce the environmental risks e.g., heat dissipation, humidity surges, underused ventilation.

Appointed Contractor

M.T.C. Electrical have been appointed to facilitate the installation of these devices and will be targeting specific construction, property, and house types across our range of stock.

We have issued a Letter of Authority to M.T.C. Electrical to produce to our tenants when cold-calling our properties and conducting their door-to-door visits.

If you have any queries or concerns, please contact Ross McCrindle, Asset Officer at Shire Housing Association on 01290 421130.

Thank you for your cooperation.