Platform Housing Group was formed following a merger of Waterloo Housing Group and Acclaim Housing Group in 2016. The increase in housing stock meant that leaders at the newly formed provider wanted greater oversight of their gas servicing contractor and compliance. However, this created a dilemma. 

Prior to the merger, Acclaim had worked with a very small local contractor for its gas servicing. The contractor had around six engineers who serviced 2,200 units for the provider. 

Mal Sagoo, Asset Management Director for Platform Housing Group, said: “We had worked closely with the contractor for many years and their record was very good. They were achieving 100% compliance quite frequently and we had very few complaints from customers about their service.”

Platform Housing Group wanted to continue working with its current contractor rather than switch to a bigger company. The current contractor was reliant on Platform for its income and provided vital jobs to the Matlock community, an area where Platform was an active provider of housing.

“We were really keen to continue working with the contractor but faced a problem. They did everything manually. I remember walking into their office and seeing one of the owners photocopying our gas safety register certificates.

“So while we wanted to extend their contract, we insisted that they would need to invest in an IT system - something they were hesitant about.”

The team at Platform were keen to explore how it could help the contractor and approached the board with an idea. The provider could implement Gas Tag. The product offered Platform state of the art technology, real-time reporting and an online portal, it would also mean the contractor no longer needed to invest in an IT system.

“The board agreed that making the investment and continuing to support the local contractor could become part of our social value. It helped keep vital jobs in the local community and we carried on using a contractor that we a great relationship with. 

Gas Tag has given Platform Housing Group greater oversight of the contractor and its increased stock, while also providing the contractor with an excellent IT system. 

“Through the Gas Tag portal we can pick up the data we need without having to request it. We can log in and it says exactly when somebody’s been to a property, what they’ve done and how they’ve done it.

“Gas Tag is allowing us to work much more efficiently. Part of that will be because the contractor knows the customers and part of that is because we no longer have to hold a monthly contract meeting where half the time is spent trying to establish the right data picture.”

The success of Gas Tag has been such that Platform is now discussing extending the product to all its gas servicing contracts.