This document has been created, using actual costs, to show the damp and mould related saving achievable by adopting an AI driven autonomous remote monitoring system.

The client is based in the south of England with a housing stock of 8050 properties and has had a significant increase in damp and mould claims over the last year to 1250 current cases.

The analysis illustrates that the savings from implementing an AI-driven Surveyor Cube solution can surpass the associated costs. When factoring in admin and legal fees, these savings are further enhanced. The solution will help housing associations meet compliance requirements such as Awaabs Law and upcoming regulations outlined in the Social Housing Act 2023 over the next two years.

7% increase assumes the total number of claims, cost of living, subcontractor costs and materials, such as fans and mould wash, combined do not exceed 7%.

Savings that can be achieved by an autonomous AI driven system.

Price per property analysis.

The table below shows the damp and mould claims, savings, and real cost per property over a five-year period.

The cost of the solution is based on a Surveyor Cube 4 paid monthly with ‘no upfront’ capital required. The table assumes installation is carried out during a site visit. The Surveyor Cube 4 kit includes a BCM which can monitor a boiler or air source heat pump, and 4 MultiDots to allow temperature and humidity monitoring in four rooms within the property. The pack also includes all data costs, portal access, software updates, and damp and mould analytical reporting, where Vericon becomes your data analysts and data related process managers.

The embedded processes within the Vericon system support your teams to remain complaint with Awaabs law and many of the future Social Housing Act 2023 requirements. The audit logs capture the date, time and details of a person attending a property, from a housing officer to a surveyor and even cleaners, along with photographical evidence of any work carried out. The details below are based on the Surveyor Cube 4 with no upfront costs and a minimum term of 5 years. The current price is £ 16.40 per property per month.

Based on the numbers supplied by our client a portfolio wide adoption is cost effective even in year one. The Real Costs are further reduced by taking account of legal and admin costs for the mould claims.
Additional benefits that haven’t been costed in this analysis.

• Identification of vacant properties.
• Highlighting fuel poverty risk.
• Highlighting vulnerable residents’ risk.
• Identify overheating.
• Improved resident engagement.
• Ability to autonomously offer resident specific support.
• Resident feedback to highlight disgruntled residents.
• Realtime boiler fault notification.
• Boiler telemetry to identify boiler health.
• Extended boiler life cycle by understanding hours used, not age.
• Check gas is available at the property before attending an LGSR.
• Data analytics.
• Process management and escalation.
• Dedicated customer success manager and team.

Explanation of the % savings

Cost of works and compensation

Compensation reduced by early detection and risk mitigation backed by auditable telemetry and interaction data. 70%
Clean fans before they burn out identified by data trend analysis. 80%
Early detection and mitigation before redecoration are required. 80%
The need for major works reduced by early intervention. 50%

Compensation reduced by early detection and risk mitigation backed by auditable telemetry and interaction data. 70%
By understanding where there is an issue is should be possible to intervene to prevent the issue becoming something that would warrant compensation. There will always be something that goes wrong or an infrastructure issue that takes time to solve hence a reduction of 70%.

Clean fans before they burn out identified by data trend analysis. 80%
By understanding fans are underperforming we can highlight this. If it is because a fan is blocked and needs cleaning this intervention can prevent the fan from overheating and burning out. AI and resident app can be trained to ask the resident to test the fan. Where a resident doesn’t, or the metrics don’t change a repairs surveyor can be arranged.

Early detection and mitigation before redecoration are required. 80%
If you operate a wash process whilst the issue is resolved, then then need for redecoration would be minimised. Redecoration is normally required once mould is ingrained, and early detection can prevent this.

The need for major works reduced by early intervention. 50%
Some major works will be linked to the ingrained mould problems within the properties. By early detection and management this situation should be avoided. There will always be works required hence the 50% reasoning.

Cost of responsive staff

Surveyors required to react to a mould claim (fully connected portfolio). 100%
Case officers using auditable telemetry and interaction records. 50%
Employed repairs surveyors – no reduction. 0%
Agency repairs surveyors. 100%

Surveyors required to react to a mould claim (fully connected portfolio). 100%
If the complete portfolio is connected and the sensors are in the right place the system will highlight risk before mould has occurred so the inbound calls should be massively reduced. When a claim does occur, the metrics can be reviewed remotely to determine if there is a case. Therefore, the mould claim surveys won’t be required, claims can be qualified and moved directly to a repair surveyor.

Case officers using auditable telemetry and interaction records. 50%
The investigation and collecting of data by the case officers would be minimised as all the environmental information and interactions will be available form the system.

Employed repairs surveyors – no reduction. 0%
A repairs surveyor will always be required. The system will be able to give real time and historic environmental telemetry which could highlight causes allowing a more complete understanding of the activity within the property. This should mean the reliance on agency staff can be mitigated.

Legal costs

Legal costs should be reduced by having all the necessary information readily available. 60%

Legal costs should be reduced by having all the necessary information
readily available. 60%
As the system identifies properties at risk a proactive approach to the situation can be taken ensuing the number of claims that require legal intervention will be drastically reduced. Additionally, the use of connected environmental monitoring is a deterrent to no win no fee solicitors.

Admin and helpdesk costs

The number of helpdesk inbound calls related to damp and mould will reduce by adopting a proactive real time approach to the issue. 90%
The amount of admin time assigned to managing and processing damp and mould claims and cases will be reduced due to the
proactive approach taken to the issues. 80%

The number of helpdesk inbound calls related to damp and mould will
reduce by adopting a proactive real time approach to the issue. 90%
As the system highlights risk, the adoption of a proactive process involving communication with the residents will drastically reduce the number of inbound mould related calls.
The amount of admin time assigned to managing and processing damp and mould claims and cases will be reduced due to the proactive
approach taken to the issues. 80%

With a reduced number of inbound cases and claims there will be less manual process management required and therefore the admin time associated with managing cases and claims will be reduced.