National Test Your Boiler Day: helping Poplar HARCA residents get winter-ready

One in nine residents who took part in our first National Test Your Boiler Day found a problem with their boiler and reported it before winter set in.

On 21 September 2026, we ran the campaign in partnership with Poplar HARCA, a Sureserve Compliance client in East London. The aim was simple: encourage residents to switch their heating on early, while the weather is still mild, and spot any issues before they turn into a cold-night breakdown.

For most residents, the first time they find out their boiler isn't working is the first properly cold evening of the year. By then, demand on engineers is at its peak and a fault that could have been fixed in a routine visit becomes an emergency. National Test Your Boiler Day is designed to move that moment forward.

Simple checks residents can do themselves

The campaign gave residents clear, practical guidance on five basic checks they can carry out at home, with no tools or technical knowledge needed. To make it as accessible as possible, we produced:

• A five-step video guide walking residents through each check

• Posters and leaflets for Poplar HARCA's community hub

• A colouring activity on the back of the leaflet, featuring our character Puffy, so children could colour in each check as the family completed it

To encourage participation, residents who completed the checks and submitted a short online form, confirming whether they had found and reported any issues, could claim a £5 voucher.

We reached residents through the channels they already use. The campaign featured in Poplar HARCA's monthly newsletter and resident emails, was displayed in their community space, and was shared in person by teams carrying out property inspections and home visits.

The results

In its first year, the campaign received 115 responses from Poplar HARCA residents. Of these, 13 residents identified an issue with their boiler and reported it.

That means 13 households were able to flag potential heating and hot water problems in September, rather than discovering them during a cold snap. For those residents, it's the difference between a planned repair and a night without heating or hot water.

What this means for housing providers

Sureserve Compliance provides emergency boiler maintenance for Poplar HARCA. Issues reported early can be dealt with proactively, which helps reduce avoidable reactive call-outs and eases pressure on engineers during the busiest weeks of winter.

The benefits run both ways:

• For residents: fewer unexpected breakdowns, warmer homes and more confidence in looking after their heating

• For landlords: earlier visibility of faults, repairs that can be planned rather than rushed, and better use of engineer time when demand peaks

The campaign shows how early resident engagement, simple education and proactive maintenance can work together to improve the resident experience while supporting more efficient service delivery.

Looking ahead to 2027

This year we ran National Test Your Boiler Day with a single housing provider. Building on these results, we look forward to running it again next year and opening it up to more of our clients.

If you'd like to bring the campaign to your residents, get in touch with your Sureserve contact.

Find out more:

• National Test Your Boiler Day campaign page

• Case study: our compliance contract with Poplar HARCA