Modern Building Services

INDUSTRY NEWS 6 MODERN BUILDING SERVICES MARCH 2021 Heating industry ‘not fit for purpose’ The heating industry is barring consumers fromexercising their rights to choose efficient heating systems, according to consumer advice experts atThe HeatingHub. Jo Alsop, Founder of The Heating Hub, said: “For too long the UK’s domestic heating industry has been focused on volume boiler sales rather than on providing consumers with good advice about how to choose long-lasting, efficient systems. “The sector is simply not fit for purpose and as a result of this addiction to boiler sales the UK has one of the highest boiler replacement rates in Europe. Too many consumers are being short changed for us not to act.” Millions of Britons are currently working from home and spending more time indoors in order to comply with restrictions to stop the spread of the coronavirus, leading to a rise in demand for gas. Energy prices are due to increase further in April, as a result of rising wholesale costs, which will see typical dual fuel bills rise by £96 to £1,138 a year. Research conducted by The Heating Hub shows that an incorrectly installed boiler will cost the average UK household £418 per year and last seven to 10 years; by comparison a correctly installed boiler should last over two decades and consume less fuel, saving the average household close to £7,000 over the lifetime of the boiler. Whilemodern condensing boilers are capable of achieving high efficiency rates, industry research conducted byTheHeating Hub reveals that 99%of installers are not adequately trained to set up a boiler towork at its optimal efficiency.The company says that chronic underinvestment in training has also left the industry unprepared to copewith increased demand for new technologies, such as heat pumps. www.theheatinghub.co.uk Business Community Helps Get People Back intoWork As the number of people unemployed in the UK is likely to reach 2.6 million* in themiddle of 2021 due to the ongoing Covid pandemic, the business community tool BBXUK has teamed upwithHampshireTraining and Assessments (HTAA) to offer 20 candidates training courses to get themfully qualified and back intowork across a variety of trade sectors. John Attridge, CEO of BBX UK says: “We understand it’s a difficult time at the moment for those out of work, whether you’re on furlough, unemployed or looking for a career change. We want to help get people back to work and by teaming up with HTAA we’ve found a solution for those who can’t afford courses or qualifications.” This isn’t the first time HTAA has supported getting people back into work, having helped a homeless man in 2017 who used to be a gas engineer retrain and gain his qualifications free of charge. HTAA not only train people to becoming fully certified in their chosen sector, but also give a helping hand to those wanting to set up their own businesses, providing ongoing support and introducing them to suppliers. As part of this campaign, BBX UK will also be there to help cover some of the business set up costs such as branding and website design, marketing, and accounting. If you’re interested in a becoming a fully certified tradesperson, please contact laura.whitmore@bbxworld.com *source: BBC Website BPMA Introduces New Pump Repair Training Course The British Pump Manufacturers Association (BPMA) has added a new course to its training programme. Addressing the increasingly important area of pump maintenance and repair, and to better meet the requirements of its members, the course was developed under the guidance of Gary Wilde, BPMA’s Technical Services Officer, with the help of a dedicated Working Group, comprising AESSEAL, Altecnic, Eriks, NOV, Secure Meters, Siemens, WEG, Wilo UK & Xylem UK. This training course has been designed to provide attendees with the essential and generic knowledge of pump repairs & maintenance. It is suitable both for the novice technician, as well as the experienced technician seeking skills improvement or simply to act a knowledge refreshment. This course considers the implications of repair and replacing a part with a partial or complete overhaul. The importance of building in a scheduled or preventative maintenance routine that will help prolong the life of a system and help to eliminate costly downtime problems. The course will be CPD Approved and its first delivery 23rd & 24th June 2021. For further information, please contact Steve Smith on +44 (0)121 601 6691 or by email at s.smith@bpma.org.uk .