Heating trade association calls on the government to consider fuel poverty in its heating strategy

The oil heating industry trade association, OFTEC, has called on the UK government to address the issue of fuel poor householders in England and Wales.  Recent figures suggest more than 10% are living in the cold. This is because of their inability to afford suitable heating resources.

Data concerning fuel poverty released last year by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows that 2.38 million householders in England and Wales are residing in conditions colder than temperatures considered safe for domestic living. This is an increase of 1.4% compared to previous years’ figures.

The data shows a total of 43,850 excess winter deaths (EWD) occurred in the year 2014/15 in England and Wales. This is the highest recorded number for over 15 years. OFTEC claims that many of these deaths are as a result of poorly heated homes.

The number of EWDs dropped significantly in 2015/16, to 24,300 reported cases. However, the figure for 2014/15 was higher than average due to a severe flu outbreak and an inadequate flu vaccine. Despite the decreased figure for 2015/16, the number of EWDs for that year was around 39% higher than in 2013/14.

Rural areas are at the most risk

OFTEC chief executive Paul Rose said that deaths caused by fuel poverty are more prevalent in rural areas in England and Wales. He claims this is due to insufficient energy efficiency levels found in the housing stock.

Mr Rose said that poor insulation and outdated heating and boiler systems are leading to increased energy bills. Many vulnerable people simply can not afford to pay them.

He added: “In this day and age it is totally unacceptable that so many people are still dying from the cold because they can’t afford to adequately heat their homes… OFTEC urges government to consider this reality when re-shaping the UK’s heating strategy.”

OFTEC believes the government’s current major heating energy efficiency schemes, the ECO initiative and the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), do not sufficiently cover energy efficiency. The RHI focuses mainly on carbon reduction and renewable energy sources.

For free advice about boilers or central heating systems, call us on 0800 311 8990. Or, complete our no-obligation quote form for a quick reply.

New report predicts major market growth for biomass boilers between 2016 and 2025

A new Transparency Market Research report suggests the global market for biomass boilers is expected to grow from $68.2 billion (US) in 2015 to $193.1 billion by 2025, resulting in a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11%.

The report, titled ‘Biomass Boiler Market – Global & U.K. Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 – 2022’ makes some big suggestions. In particular, expects regulatory support for alternative fuel boilers will increase interest and therefore investment in the upcoming years.

Biomass boilers are an eco-friendly and more cost-effective alternative to a modern fossil fuel heating systems. They typically burn wood pellets and wood chips to generate heat and energy. Typically, large commercial buildings, such as hotels, educational establishments and hospitals use them.

Generally, biomass boilers are more popular in areas with a limited gas mains supply. As a result, they are maybe best in in rural locations.

A wide array of possible fuels

Biomass boilers can use many different types of fuel. This includes agricultural, human and forest waste, energy crops and biogas. Therefore, owners can decide what to use for their heating. Wood remains the most popular choice though.

In the UK, it will be Government support and new initiatives such as the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme, in addition to tax and feed-in tariffs (FITs) incentives, which will propel the market between 2016 and 2025.

The report states that limited advancement to overcome supplier challenges of storage and stocking could be a factor which will negatively effect the global market.

Three groups make up the biomass boiler market:

• Residential
• Commercial
• Industrial

The commercial sector has been the market leader for a number of years. Consequently, this is expected to continue between now and 2025.

For more information regarding our boiler installation and maintenance services, please call us for free advice on 0800 311 8990. Or, complete our no-obligation quote form for a quick reply from a local and professional engineer.

The illegal gas fitter left the property ‘at risk’ as he did not commission the work

An illegal gas fitter has received a suspended jail sentence and community service. He installed a gas boiler at a property and then left the homeowners ‘at risk’ by not commissioning it.

52-year-old Mark Evans fitted the machine at the property on Denys Road, in Torquay.

The installer completed the installation but failed to commission the boiler. In addition, he didn’t leave any paperwork. He also failed to register the new gas boiler with the Local Authority. All three of these are legal requirements when fitting a new machine.

The homeowners were concerned about the installation. As a result, they contacted a Gas Safe Registered engineer to come out and inspect the installation.

With no way of knowing, the engineer who came to inspect the work was none other than Mark Evans’ brother. He voiced his concerns to the homeowners regarding the installation and asked them to contact the Gas Safe Register.

A Gas Safe Registered inspector checked out the work afterwards. He deemed the installation of the new boiler as ‘At Risk’, meaning there was risk to life for the homeowners.

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) launched an investigation

Mr Evans, from Sladnor Park Road, Torquay, accepted responsibility and pleaded guilty to two breaches of gas safety regulations.

The judge delivered an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years. On top of this, he was to do 100 hours of unpaid work. He had to pay costs totalling £3,541.00 too.

“Mark Evans put lives at risk by undertaking gas work which he was neither qualified nor registered to undertake,” said Simon Jones, a HSE inspector.

Mr Jones also added that a gas boiler must be commissioned immediately. This makes sure everything is working perfectly and safely. However, Mr Evans did not carry out any checks and left knowing that the boiler hadn’t been commissioned. Essentially, the machine could have been dangerous for a period of time after installation.

Warm.co.uk only work with Gas Safe Registered engineers. Therefore, we assure you that fully qualified experts will handle boiler installations. Contact us to arrange a service.

New survey reveals how valued heating engineers are during the festive season for emergency call outs.

According to a new survey, heating and plumbing engineers working throughout the UK are the unsung heroes during the festive season. Many don’t even take a proper break over Christmas and the New Year. Instead they make sure those in need are looked after in the event of an emergency call out.

The survey, which was carried out and commissioned by a top UK plumbing supplier, in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Heating & Plumbing Engineering (CIPHE), discovered that one in 10 engineers have decided to work on Christmas Day. One in four would even down knife and fork if their services are needed.

Of those engineers questioned, more than half (56%), said that in the past they’ve attended a home on Christmas Day to deal with a problem and saved the customer’s Christmas Day as a result.

22% of engineers taking part in the survey also said they’d be working on Christmas Eve. In addition, 14% said Boxing Day would be a work day too.

Not Just Christmas

It didn’t stop at Christmas weekend either. 25% said they’ll be working on New Year’s Eve, with 16% working New Year’s Day as well. Despite the fact that January 2 is a Bank Holiday, nearly one in three installers said they’ll be back to work.

Many engineers said they’d be available for emergency call outs over the festive season;

• Almost half said they’d attend an emergency call out on Christmas Eve
• One third of those questioned would be available on Boxing Day
• 42% on New Years’s Eve
• 29% New Year’s Day
• 47% said they’d make an emergency visit on January 2

Be a loyal customer

However, it’s advised that homeowners make sure they are good customer’s with their local engineer before Christmas. A huge 69% of the installers questioned who do offer emergency call out cover said that they’ll only make themselves available for family, friends and loyal customers.

The kindness of heating and plumbing engineers doesn’t just stop at the time they give; many of them will offer a discount too. 30% said they’d been called out over the festive season and done work for free. In addition, 21% said they’d done the work at a discount price for the holiday season.

It’s nice to know that just 18% of engineers would charge a higher price than normal for an emergency call out over the festive season.

“Heating and plumbing engineers are the unsung heroes of the festive season and they richly deserve the spotlight this survey shines on them,” said chief executive officer of the CIPHE, Kevin Wellman.

Unexpected boiler breakdowns and plumbing problems are forcing Brits into debt

New research from Halifax bank suggests that over half of the UK population does not set money aside for unexpected household occurrences, such as a boiler breakdown or a malfunctioning appliance. In other words, they don’t budget.

According to the findings, almost half of adults residing in the UK have had to rely on credit cards to pay for emergency repair work in their home or for their vehicle. This includes paying for a new appliance, such as a washing machine or refrigerator.

On average, unprepared householders used their credit cards to borrow £380 to pay off unexpected bills. These individuals resorted to credit cards because they had not budgeted for an emergency incident. Therefore, they did not have a rainy day fund set aside for life’s little occurrences.

Halifax found that some householders had to borrow as much as £2,000. This was to pay for such things as boiler replacements, central heating work, plumbing repair work, and faulty vehicles.

Who are the most unprepared?

The Halifax study suggests that those who fall within the 35 to 54 age bracket are the most unprepared. They could therefore struggle with an unexpected demand on their bank balance.

We recommend setting aside a small portion of your monthly income to use in the event of an household emergency. Getting into debt because of a broken-down boiler is not an ideal situation. Even if you save as little as £25 per month, the fund will slowly grow with time. This will offer you financial peace of mind in the future. Make sure you get a budget in order.

Booking an annual boiler and central heating service with a qualified engineer can help prevent any major issues from developing. This can prove to be a wise investment.

To find out more about boiler servicing or for advice from a local, accredited engineer, call us for free on 0800 311 8990. You can also complete our simple quote form for a no-obligation quote.

Homeowners advised to choose a qualified boiler and central heating technician

The Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC) has launched a new campaign advising British consumers to hire the services of qualified heating or plumbing engineers during the peak central heating season.

The ‘Winter Switch-on’ campaign should discourage the use of cowboy tradesmen. Instead, they should stick with Gas Safe and OFTEC engineers during the the big central heating ‘switch-on’ period.

It is now the time of year when reliable and reputable engineers are in particularly high-demand across the nation. Homeowners are more likely to discover faults and experience breakdowns with their boilers and heating systems following the summer and autumn period. Pipework and components can seize up due to a lack of use or regular servicing.

The desperate nature of a heating breakdown can lead consumers to make rash decisions. This could end with a rogue tradesman performing emergency work on their system.

John Thompson, Chief Executive of APHC, said that problems arise simply because an accredited engineer is not available. Mr Thompson said this can lead to charlatans taking advantage of people in distress.

The APHC offered the following advice to homeowners:

• Make enquiries with friends and family regarding reliable heating engineers who they might have used in the past. Keep the contact details of these engineer in case of an emergency.
• Hire the services of a heating or plumbing professional who is a member of a trade association, such as APHC. These associations verify the qualifications of their member engineers.
• Ensure a engineer is accredited with the relevant safety credentials, such as the Gas Safety Register or the OFTEC register.
• Find out the cost of a call-out and how much the engineer will charge for continuous work. Make sure the engineer can not demand more money from you down the line.

Mr Thompson added: “As well as offering high levels of customer service and workmanship as standard, our members are fully vetted with their work checked annually to uphold high standards of workmanship.”

If you need to arrange professional help, contact us free on 0800 311 8990. We only work with Gas Safe Registered engineers for your peace of mind.

Gas and electricity smart meter roll-out caused by engineer shortage, claims new report

New research suggests the UK Government’s pledge to install smart meters in 26 million homes across the country is suffering delays. This is because of an engineer shortage. These professionals need to carry out the installations.

Leading provider of gas, electric, and smart meter skills training, ECTA Training, carried out a survey. They asked 2,000 homeowners to find out why the government’s smart meter roll-out is taking longer than expected.

The ECTA Training report questions if a shortage of skilled engineers is the only factor affecting the delays. They also wonder whether British householders understand the benefits of installing a smart meter in their home.

WHAT IS A SMART METER?

Smart meters use a secure national communication network operated by the Data and Communications Company (DCC) to wirelessly transfer energy usage data to gas and electricity suppliers. This eliminates the need for estimated usage readings and meter readers coming out to your property.

The provider is automatically sent the actual usage data so they bill you according to the reading. Homeowners can also monitor their gas and electricity usage on the smart meter display. This shows the real-time usage and costs.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change claims that householders can more easily switch between energy suppliers with the metres. Suppliers can also monitor home energy usage and then offer efficiency advice based on the data they gather.

The Government has pledged to install a smart meter in every home in the England, Wales, and Scotland by 2020. Utility companies have thus far only installed 5,000 smart meters. Qualified engineers are not always available to complete the jobs.

The ECTA report, titled ‘Smart Meters: the consumer view’, states that one in five householders in the UK have experienced delays when attempting to arrange their smart meter installation. The issue is a particular problem in London and the North East of England.

In the North East, almost 40% of the people surveyed said they are worried the delays are costing them money. In addition, half of the 2,000 surveyed said that utility companies should invest more money into training engineers.

If you would like to discuss smart meters with a local engineer, you can contact us to arrange it. Warm.co.uk only work with reliable professionals. Call us today or complete the quote form.

Third of Scottish landlords unaware of gas safety check responsibilities

Over a third of Scottish landlords are oblivious to the fact they have a responsibility to their tenants in providing a safe place to live. Consequently, they don’t know that an annual gas safety check must be carried out on all gas appliances.

New research revealed one fifth of privately rented properties contained dangerous appliances. A total of 3,339 homes were inspected in a five year period to acquire the data.

The Gas Safe Register body discovered dangerous and unsafe gas appliances in 18% of private rental properties in Scotland. As a result, it’s now one of the most dangerous places in the UK to rent a home.

Data collected by the Gas Safe Register over five years revealed that across the UK, the most dangerous appliance found in rental properties was a gas heater (59%).

Fifteen per cent, or one in six landlords in Scotland, don’t know that, by law, they should have the boiler safety checked every year in each of their rental properties. In addition, 10% were unsure as to whether the boilers in their rental properties had been inspected over the last year.

Landlords should hire a fully qualified Gas Safe registered engineer to check all gas appliances every year.

Lack of awareness

Alarmingly, over one third (37%) of UK landlords are not aware of their responsibilities of care. Even more alarming is the fact that one in seven (15%) of landlords mistake their responsibility. The local council is never responsible for gas appliance safety because the landlord always is.

The confusion doesn’t just stop at landlords however. Many homeowners are unsure as to who’s responsible for ‘gas safe’ checks in their property. Surprisingly, only 49% of homeowners across the UK know that they are responsible. In addition, 14%, or one in 7, think the responsibility lies with their gas provider.

Homeowners need to ensure their property is ‘gas safe’. The best way to do this is with an annual gas safety check of all appliances. A Gas Safe registered engineer  should do this.

‘Trust the triangle’ and use a Gas Safe registered engineer.