INDUSTRY NEWS
SUPPORTING ‘BRIGHT SPARKS’ OF THE FUTURE Carl Kammerling International remains fully committed to supporting the next generation of professional electricians, and was delighted to receive a Business Recognition 2021 award for its work with Leicester College. The Bright Sparks by CKI college sponsorship scheme began in 2003, and has provided Leicester College with quality hand tools and training resources to help students develop their skills. Bright Sparks by CKI has a great future and this year exciting new elements will be added, allowing students to benefit even more during their studies. Since it began, Carl Kammerling International has supported over 50,000 apprentice electricians and now provides 60 colleges across the UK and Ireland with free professional standard CK tools for use in their workshops. The Bright Sparks
by CKI initiative continues to flourish and supports the continued development of students whose aim is to become the best professional electricians within the industry, whilst also providing and promoting the importance of the use of professional standard hand tools. This year, Bright Sparks by CKI is set to be further enhanced, to enable students to get the most out of the scheme. There will be a strong focus on educational aspects, which will continue to provide CK hand tools for practical lessons, with the addition of knowledge designed to support theory-based lessons. A series of educational posters will be available, as well as full access to Productwise, a great online learning resource packed full of useful information. Carl Kammerling International, carlkammerling.com
ECA CALLS FOR A NETWORK OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING POINTS
HOME IMPROVEMENTS WERE THE BACKBONE OF BRITISH RELATIONSHIPS LAST YEAR Over the course of the pandemic, home was very much where the heart was forced to stay, and as a result of multiple lockdowns, house renovations have steadily become Britain’s favourite pastime. Using this as an opportunity to improve their surroundings and create more internal differentiation, 43% of Brits found that their home improvement project helped them with their mental health during the pandemic. In new national research by Powered Now, 25% of Brits agreed that as a result of the pandemic, DIY and home improvements have become their favourite hobbies, with a further 37% of Brits finding that completing a home improvement with their partner made their relationship stronger. The research also highlights that Brits have spent an average of £2,011 per person on home refurbishments, with the total spent by British consumers on home improvements amounting to £110.3bn, signalling an increase in expenditure by 29.7%. Further signifying the importance of home improvements to our mental health, Brits have detailed in the research that tradespeople were the only services that they hired in periods of lockdown. With 34% of Brits agreeing to this, the desire for tradespeople was so extreme that 37% of Brits said that the builder they wanted to use was too busy to do the work that they wanted during the pandemic.
According to recently released survey figures, just over half (51%) of NHS Trusts have now installed EV Charging Infrastructure (EVCI) for their staff, patients and the wider community. The ECA has welcomed the uptake of EVCI by the Trusts as a positive move towards net zero carbon, but according to ECA’s Energy advisor, Luke Osborne, “We need a coordinated plan for EV charging to help the public sector and the UK to achieve its decarbonisation targets. Hospitals are integral to their communities, so their plans must reach out more widely to include the wider road network.” The latest data was obtained through a FOI request by power management business Eaton, issued to 173 NHS Foundation Trusts across the UK, with 142 of Trusts responding. While half (51%) of NHS Trusts already report EVCI on-site, a further 43% plan to install charging facilities on-site within the next five years. Just 6% of NHS trusts had no plans to introduce EVCI. However, when asked about the impact of EVCI on their existing electrical infrastructure, half (53%) of NHS Trusts flagged that they would need more electrical capacity, while two thirds (41%) said it may incur additional energy costs through greater peak demand. Just a quarter (24%) saw potential to create new revenue streams from new EV charging facilities. The FOI also revealed that very few NHS trusts (11%) are currently selling energy to the grid through energy storage technologies, including vehicle to grid. One fifth (23%) plan to use energy storage to start selling energy to the grid in the next five years, but two-thirds (65%) have no plans to do so. ECA, eca.co.uk
Industry News.indd 6
Almost three quarters of people are interested in low carbon hybrid heating – but comfort and reliability are ‘must haves’, new research shows. The results are from more than 1,000 survey responses gathered by electricity network operator, UK Power Networks, and gas network, Wales & West Utilities, as part of their HyCompact project. The trial, which runs until March 2022, is researching consumers’ attitudes and live testing low carbon hybrid heating systems in UK homes. Hybrid heating systems work by switching between gas and electricity to guarantee lowest cost and carbon emissions. The research also suggests people will only buy low carbon heating systems if they are cheaper, more reliable, or easier to install than conventional systems. It found 72% of respondents say hybrid heating systems are either moderately or very appealing. However, the most popular reasons for switching are comfort and reliability (both 96%), plus cheaper running costs and ease of use (both 94%). The vast majority (85%) said they are satisfied with their current gas system, while around four in five would only consider switching if their current boiler stops working. If a breakdown happened, just over 80% would be interested in hybrid heating if it was less disruptive than installing a new gas boiler, underlining the need for low carbon systems to improve on products already on the market. UK Power Networks, ukpowernetworks.co.uk
Powered Now, powerednow.com
6 | July 2021
SEVEN IN 10 WELCOME THE PROSPECT OF HYBRID HEATING
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24/06/2021 10:08
