INDUSTRY NEWS TRADESPEOPLE LOSING MORE THAN £1,000 PER YEAR FROM WITHHELD PAYMENTS UK tradespeople are seeing over £1,000 of payments per year withheld by customers following a completed job. The research, conducted by IronmongeryDirect, found that an average £1,062 is owed to tradies across the UK. A third (33%) said they were waiting for over £1,000 from customers for completed jobs, whilst nearly one in 10 (7%) are owed over £3,000. Nearly two thirds (61%) of tradespeople have had payments withheld by customers, which occurs twice per year on average. More than one in 10 (12%) however, experience withheld payments more than five times a year. Only 6% of tradespeople say that the payment issues are resolved within a week, whilst more than one in five (22%) have had to wait more than a month to be paid for a job. Trades most likely to have payments withheld (times per year): • Plumber: 2.6 • Electrician: 2.4 • Builder: 2.3 • Bricklayer: 2.2 • Carpenter: 1.9 • Surveyor: 1.8 • Joiner: 1.7 • Painter and decorator: 1.6 • Plasterer: 1.3 • Landscaper: 1.2
Female tradies were found to receive payment quicker than their male counterparts, experiencing higher rates of payment within a week (8% vs 4%) and within a fortnight (34% vs 20%). However, women were also found to be
owed higher sums of money, with an average of £1,168 outstanding, compared to £972 for men. IronmongeryDirect, ironmongerydirect.co.uk
TESP CALLS FOR INDUSTRY MENTORS
£1M BOOST FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY IN THE SOUTH EAST
The Electrotechnical Skills Partnership (TESP) is calling for people from all corners of the electrotechnical industry to donate just 45 minutes of their time to mentor a young person. So far, The Youth Group has supported over 1.7 million young people across all sectors of UK industry. Under a new partnership, TESP is now working with The Youth Group to build a network of mentors with electrotechnical experience to inspire and inform young people about electrical opportunities. The minimum commitment is to support just one 45 minute online mentoring session with a young person. If you choose to continue as a mentor, you can speak to a variety of different job seekers and share your experiences and insights, or work with one individual and support them on their journey to develop and get a job. Ruth Devine, Chair of TESP, adds: “We can’t wait to start working with The Youth Group and calling our industry experts to action. The electrical industry presents fantastic opportunities in areas such as new technologies and low carbon solutions, so we’re confident our mentors will be able to provide informative and inspirational advice to young people.”
Nearly £1m of smart investment in the South East’s electricity network is set to pave the way for new generators of renewable energy to connect to the grid. UK Power Networks is rolling out new ‘load blinding relays’ across Kent, Surrey and Sussex to unlock capacity for new connections. The £932,000 project will see the devices installed on 80 transformers across 35 sites, from now until 2024. In total, the new protection relay technology will release 469 Mega Volt Amperes (MVA) – unlocking enough capacity to install a rooftop solar panel on 127,445 houses. That’s the equivalent of connecting a new solar panel on every house in a town the size of Eastbourne, East Sussex. Installing the new smart devices is also significantly cheaper than replacing existing equipment or building new, and the South East was chosen because it already hosts many wind and solar farms. Director of Asset Management Barry Hatton says: “We’re excited about this programme because it shows just how far we can go if we think a bit differently and re-imagine what’s possible on our network. Strategic, smart, specific investment like this, is exactly how we plan to help enable net zero by 2050.”
The Electrotechnical Skills Partnership, the-esp.org.uk
MYENERGI LAUNCHES NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO DRIVE SUSTAINABLE CHANGE myenergi has launched a national campaign to drive sustainable change. #TheGreenReset, which takes place between 22 April-22 May, challenges UK householders to change their wasteful behaviours for environmentally friendly alternatives throughout the duration of the campaign. From going plastic free or cutting down on e-commerce purchases, to planting vegetables in your back garden, the initiative demonstrates just how simple it can be to make a positive difference. Jordan Brompton, co-founder and CMO of myenergi, comments: “Our message is simple – while it may not be possible to tackle climate change single-handedly, if everyone made a few small changes, it would result in a huge global difference. Working together and sharing best practice really is key to achieving a kinder, more sustainable future for generations to come.” Running in parallel to the campaign, myenergi will host a competition to win a selection of eco-friendly smart home tech gadgets. To enter, simply share your eco changes on social media, tag myenergi and encourage your followers to join the movement. A winner will be chosen at random and notified on the final day of the campaign.
UK Power Networks, ukpowernetworks.co.uk
myenergi, myenergi.com
8 | May 2021
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27/04/2021 15:28
