INDUSTRY NEWS 112,000 UK TRADE BUSINESSES SET UP SINCE THE FIRST LOCKDOWN Since the first coronavirus lockdown was announced on 23 March 2020, over 112,000 trade businesses have been set up in the UK, new research has revealed. The study, conducted by IronmongeryDirect analysed over one million rows of Companies House data and found that more than one in 10 (11%) of all businesses set up during the pandemic (1,019,970) are in the trade industry. Of the 112,047 new companies in the sector, almost a fifth (19%) focus on the ‘development of building products’, with 20,753 start-ups – more than any other trade category. Similar projects also take up the next three spots, with ‘construction of domestic buildings’ and ‘commercial buildings’ both making the top five. Companies specialising in ‘electrical installation’ are not far behind, with 8,194 new businesses, while ‘plumbing, heat and air-conditioning installation’ firms also feature highly. The 10 most common categories for trade businesses established since the first lockdown are: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10)
Development of building projects – 20,753 Construction of domestic buildings – 16,278 Other specialised construction activities – 9,395 Construction of commercial buildings – 8,763 Electrical installation – 8,194 Other building completion and finishing – 8,151 Plumbing, heat and air-conditioning installation – 7,299 Other construction installation – 6,146 Landscape service activities – 3,685 Painting – 3,090
IronmongeryDirect, ironmongerydirect.co.uk
‘SYSTEMIC CHANGE’ NEEDED IN LIGHTING INDUSTRY TO ADOPT CIRCULAR ECONOMY The lighting industry needs systemic change if it is to fully adopt circular principles and practices – that was the conclusion of a gathering of lighting designers and industry executives in a special webinar on ‘The specifier’s role in the circular economy’ organised by the WEEE compliance body, Recolight. Manufacturers will have to reassess their business models for a time when reuse of products is normalised; designers will have to reconcile the inherent conflicts in creating a high quality interior that’s demountable and reusable; and clients will have to challenge the traditional take-make-waste consumption of building and refurbishment projects. New business models – such as specialist ‘remanufacturing’ firms which upgrade, test, sell and warranty reused lighting products – will also be created. Bruce Weil, co-owner of the independent practice Lighting Design Studio said the retail lighting sector especially needed to reconsider its lighting practices. “It’s a real outlier,” he told the audience. “It’s wedded to extremely high illuminance levels and energy use and when we come to offset the carbon in our projects, it’s a real standout. As the climate crisis evolves, our role as lighting designers will potentially become even more critical but I think we are far from any kind of standardised approach.”
CONSTRUCTION RECEIVES FINANCIAL BOOST DURING PANDEMIC New analysis from Powered Now has revealed that the home improvement boom experienced during lockdown has seen sales for SMEs in construction during 2021 increase by 35%, compared to those in 2020. Figures from almost a quarter of a million invoices recorded by 915 trade SMEs has shown that the average invoice value in 2021 is 6% higher than those recorded in 2020, with sales for the first eight months of 2021 amounting to £111m, compared to the £82m recorded for the same period last year. What is particularly intriguing from the data is the continual increase of the average value for invoices throughout 2021. Originally prescribed to the national lockdowns witnessed in the spring of 2020 and winter of 2021, the explosion of home improvements have continued to become more valuable throughout the summer months. Usually a quieter period for the trades, the significance of this increase is further emphasised by the growth that has continued past ‘Freedom Day’, with the average value of an invoice amounting to £1,233, reaching total monthly sales of £15.1m, making August near the highest month for deal flow in 2021, second only to March. Powered Now, powerednow.com
Recolight, recolight.co.uk
8 | October 2021
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EARLY WARNING SYSTEM TO BOOST ELECTRICITY NETWORK Pioneering technology has been installed for the first time in the UK to boost the reliability of power supplies at key sites across the South East and London. As part of a £435,000 innovation trial by UK Power Networks, engineers have fitted new ‘Smart Cable Guards’ at two sites – New Addington and East Grinstead – to detect and fix potential power cuts before they happen. It is the first time the devices have been installed on any UK electricity network. Working like a doctor’s stethoscope to track the network’s ‘pulse’, the box-like devices fit onto an underground power cable and the technology continuously monitors cables for tiny levels of electrical distortion, like an irregular heartbeat. The Smart Cable Guards are so sensitive that they can detect electrical disturbances lower than the power of a standard mobile phone charger on an industrial electricity cable that serves around 5,000 properties. When the device detects a disturbance, it alerts engineers exactly where on the cable a potential problem could occur, to within a few metres. Once a fault has been successfully identified, engineers can replace the cabling to protect the entire area from power cuts. With four sites completed, Smart Cable Guards will be installed at 18 more locations across Kent, Sussex, Surrey and London as part of this trial. UK Power Networks, ukpowernetworks.co.uk
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24/09/2021 11:56
