CLIENT REPORT SUMMER ISSUE 2012
Foreword
“ Be influenced by nothing but your clients’ interests. Tell them the truth.” Arthur C. Nielsen
Welcome to the first issue of our Client Report. This report informs you, our members, on all the work HHIC has achieved quarterly. The summer report covers the period from April 2012 to June 2012. We all lead such busy, working lives and sometimes it is not that easy to digest all the information that we are given. The Client Report is just a tool for you to pop in your bag, take on a train or plane and quickly get up to speed with all of HHIC’s commitments to you. If you would like to chat to any member of the team regarding any topic in the Client Report then please contact us at HHIC. Watch out for the autumn report as it will be a particularly busy time for HHIC with many more exciting projects to tell you about.
Roger Webb, HHIC Director
CLIENT REPORT SUMMER ISSUE 2012
Public Affairs
“A week is a long time in politics.” Harold Wilson
• Green Deal: Our work through campaigning and much effort has established heating at the heart of the Green Deal. The government has now recognised that replacing a heating system is probably the most important trigger to stimulate a Green Deal project. The trusted heating installer plays a major role in persuading householders to take up the Green Deal. Meetings with DECC officials; Ministers and even the Secretary of State have helped secure this position. HHIC has stepped up its political campaigning for boiler replacement cash back as part of the £200m funding to stimulate Green Deal. • We have been participating in a new DECC panel which is proposing new business models for small companies to take part in Green Deal.
• Renewable Heating: HHIC was one of a small number of associations to be consulted on about DECC’s proposal for a domestic Renewable Heat Incentive due to be introduced in 2013. We also took part in Ministerial briefing ahead of the launch phase 2 of the Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme. Our proposal for a joint government and industry working group to monitor progress with the Renewable Heat Premium Payment was welcomed by the Minister. • Building Regulations: We met with officials from the Department for Communities and Local Government to represent concerns regarding the proposal to introduce consequential improvements requirements on boiler replacements. HHIC fully supports the measures to encourage homeowners to carry out other energy efficiency measures when a boiler is replaced but that a mandatory scheme could be counterproductive. We have offered to work with the government on alternative schemes. • Energy Labelling: HHIC has been a working with DEFRA and the Association of the European Heating Industry on energy labelling for space and water heaters between Member States and the European Commission. However a number of issues had not been resolved and we have continued to lobby on these.
02 + 03
Public Relations
“ Innovation needs to be part of your culture. Consumers are transforming faster than we are, and if we don’t catch up, we’re in trouble.” Ian Schafer, Deep Focus
• Twitter: In total, we have 900 followers across all three HHIC Twitter accounts. From BBC correspondents, national journalists, government, charities such as WWF, Money SavingExpert.com, academics, MPs, consumer champions to leading industry bodies - it has become a valuable immediate resource to get our messages distributed.
• HHIC Journal magazine: The Community Energy issue attracted contributors such as Greg Barker MP, Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change and the Chief Economist from Consumer Focus, Prashant Vaze. The magazine continues to attract eminent writers and raises the industry profile with a diverse selection of movers and shakers. • The Guardian Public Leaders Network: HHIC’s Deputy Director, Chris Yates took part in a live, online chat with Charles Phillips, Green Deal Deputy Director from DECC, James Drinkwater, Policy Officer at the Royal Institute of British Architects and others to discuss: ‘Getting the best from the Green Deal to discuss what local councils and central government can do to secure the benefits of the Green Deal.’
CLIENT REPORT SUMMER ISSUE 2012
• HHIC Columns: Our monthly opinion column reaches a circulation of 30,081 for HPM magazine and over 35,000 for HVP magazine. It raises issues on behalf of our industry and presents our views to a wider readership. Recent contributions from Roger Webb include ‘High fuel costs boost Green Deal’ and for HVP: ‘Solar energy for the whole house’. • GovToday: HHIC contributes to this public sector website which publishes our press releases and comment pieces. These pieces are often printed in Sustainability Today. ‘Incompetent installation should be stopped, say HHIC’, is our latest contribution.
04 + 05
Technical
“ There are three roads to ruin; women, gambling and technicians. The most pleasant is with women, the quickest is with gambling, but the surest is with technicians.” Georges Pompidou
• HHIC developed a proposal for the Health and Safety Executive that will require levels of carbon monoxide (CO) to be checked when gas boilers are installed in UK homes. This follows a number of incidents caused by high levels of CO and will be another important step in improving gas safety. It is expected that this will lead to a recommendation that CO checks are carried out on all new installations from April 2013 and that this will become a requirement in April 2014. • We hosted a BRE workshop as part of their consultation on low temperature heating circuits. This is a welcome development as it will enable heating appliances to operate at higher efficiencies and lead to reduced energy use.
CLIENT REPORT SUMMER ISSUE 2012
• HHIC has responded to proposals for gas cookers and hobs under the Eco-design of Energy Related Products Directive (ERP). This directive introduces new EU wide regulations to raise energy efficiency standards for a range of energy using products. The European Commission’s initial proposals for gas hobs would have resulted in the safety of these appliances being compromised. In conjunction with European trade associations and standards bodies, we have actively lobbied against these potentially damaging proposals. • We have also responded to an ERP consultant’s report on gas fires. These proposals would have resulted in over 80% of UK gas fires becoming obsolete by 2020. HHIC has proposed alternative minimum efficiency standards and has established the ongoing need for gas fires to be available to suit the variety of property types. Our proposals have now been adopted in the consultant’s final report to the European Commission.
• Development work has started on a performance calculation for passive flue gas heat recovery devices. Such a methodology will be essential if these products are to be included in the ERP regulations for space and water heaters. • A presentation was made at the PHEX event at Wembley to stimulate a lively debate with installers on the challenges facing the industry.
Membership
“ There is no such thing as a self-made man. You will reach your goals only with the help of others.” George Shinn
• We ran a campaign aimed at promoting HHIC membership to gas fire companies as well as organising a fringe meeting at the recent ‘Hearth and Home’ exhibition. This enabled us to discuss issues affecting the industry and to promote the benefits of our membership. Following this event, we recruited three new gas fire members. • Resulting from a campaign to increase the awareness of the importance of Benchmark over 94% of Benchmark manufacturers made time to complete their audit.
• We organised ten member meetings in the second quarter of 2012, including a low carbon technology group meeting in London with officials from DECC in attendance. • The HHIC heat loss calculator is now being managed and run by EES Data Ltd after a strategic review. EES Data Ltd will continue to maintain and update the software which will remain on sale through their website. • We started work on a new dedicated site for the Benchmark scheme which will include a module to allow installers to complete a commissioning checklist online. It is due for completion in August 2012.
06 + 07
Contact list
HHIC Director
HHIC Deputy Director/
Communications
Membership Services
Roger Webb
Technical Director
Manager
Manager
roger@hhic.org.uk
Chris Yates
Jodie Wiltshire
Isaac Occhipinti
chris.yates@hhic.org.uk
jodie@hhic.org.uk
isaac@hhic.org.uk
Technical Manager
Administrator/Events
Glyn Thomas
Manager
glyn@hhic.org.uk
Natalie Flay natalie@hhic.org.uk
Heating & Hotwater
Telephone number:
Industry Council
+44 (0)1926 513777
(HHIC) Camden House Warwick Rd
Fax number: +44 (0)1926 511923
Kenilworth
Twitter:
Warwickshire
@HHIC
CV8 1TH
www.centralheating.co.uk HHIC CR2012 ED001