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Volume V o olume 56 | Issue 7 | J July/August uly/August 2018
Does h Does heat eat p pump ump a ambition mbition need n eed a rreality eality ccheck? heck? The Committee The Committe ee on on Climate Climate Change Change has has called called on on the the Government Government to to do do more more to to promote promote the the use use of of heat heat pumps p umps in in rrural ural areas, areas, but but some some in in the the industry industry argue argue that that statistics statistics prove prove this this to to be be a flawed flawed strategy. strategy. A rrecent ecent report reportt from from the Committee on Climate Chan Change ng e (CCC) has criticised the Go Government vernment for not doing more more to decarbonise the b building uilding g sector and claims that a lack lack of action actio on will mean the country country will fail to meet le llegally-binding gally-binding targets targets to rreduce educe greenhouse greenhouse gas gas emissions. The CCC argues electricification ar gues that the ele ectricification of heat and key wider use of heatt pumps should be ke y to Government’s the Go vernment’s strategy, strategy y, but a number number voices of v oices in the heating industry industry believe believe there that ther e are are more mo ore cost-effective cost-effective ways way ys to rreduce educe rreliance eliance on n fossil fuels. Schofield, Neil Sc hofield, Head of Government Government Affairs at Worcester Wo orcestter Bosch, Bosch, argues argues that the pumps push for heat pum mps to be prioritised is in need of a ‘reality ‘reality check’. check’. He comments: “One of the main issues CCC’ss recommendations is that with the CCC’ recommendations e they are the y ar e informed d by by carbon performance alone,, and not b by alone y practicality practicality or cost. We We rreally eally need a rreality eallity check, check, as the figures figures we’ve suggest w e’ve seen sug gest that heat pumps
simply aren’t ssimpl y ar en’t suitable suitable for an overwhelming overwhelming homes.”” m majority of homes. argued It is ar gued that an examination examiination of the figures l latest EPC figur es shows shows that th hat less than properties 1 12% of the 640,536 pr operrties without to the mains gas a access gas network network have have an the great E EPC rrated ated ‘C’ or above, above, leaving leav v ving great properties m majority of pr operties without without sufficient i insulation for a heat pump p installation. I is also estimated that over It over 70% of rural rural properties have p pr operties hav ve unfilled cavity ca av vity or solid walls, which w alls, whic h will make them them difficult to investment. ttreat tr eat without significant in nvestment. e
““A A heat pump can offer numerous numerous o living benefits forr those li ving in new new build or well-insulated properties,” w ell-insulatted pr operties,” says say ys Schofield, Schofie eld, simply “but 88% of o those off-grid g simpl p y don’t do on’t either categories. fit into eit ther of those cate gories. The T industry heating indu ustry has long held doubts over over Government gas Go vernmen nt plans for off mains g as areas, areas, e but these numbers numbers really really do emphasise emphasise how just ho w flawed fla awed their ambitions are.” are.” the body, OFTEC, th he oil heating bod y, continues continues u to put the case case for low low carbon liquid fuels, fue els, arguing that ar guing tha at it can play y a crucial role role in decarbonoising from decarbonois sing heat fr om rural rural homes. Paul comments: “The capability CEO P aul Rose R capab billity heating industry of the oil he eating industr y to innovate innovate and a Government’s meet the Go G vernment’s decarbonisation decarbonisatiion agenda adequately a genda h has not been adequate ely produce rrecognised. ecognised. It is not boilers that pr odu uce emissions, carbon emis ssions, it’s it’s the fuel they they run on. o Therefore, Ther efore, it it is premature premature for Government Governme ent to consider rregulating egulating against against oil heating heatiing when all liquid liq quid fuel boilers could be run on low a lo w carbon n alternative alternative fuel before before 2035.” 2035 5.”
COMPETITION
Prizes P rizes tto oh help e l p meet meet Boiler Plus Plu us regs See how to enter enter on page 59
Ride R ide to to Paris Paris
Women W omen rreminded eminded iit’s t’s w worth orth tthe he sstruggle truggle Resilience, Resilience, p persistence ersistence a and nd at attitude ttitude w were ere the the main main themes themes at at the the second second annual annual Women Women Installers Installers T Together ogether ((WIT) W IT ) c conference, onference, a an n event event d designed esigned tto oh highlight ighlight c contributions ontributions o off women tto o tthe he iindustry. ndustry. O rganised b yS topcocks women Organised by Stopcocks Women Women P Plumbers lumbers and and supported supported by by some some big big names names in in plumbing plumbing a and nd c construction, onstruction, the the conference conference held held in in London London on on 4 4th th July July attracted attracted o over ver 1 100 00 women women in in the the trade, trade, ffrom rom seasoned o peratives to to those those aspiring aspiring to to join join seasoned operatives their their ranks. ranks. Setting Setting the the tone tone w was as k keynote eynote speaker speaker Anna Anna Hemmings, Hemmings, B Britain’s ritain’s m most ost ssuccessful uccessful female female kayaker, kayaker, two-time two-time Olympian Oly l mpian n and an nd six-time six-time World World Champion. Champion. S Speaking peaking ab about out h her er o own wn rroad oad tto o success, success, she she encouraged encouraged the the women women installers installers to to be be persistent persistent in in achieving achieving their their career career goals goalls
in in a m male-dominated ale-dominatted fie field. ld. ““How How w we e evaluate evaluate ac challenge hallenge iinfluences nfluences h how ow ssuccessful uc ccessful w we e are are going going tto ob be,” e,” sshe he said. said. “The “The w way ay w we e explain explain things ourselves things tto oo urselves massively massively determines determines our our levels confidence, confidence, rresilience esilience a nd happiness. hap ppiness. levels and You You can can alter alter your your mode mode of of thinking thinking so so that thatt it it helps helps y you ou rrather ather than than hinders hinders y you. ou. C Choose hoose your your at attitude.” ttitude.” Looking Looking specifically specifically l at at plumbing, plumbing, where where women women c constitute onstitute less less than than 1% 1% of of the the industry, industry, Anna Anna e encouraged ncouraged conference-goers conference-goers to to focus focus on on the the things things they they can can control, control, and and not not on on those those out out o off ttheir heir hands: hands: “The “The next next ttime ime y you ou encounter encounter negativity negativity about about being being women women in in this yourself this iindustry, ndustry, you you might might remind remind y ourself that thatt 30% 30% of of homeowners homeowners would would prefer p efer to pr to have have a woman woman w working orking iin n their their home. home. That’s That’s
because b ecause you you are are fabulous fab a ulous at at what what you you do.” do.” Also addressing was Hattie A lso a ddressing tthese hese iissues ssues w as H attie Hasan, H asan, founder founder of of Stopcocks. Stopcocks. Her Her focus focus was was on concept off d destiny and why women o n tthe he c oncept o estiny a nd w hy w omen sshould hould rresolve esolv l e tto oc create reate ttheir heir o own. wn. ““Keep Keep your your eyes eyes on on the t he prize,” pr ize,” sshe he said, said, awareness off y your goal ““because because iit’s t’s tthe he a wareness o our g oal that thatt gets and keeps g ets you you up up in in the t he morning mor ning a nd k eeps you you going you may want g oing sstrong trong when when y ou m ay w ant tto o tthrow hrow tthe he towel towel iin. n. I love love the the fact fact I’m I’m a plumber plumber and and have evolved business So don’t h av ve e volved iinto nto a b usiness owner. owner. S od on’t lett p eople de efeat y ou w ith a ‘just ‘just who who do y ou people defeat you with you tthink hink y you ou are?’ are?’ attitude. atttitude. Y You ou c can’t an’t c change hange ttheir heir attitude, but you a ttitude, b ut y ou can can control control your your reaction.” reactio on.” To T o fi find nd out out more more ab about out S Stopcocks, topcocks, tthe he plumbing plumbing company company behind behind the t he WIT W IT conference, co nference, visit: v isit: http://stopcocks.uk htt p://stopcocks.uk
Seven cyclists Seven cyclists from frro om S Saniflo aniflo U UK K h have ave successfully s uccessfully completed completed tthe he 2 220 20 m mile ile ttrip rip p ffrom rom tthe he ccompany’s ompany’s S South outh R Ruilsip uilsip p offices offices tto o the th he group’s group’s global glo obal headquarters headquartterrs in in Paris Paris in n a bid biid to o rraise ais se money money ffor or C Cancer ancer R Research esearch UK. U K. T The he tteam, eam, which which iincluded ncluded M MD DT Tim im Pestell, P estelll, h helped elped tto o rraise aise o over ver e £6000 £6000 – a target target set s et tto om mark ark the the 60th 60th anniversary anniversar y of of tthe he iinvention nvention o off tthe he fi first rst S Saniflo aniflo m macerator. acerator.. People still P eople ccan an s till donate donate via via the the company’s company’s JJust ust Giving Giving page page at: at: www.justgiving.com/ www.justgiving.com/ ffundraising/saniflosfa undraising/saniflosffa
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