PHAM JULYAUG19:Layout 1 02/07/2019 16:35 Page 1
Volume 57 | Issue 7 | July/August 2019
New standard could add to costs and confusion Leading players in the heating industry have expressed serious concerns about revisions to PAS 2035 that could add an unnecessary layer of cost and bureaucracy to energy efficiency retrofits. Recent revisions to the PAS 2035 standard for energy efficiency retrofits have sparked concern within the industry that undue burden will fall upon the professionals tasked with delivering the efficiency measures, such as condensing boilers. The Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC) believes the new standard could leave vulnerable householders without heating and bury installers in mountains of red tape. Stewart Clements, Director of the HHIC, comments: “The proposals are yet another example of unnecessary burden. Up to five ‘professionals’ may be required for every installation and loopholes could mean that they don’t have to actually be qualified. Bureaucratic delays could leave vulnerable people without heating and hot water.” He also believes that PAS 2035 does not offer any demonstrable benefit to the industry or consumers. “In most instances, the presumed additional red tape would be a detriment to both,” he says, “particularly those having boilers installed or replaced under government-backed retrofit schemes such
as ECO, which aims to tackle fuel poverty in the UK. “These new rules may increase costs, create confusion and not provide any additional, meaningful safeguards to consumers. It would also, almost certainly, increase installation time, leaving those most in need potentially without heat or hot water while they wait for the boxes to be ticked.” Martyn Bridges from Worcester Bosch has expressed concerns that the revised standard was not written by anyone from the heating sector. He says: “A panel consisting of, amongst
others, several certification bodies published PAS 2035, bringing new measures for those required to fit energy efficient measures. The first point to make is that this new PAS, or publicly available standard, was not authored by anybody from our industry. It is the certification market that stands to gain from putting the extra compliance in place, not installers or even end-users. “In short, it looks like that there are two new trades that have been introduced – A Retrofit Project Manager and a Retrofit Designer – alongside the existing Retrofit Installer.” Martyn believes it will be homeowners who will be most affected. “You can imagine that with two more parties involved, the costs for installing a new boiler will go up – and it will be coming out of the homeowner’s pocket. This is another example of a regulation body that hasn’t approached the industry it will directly affect for advice and discussions. It will be interesting to see what implications PAS 2035 will bring, both for the industry and the general public.”
Uncertainty causes sharp fall in demand The latest figures from the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply have revealed a sharp loss of momentum for the UK construction sector, with business activity and incoming new work both falling at the fastest pace for just over 10 years. The slide in demand was mainly attributed by survey respondents to risk aversion among clients in response to heightened political and economic uncertainty. The fall in house building was the largest reported for three years, which construction companies linked to weaker demand
conditions and concerns about the outlook for residential sales, while commercial work fell for the sixth consecutive month and remains the worst performing area of construction activity. Total new work received by construction companies decreased for the third consecutive month in June, accelerating to its sharpest decline since April 2009. Lower volumes of new business were primarily linked to a lack of tender opportunities and a ‘wait-and-see’ approach to spending decisions. Some firms also commented
that softer economic conditions had led to reduced client budgets. Tim Moore, Associate Director at survey complier IHS Markit, comments: “While the scale of the downturn is in no way comparable to that seen during the global financial crisis, the abrupt loss of momentum has been the worst experienced across the sector for a decade. A lack of clarity from policymakers has amplified the poor performance in June. Swift decision-making and a break in the political impasse hold the key to pulling the construction sector out of the quicksand.”
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Up to the job
As part of a refurbishment of a prestigious 19th century brewery in Hertford – to be converted into three houses, three apartments and a penthouse – Alpha’s FlowSmart unit with InTec 40GS2 has been chosen to provide a high-efficiency system for one of the site’s four bedroomed houses. A powerful boiler system was considered essential because this particular plot has three levels of underfloor heating plus four bathrooms, a utility room and kitchen. John Lontton, Installer & Developer at White Hart Developments, explains: “Choosing the right company to provide the heating system was an important requirement for the redevelopment of this old building. I performed plenty of research and decided Alpha was the best company for the job.”
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