PHAM NEWS JAN17 ad2edit:Layout 1 22/12/2016 14:18 Page 1
Volume V o olume 55 | Issue 1 | J January anuary 2017
Review R eview rrecommends ecommends n new ew quality q uality m mark ark ffor ar or iinstallers nstallers
An independent An independent review review o off cconsumer onsumer protection protection and and the the standards standards of of domestic domestic energy energy efficiency efficiency and and rrenewable enewable installations installations h has as called called for for the the introduction introduction of of a new new quality quality mark mark to to help help raise raise standards. standards. The llong-awaited The ong-awaited rreview ev iew iinto nto d domestic omest ic energy Matters’ e nerg y efficiency ef ficienc y – ‘Each ‘Each Home Home M atters’ – has h as m made ade 27 27 rrecommendations, ecommendations, iincluding ncluding tthe he iintroduction ntroduction o off a g government-backed overnment-backed q quality uality mark green home measures. m ark k for for g reen nh ome iimprovement mprovement me asures. P eter B onfield, Chief Chief E xecut ive of of the t he BRE, BR E, Peter Bonfield, Executive was by w as commissioned commissioned b y the t he Government Gover nment to to llook ook iinto nto ways ways that t hat consumers consumers could could be be ensured e nsured a successful successf ul outcome outcome when when they t hey energy efficiency orr rrenewable iinvested nvested iin ne nerg y e fficiency o enewable energy e nerg y ffor or ttheir heir h homes. omes. T The he rreview ev iew w was as originally expected o r ig inally e xpected tto o iissue ssue a report repor t in in March M arch llast ast year, year, b but ut finally finally published published its its conclusions c onclusions iin n December. December. IIn n his his introduction introduction to to the the report, report, Bonfield Bonfield argues a rg ues that: t hat: ‘there ‘t here have have been been too too many many iinstances nstances of of poor poor quality quality installations installattions being being made m ade b by y companies companies who who do do not not have have the t he sskills, kills, q quality uality llevels evels o orr c core ore v values alues rrequired equired tto o operate operate responsibly responsibly y iin n this t his market’. market’. IIn n rresponse, esponse, iitt iis s pr proposed roposed tthat hat a n new ew q ualit y mark mark be be established established and and an an quality overarching o verarching standards standards framework framework based based on on a new new consumer consumer charter, charter, a code code of of conduct conduct and a nd codes codes of of practice. pract ice.
The ‘Each The ‘Each Home Home Matters’ Matters’ review review published published iits ts conclusions conclusions on on 16th 16th December December
T he rreport eport h as rreceived eceived a m ixed rresponse esponse The has mixed from bodies, many off w which are from iindustry ndust r y b odies, m any o hich a re critical off tthe prospect off ffurther off cr it ical o he pr o sp e c t o ur t her llevels e v el s o administration. administ rat ion. OFTEC O F TEC Registrations Reg ist rat ions Director Director Adrian Ad r ia n Lightwood comments: Light wood c omments: ““We We ssupport uppor t tthe he need high need ffor or h igh sstandards tandards within within the the heating heating industry consumers have industr y and and for for c onsumers tto o h ave confidence use. confidence iin n tthe he ttradespeople radespeople tthey hey u se. However, we we would would be be concerned concer ned at at any any However, proposals proposals that p that increase increase the the already already onerous onerous financial financial burden burden on on heating heating businesses, businesses, or or that that could could potentially potent ially confuse confuse the the public.” public.”
The T he IDHEE IDHEE argues argue u s that that the the industry industry already already offers high offers h igh levels levels of of consumer consumer protection. protection. “These “These proposals proposals appear appear to to be be another another layer layer of of bureaucracy bureaucracy on on top top of of a sector sector that that already has Gas Safe, Persons already h as G as S afe, Competent Competent P ersons Schemes and Schemes a nd MCS,” MCS,” says says IDHEE IDHEE Chief Chief Executive Executive David David Matthews. Matthews. “We “We believe believe that are that tthe he main main requirements requirements a re iimproving mproving existing existing certification certification schemes schemes and and codes, codes, rather ratther than than bringing bringing in in yet yet another another scheme scheme to to add an accreditation add tto oa n already already y overcrowded overcrowded a ccreditation marketplace.” marketplace.” The Master T he Federation Federat ion of of M aster Builders Builders has ha s welcomed aspects off tthe but welcomed a sp e c t s o he rreview, ev iew, b ut argues arg ues that t hat more more needs needs to to be be done done to to help help generate generate consumer consumer demand. demand. Chief Chief Executive Execut ive Brian Br ian Berry Ber r y says: says: “The “The FMB FMB is is fully drive higher off f ully behind behind tthe he d r ive ffor or h igher llevels e v el s o consumer confidence. However, alone consumer c onfidence. H owever, tthis h is a lone will w ill not not be be sufficient suf ficient to to drive dr ive the t he quantity quant it y of of low low carbon carbon refurbishment refurbishment which which will will be be necessary upgrade UK’s housing necessary tto ou pgrade tthe he U K’s h ousing sstock. tock. We also We a lso need need financial financial incentives incentives from from the the Government encourage homeowners Gover nment tto o en e courage h omeowners tto o invest invest in in these t hese improvements.” improvements.”
Consultation C onsultatio on np proposes roposes m mandatory andatory ccontrols on ntrols The Department The Department for for Business, Business, Energy Energ y & IIndustrial ndustr ial Strategy Strateg y (BEIS) (BEIS) has has launched launched a c onsultation entitled entitled ‘Heat ‘Heat in in Buildings: Buildings: consultation The T he Future Future of of Heat Heat – Domestic Domestic Buildings’. Buildings’. IInstallers, nstallers, s m anufacturers a nd c onsumers manufacturers and consumers a re encouraged encouraged to to express expr p ess their their views views on on are how h ow tto om make ake n new ew a and nd rreplacement eplacement b boiler oiler iinstallations nstallations as as efficient efficient as as possible possible without without adding add ing b burdensome urdensome costs costs and and d inconvenience. incon nvenience. Central C entral tto o tthe he c consultation’s onsultation’s pr proposals oposals iis s tthat hatt a appropriate ppropriate ttime, ime, ttemperature emperature a and nd weather w eather compensation compensation controls controls become become a mandatory m andatory requirement requirement at at the the time time a new new boiler b oiler is is installed. installed. HHIC HHIC (Heating (Heatting and and Hotwater Hotwater IIndustry ndustry C Council) ouncil)) ssubmitted ubmitted a p paper aper ‘Boiler ‘Boiler
plus plus – tthe he next next sstep tep in in heating heating regulation’ regulation’ to to BEIS, BEIS, making making these these recommendations. recommendations. HHIC H HIC D Director irector S Stewart tewart C Clements lements ssays: ays: ““We We know know tthat hat changing changing regulations regulations in in 2005 2005 to to mandate mandate the the use use of of a condensing condensing boiler boiler remains remaiins one o he m ost ssuccessful uccessful government government one off tthe most interventions iinto nto tthe he rresidential esidential e nerg y interventions energy market market to to date, datte, and and I believe believe that that m mandating andating the the iinstallation nstallation o off ttime ime and and temperature temperature controls with with new new boiler boiler installations installations will will controls prove prove equally equally successful.” successful.” JJeff eff H House, ouse, R Regulatory egulatory M Marketing arketing Manager Manager at at Baxi, Baxi, says: say ys: “The “The proposals proposals are are centred centred on on the the introduction introduction of of relatively relatively small, small, mandatory mandatory changes changes to to retrofit retrofit boiler boiler installations installations –
involving measures involving measures tthat hat m many any installers installers will will actually a ctuallly y be be doing doing already. already. These al These m measures easures w will ill also a lso be be easy easy and and sstraightforward traightforward for for installers installers and cost-effective.” tto o iimplement, mplement, a nd c ost-effective.” T Tim im Pollard, Pollard, Head Head of of Sustainability Sustainability at at Plumb Plumb Center, C enterr, adds: adds: ““II w would ould e encourage ncourag ge a all ll installers installers to to use consultation voice on u se this this c onsultattion tto ov oice ttheir heir opinion opinion o n tthis his issue. issue. There’s There’s a popular popularr view vie ew that that the the views vie ews and a nd experiences experiences o off tthose hose a actually ctually sspecifying pecifying and heating a nd installing installing domestic domestic h eating systems systems are are HHIC, sseldom eldom ssought, ought, sso, o, tthanks hanks tto o tthe he H HIC, tthis his iiss your your opportunity opportunity to to guide guide future future policy.” policy.” T To op provide rovide your your v views iews tto o the the consultation, consultation, ttake ake the the online online ssurvey: urvey: beisgovuk.citizenspace. beisgovuk.citizenspace. ccom/heat/heat-in-buildings-online-consultation om/heat/heat-in-buildings-online-consultation
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Church C hurch goer g er go
Kamara powered Kamara powerred flue flue heaters heate ers from from DRU DRU have h ave been been installed in nstalle ed at at the the historic his storiicc St St Peter’s Pete er’s C hurch iin n Norton Norton Disney, Disney, Lincolnshire. Lincolnshire e. Church C hriis sttopher Dunphy Dunphy y Ecclesiastical Ecclesia ast stiical specified specified Christopher th he equipment equipment for for th he picturesque piccturesque cchurch, hurch, the the which w hich d dates ates o originally rig ginally ffrom rro om a around round 1150. 1150. The T he new new heating heating s system ystem m iis s a straight straight replacement re eplacement o off tthe he o original riginal D DRU RU w wall all h eaters, which which had had been been in in service ser vice for for heaters, 14 1 4 years. years. As As the the church churcch is is only only used used ffor or s services er vices o once nce e every ver y ttwo wo w weeks, eeks, iitt needed system warm n eeded a s yste em tthat hat ccould ould w arm up up the the building quickly and maintain b uilding q uickly a nd m aintain a cconstant onstant ttemperature emperature when when needed. needed. The The heaters heaters are a re e powered powered by by LPG LPG cylinders cylind ders that that are are e housed h oused in in a special special enclosure enclosure outside outside the the walls. cchurch hurch w alls.
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