CHOICE
E NG U R IN I O AZ CIT N! X G AG E SI M N DE A AS EW N
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INSTALLERS’ WORCESTER BOSCH MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2020
Excelerate your business Our new loyalty model is almost ready to drive
INTRODUCING THE GREENSTAR 2000
HYDROGEN IS OUR FUTURE
GETTING BACK TO WORK SAFELY
The Worcester 2000 just got better! Check out its new and improved features.
Lifting the veil on our new Hydrogen-fired boiler – bringing carbon-free heating to the nation.
A campaign to help installers back to work whilst ensuring customers feel safe.
Greenstar Heating System Care Packs Available at your local merchants, our Greenstar Heating System Care Packs allow you to offer a cost-effective system solution, while complying with both Boiler Plus and BS7593.
Collect 10 loyalty points per installation.
Wireless Bosch EasyControl (white) RF Care Pack Wireless Bosch EasyControl (black) RF Care Pack Greenstar Comfort+ II RF Care Pack Greenstar Comfort II RF Care Pack Each care pack contains a Greenstar Mini System which unlocks up to a 10 year guarantee* on our gas boilers. For more information on our new Heating System Care Packs, including part numbers, visit worcester-bosch.co.uk/carepacks
*10 year guarantee on our Greenstar 8000 Lifestyle boiler. Our System Filter range unlocks extended guarantees across our gas boilers. Subject to terms and conditions.
Welcome to your magazine | 03
A look back Welcome to the latest issue of Installers’ Choice. As this is our first magazine since the Covid-19 pandemic, it seems only right that I give a frank description of the state of play in our industry. The past few months have certainly been a period that is ‘unprecedented in our lifetime’, and those words seem to sum up the world we have lived in this year. Every sector has been affected and the heating industry is no exception. In an industry where entering other people’s homes is an essential part of the job, it is no surprise that the heating industry came abruptly to a standstill. Boiler installations more or less stopped in April and some of May. During this time the market was down by 74% for gas boilers, 71% for radiators and 44% for hot water cylinders. We’ve been determined to do our bit in supporting you and the wider industry. We safely delivered to merchants and have been scaling up production to meet growing demand, whilst maintaining social distancing.
Our customer care team handled customer queries from home, and our team of domestic and commercial engineers were on hand too, attending those with no heating and hot water. Our technical support team continued to be available, answering roughly 1,000 calls a day from home. We took our training online through a dedicated Facebook page and Skype courses. Something that will continue. Our sales and marketing team were there for support, proactively contacting installers and responding to social requests throughout lockdown. But there is still work to be done. Read on to find out about recent initiatives and promotions that we have put in place to support you and your business. Our industry is a resilient one and the next few months of recovery will be testament to this. Rest assured; we are with you all the way. I hope you enjoy the issue. ■
Steve Lister Sales & Marketing Director
In this issue…
04
Introducing Excelerate The loyalty scheme that puts you in the driving seat.
14
Clean Heat Grant Proposals Martyn Bridges looks at the recent government developments; and how green gas injection will have an effect on flue readings.
18 08
Greenstar 2000 launch Find out all about our latest product launch – the Greenstar 2000.
10
Worcester Bosch unveils new hydrogen boiler Take a look at the future of heating – our new hydrogen-fired boiler.
12
Technical Q&A Hydrogen special.
Safe in your home Join the thousands of installers signed up to our Safe in your Home Installer Commitment.
16
Cashback offer! Claim cashback on our Worcester 2000 and Greenstar i boilers.
17
Digital training We’ve taken our training online – read on to learn how.
20
Installer spotlight Alex Maggs – smart, in every sense of the word!
22
WIN with Worcester! To celebrate the reveal of our hydrogen-fired boiler we’ve got some great prizes up for grabs. Good luck!
23
Keep in touch We’re back up and running and here to offer our support.
04 | Excelerate Explained
Discover new levels of performance Introducing Excelerate – the loyalty scheme that puts you in the driving seat. Our entirely new supercharged loyalty scheme is intended to help you reach the goals you have for your business.
Setting the pace Following installer feedback, we have purposefully developed Excelerate to make progressing up our ‘loyalty ladder’ as seamless as possible. You can set your own pace along one clear and open road, collecting more and more benefits as you accelerate your business with us. If you are already a member of WAI or Rewards, your points and registrations will automatically be transferred over to Excelerate.
Excel in Excelerate Quality is at the core of our company, and this includes our loyalty scheme. We want to ensure you and your customers receive nothing but the best. Product training at all levels and mandatory accreditation training will continue to be key in Excelerate.
Go further, earn more The further you go with Excelerate, the more the rewards and exclusive benefits add up! For example, as you move through the levels, you will unlock more points for every boiler you install.
Tune your rewards Sign up, start registering your boiler installations and you’re instantly on the road to a new world of valuable rewards. Earn points for every boiler you install and spend them on the things that appeal most to you, whether that’s new power tools, shopping vouchers, Bosch white goods, training, digital support and much, much more!
Greenlight your participation If you have yet to register with our loyalty scheme and would like to put your business on the grid, you can sign up now. Plus, you’ll always know where you are by tracking your progress with the new Excelerate web portal. ■
To learn more about Excelerate and the opportunities it provides, speak to your local Technical Sales Manager or sign up online.
Insight from installation call-backs, independent customer reviews, water quality testing and auditing request will all be features of the scheme you can activate to help you distinguish yourself.
£
Bank on Bosch
ERS INSTALL R E T S E WORC
Install 11 boilers or more and you can also transfer your points onto a Worcester Bosch branded Mastercard to spend as you wish.
worcester-bosch.co.uk/Excelerate
ers 0-10 Boil
ers 11-20 Boil
Excelerate Explained | 05
No. of installations Benefits available
0-10 Boilers
Core benefits
11-20 Boilers
additional benefits
• 15 Loyalty points (Gas)
• Gas Safe registration
• Merchandise
• Bosch white goods
• 30 Loyalty points (Oil)
• Love2shop vouchers
• Marketing material
• Power tools
• Training discounts
• Advice Hub on portals
• Branded workwear
• Promotions
• Product accessories
• Regional events
+ 15 Loyalty points (Gas)
+ Mastercard
+ 30 Loyalty points (Oil)
+ AR and non-FCA finance option
+ Social media and sales & marketing courses
additional benefits
+ 20 Loyalty points (Gas)
+ WAI induction
+ Sales leads
+ 40 Loyalty points (Oil)
+ Marketing support
+ FastTrack jobs
+ Digital marketplace
+ Access to full Hitachi finance offering (FCA & Non)
+ WAI shop
36-50 Boilers
+ 25 Loyalty points (Gas)
+ BSM consultancy
additional benefits
+ 50 Loyalty points (Oil)
+ VIP visits
51-100 Boilers
+ 30 Loyalty points (Gas)
+ Access to VIP events and conference promotions
additional benefits
+ 60 Loyalty points (Oil)
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
+ Free of charge extended guarantees
WAP CRITERIA CHECK • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
+ 30 Loyalty points (Gas)
additional benefits
+ 60 Loyalty points (Oil)
+ Access to repair partner programme
+ Partner network events
150+ Boilers
+ 30 Loyalty points (Gas)
+ Loyalty payment
+ 60 Loyalty points (Oil)
+ Access to service & repair programme
+ Advanced service engineer bulletins
WE HAVE LISTENED TO YOU!
+ Free non-regulatory training courses
+ Discount on shop and marketplace items
101-150 Boilers
additional benefits
+ Chargeable extended guarantee
WAI CRITERIA CHECK • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
21-35 Boilers
• Chargeable extended guarantee
TER WORCES ERS D PARTN E T I D E R ACC
TER S WORCES STALLER N I D E T I ACCRED
ilers 21-35 Bo
ilers 36-50 Bo
ilers 51-100 Bo
oilers 101-150 B
ers 150+ Boil
06 | Excelerate Installer testimonials
Be in control of your account Your log in details will be the same as before, so you won’t need to create a new account with us. When you log in to your account, at the end of August, the whole customer loyalty area will not only have a brand new, sleek design, but can be customised to your needs. Whether that’s instant access to our shop, a quick reminder of completed or incomplete registrations or a list of available training – it’s entirely your choice!
“I’ve been working closely with Worcester Bosch since 2015 and my business has flourished with all the help and support.” Dyfed Roberts D.R. Plumbing & Heating
“ With the support of the No.1 boiler manufacturer at every turn, our reputation soon gathered pace. Combined with our professional approach and service, we went from 0-100 Worcester Bosch boilers in 24 months.” Paul Allen Only Heating
Excelerate promotions | 07
Start your engines!
DOUBLE POINTS!
To celebrate the launch of Excelerate, we are running a number of promotions, both for those joining us for the first time and those who have been with us for a while:
FREE JACKET We are giving a free jacket to every installer who signs up to the Excelerate programme. This branded workwear is a great way to show the quality of your work and business to customers. Our Worcester-branded workwear is designed to keep you cool and smart, while retaining the durability and comfort that installers expect from all their workwear. It’s often overlooked but the right clothes are essential for keeping healthy and happy at work!
Ian Thomas Gasco (UK) Ltd.
FREE
Gas Safe registrations When Excelerate launches, an added bonus will be every time you register an appliance with us via your account, online or with our MyWorcester app, this can be automatically registered through Gas Safe, completely free of charge! This isn’t just for launch, it will be a staple of our Excelerate scheme, saving you time and allowing you to spend points in our Excelerate shop!
DOUBLE POINTS! Every installer who registers a Greenstar 8000 Style boiler through the Excelerate programme will receive double the points. 30 points instead of 15 – a great way to get you in the driving seat and on your way with our loyalty scheme! Our high-performance, design-led boiler is available in combi and system variants. The 8000 Style offers a pioneering full colour control panel with a touchscreen display, which effortlessly blends heating performance with simplicity for both installers and users. We want to ensure that you can really get ahead with Excelerate and take full advantage of the range of benefits on offer. Doubling points on Greenstar 8000 Style boilers is just one of the many ways we hope will do so! ■
08 | Greenstar 2000 Launch
Star performer! We asked installers for their honest opinion on the Worcester 2000. This is what they said
Great boiler at a great price.
I an Scott
Ian @ Calefy Heating Solutions
An easy to operate, affordable, high quality boiler.
CarlHarris Carl @ CH Heating Services
An awesome boiler at a great price.
c dam BenMA Ben @ Adams Gas Heating
Stylish, affordable, quiet boiler that’s also light & spacious inside!
LukeBeard Luke @ B-Tech Heating
A favourite with our customers. Efficient, stylish and easy to use controls.
David Hunt
David @ DRH Plumbing and Heating Ltd
You talked, we listened! We kept everything you loved and made some improvements that you requested.
Greenstar 2000 Launch | 09
Introducing the GREENSTAR 2000 The Worcester 2000 will become the GREENSTAR 2000 in September and brings with it improvements that you’ve requested! We are excited to announce the launch of our Greenstar 2000 boiler, replacing the Worcester 2000 launched last year. It takes all the best bits of the Worcester 2000 range while adding even more technical upgrades – we’ve even reduced the price! Our natural gas-fired boiler was initially introduced in response to requests for a high quality Worcester Bosch boiler with accessible pricing for all homeowners. Suitable for apartments, small and medium sized homes with one bathroom, the Greenstar 2000 comes with a number of improvements less than a year on from its predecessor’s highly successful release.
+ Easier PRV push-fit connection
+ Copper tails, for
CH flow and return, included for a quicker installation
+ Full 230V controls compatibility
+ Mains cable now replaceable
We value your opinions infinitely and have continued to take that feedback into the new-and-improved product. These upgrades include full 230V controls compatibility and an improved PRV connection. We have also embraced many of the much-loved features and installer benefits from the Worcester 2000, including:
‘Quick Tap’ water-saving function Quick to install with aligned vertical pipework connections Easy servicing and repair access with removable side panels Maximum flue lengths of 9m horizontally and 12m vertically (60/100) An evolution of our WB3 heat exchanger used in the Greenstar i Ability to modulate down to as little as 4.8kW 35-degree hot water temperature rise (10 & 12l/min) Our quietest combi boiler When the Greenstar 2000 is launched, our promotion with the Greenstar Comfort+ II will end. The controller will still be in the boxes of any remaining Worcester 2000s.
*5-year guarantee as standard and a 6-year guarantee when installed with a Greenstar System Filter.
CASHBACK OFFER!
Between now and the launch of the Greenstar 2000, we have a £100 cashback on the Worcester 2000! Turn to page 16 for more information.
10 | Discover our Hydrogen Boiler
1
1.008
H2
HYDROGEN
Discover our prototype hydrogen-fired boiler
Last year, the UK committed to a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. A bold target that requires new technology and industry changes across a number of sectors in order to become a reality.
Discover our Hydrogen Boiler | 11
15% of UK greenhouse gases comes from heat in our homes.
Yet, with 15% of UK greenhouse gases coming from heat in our homes, it is quite clear that the UK will not meet its climate change targets without a change in home heating technology and fuel. Replacing natural gas with hydrogen gas boilers may be the simplest solution to the nation’s heating problems. The main byproduct of burning hydrogen gas is water, meaning that it is a carbonfree fuel source and could be a key method to help decarbonise heating and hot water in UK homes. Our prototype hydrogen boiler fits into the same footprint as a current natural gas boiler. Hydrogen-ready boilers will be a direct replacement to natural gas, burning natural gas on its first day up until the switch to hydrogen takes place. Also, with a similar build to existing boilers, installers will already have most skills necessary to fit these products. Over the last few years, we have not only been advocating for hydrogen, we’ve also developed a prototype boiler that can run on 100% hydrogen gas. The prototype has also been designed to run effectively on natural gas. This means that in the future, if hydrogen becomes a reality, those who have a ‘hydrogen-ready’ boiler can simply convert without the need for an entirely new heating system or the premature disposal of a Natural Gas boiler that in some cases may only be a couple of years old.
Steps are already being taken, for example in transport, where electric and hybrid cars have become more common and accessible. But for the heating and hot water industry, removing carbon is much more difficult, largely because of the existing infrastructure, where the majority of UK homes use natural gas for heating.
The development of hydrogen-fired boilers will mean millions of existing heating systems in our homes can be saved, rather than the entire system needing to be replaced. The beauty of hydrogen as an alternative to natural gas is that we have developed a technical solution with a look and feel that is familiar to both homeowners and installers. The gas network is already in place, so homeowners won’t experience any major infrastructure disruption. With no Carbon Monoxide or Carbon Dioxide present from using Hydrogen, the appliance is safer than Natural Gas and has around half the Nox emissions of Natural Gas boilers as well. With fully developed prototypes, various trials planned, and many heating engineers and manufacturers in agreement that this could be a viable solution to decarbonise heating and hot water, we are backing hydrogen as the future. ■
Hydrogen-ready boilers will burn natural gas on its first day, up until the switch to hydrogen.
12 | Technical Q+A Hydrogen special
Tom Collins, our Hydrogen Module Series Owner, answers some of the pressing questions around hydrogen-ready boilers. What is a hydrogen-ready boiler? A hydrogen-ready boiler is a gas-fired heating boiler which is capable of burning either natural gas or pure (100%) hydrogen. Hydrogen-ready boilers are the key to enabling conversion of the existing gas distribution networks from natural gas (which is mostly methane) to hydrogen. Hydrogen is a carbon-free energy carrier and combustion of hydrogen produces no carbon dioxide at the point of use. Hydrogen can be manufactured from water using electricity as a renewable energy source, or from natural gas accompanied by carbon capture and storage. Recent work, such as the H21 Leeds City Gate study, has shown that conversion of UK gas distribution networks is feasible and could help to decarbonise the heating of buildings. A hydrogen-ready boiler is intended to provide a like-for-like replacement for an existing natural gas boiler. The boiler can be quickly and easily converted to burn hydrogen at the time when the local network switches over.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a hydrogenready boiler? Many existing homes, despite energy efficiency improvements, still have relatively poor insulation and high rates of air exchange with the outdoors. A hydrogen-ready boiler is capable of accommodating an existing high temperature heating system in a hard-to-heat building. Where costs are highly constrained, the boiler (and conversion of the local gas network) provides an accessible way to deeply decarbonise heat.
John Bennett John Bennett Heating
Heat users have high expectations of system control; to respond quickly to heat demands providing rapid warm-up of the building, or to deliver heat reliably in extreme weather events or times of unexpected building occupancy. Compared to other technologies, boilers offer very resilient and flexible heat delivery, and provide consistent performance in a wide range of operating conditions. From an enduser point of view, a hydrogen-ready boiler does not require any behaviour change and will provide the same delivery of comfort as an existing appliance.
Technical Q+A Hydrogen special | 13
Converting a hydrogen-ready boiler from natural gas to hydrogen will take around an hour and involve changing a couple of components such as the burner. It is envisaged that Gas-Safe engineers will be trained to work with hydrogen by a qualification scheme similar to that available today for LPG.
How much does it cost to install a hydrogen-ready boiler? There is no reason why, at similar scale, hydrogen-ready boilers should not reach a similar cost to natural gas boilers today. The ancillary components, accessories and controls will be identical to those for natural gas boilers. The property will at some stage require a hydrogenready gas meter to be fitted ready for network conversion, however this could be installed on a later date than the boiler. Initially, hydrogen-ready boilers might form a niche market, but a regulatory change mandating their installation would make them a high volume technology, just as natural gas boilers are today. â–
Hydrogen also offers benefits for the energy system as a whole. In order to use a high proportion of renewable energy generation, electricity systems need large quantities of flexible energy storage. Hydrogen offers one of the most attractive means of providing large-scale energy storage. Heat is a very large energy demand which varies rapidly at key points in the day. Currently this demand is satisfied by the distributed energy storage intrinsic to the gas networks; the continual use of a form of gas for heating will relieve stress on future electricity systems, as well as offering overall energy flexibility and resilience. Creating a national hydrogen infrastructure will also open the door to wide-scale use of hydrogen for transport. Hydrogen fuel cells are seen as an attractive technology for commercial and heavy transport applications.
How does a hydrogen-ready boiler work? The boiler is very similar to its natural gas predecessors; it is constructed and functions in much the same way as an existing condensing boiler. While some components are distinct, such as the flame detector, most are identical to those used in natural gas boilers today.
Discover more at:
worcester-bosch. co.uk/hydrogen
Tom Collins
Hydrogen Module Series Owner
14 | Clean Heat Grant proposals
A step in the right direction straight air to water or ground to water heat pump installations, so hybrid boiler and heat pump systems won’t get the funding. This doesn’t mean the Government are against hybrid heating systems, but they certainly aren’t priming that market by including hybrids within the eligibility of this pot of money.
Martyn Bridges looks at recent government developments for the decarbonisation targets in our market. Even during these uncertain times, it is positive to see there is still movement from the Government on decarbonisation in the UK. First, we had the release of the Future Support for Low Carbon Heat (FSLCH) paper, which stems from the Chancellor’s intention to allocate £100 million to prime the renewable low carbon heating market. Then more recently, the Chancellor announced the Green Homes Grant Scheme where homeowners and landlords will be able to apply for vouchers to make their properties more energy efficient. Both initiatives have clear intentions to stimulate the market, though I feel there are some potential oversights in both initiatives.
Future Support for Low Carbon Heat (FSLCH) – simple and enticing, for those who qualify What the FSLCH paper is suggesting is a £4,000 grant, which translates as the replacement of an oil, LPG or coal-fired boiler with a low carbon heat pump or a biomass boiler. On the face of it, this a very generous contribution to the quite costly outlay for the equipment needed. However, as well as the unlikelihood of people swapping for a biomass boiler, there are some caveats. For example, the grant money for a biomass boiler won’t be approved for homes in urban areas where there are clean air requirements, and restrictions are also in place for those in close proximity to the gas grid. For those who do qualify, the grant’s success will come from the fact that a large lump sum of money upfront is more of an incentive than a staggered payment, like the existing Renewable Heat Incentive does. This will certainly entice certain homeowners to make the conscious decision to switch to a heat pump or biomass boiler. Where I feel the FSLCH paper has missed out is allowing funds to support hybrid heating systems – it is a blow and a surprise that it doesn’t. The paper is only for
But what hasn’t been discussed is the fact that this paper doesn’t come into force until 1st April 2022, by which time the industry would have made a lot of progress. The paper has been written for what they know at this moment in time, and not accounting for the future. I would have thought that there could have been a bit more optimism and forward thinking in what will be eligible and what won’t be.
£100 million to prime the renewable low carbon heating market
Green Homes Grant Scheme – still unclear We’re awaiting further information on the Green Homes Grant Scheme and, as I write this in the middle of July, it is currently unclear whether or not replacement boilers will be eligible for any grant funding as a singular measure. There is talk that boilers might be included providing that a second significant measure is part of the application, i.e. floor insulation, solid or cavity wall insulation. I am also fearful that this grant funding is only available to Trustmark registered installation companies. The overwhelming majority of heating installation businesses are not members as they are small, one man operated businesses. Therefore we might end up with more efficient properties but no great job retention outcome for the businesses that will need it most. ■
Clean Heat Grant proposals | 15
Accepting future variation of readings Martyn Bridges discusses how, following the Chancellor’s £100 million investment in renewable heating systems, injecting green gas, such as biomethane, into the grid will have an effect on flue readings. We wholly applaud the investment and also the theory behind green gas. It does seem a very simple thing to do, to make at least some of the gas in the network come from a carbon free source. Ultimately, hydrogen would be the goal where 100% of the gas coming from a hydrogen system would be carbon free.
Injecting bio-methane into the grid But until then, there is still funding available for alternative technologies. During this article I will be focusing on anaerobic digestion systems and the injection of bio-methane into the grid. Bio-methane generally originates from food and animal waste, which is injected into the grid where the anaerobic digestion system is. This is a positive, however it can present problems for a gas service engineer on site. An engineer could be servicing a boiler and would have to make sure that the CO and CO2 reading of the flue gas analysis falls between certain parameters. If they test on any day when the carbon free gas being injected into the grid is at a particularly high content, then they will set up the boiler or suggest that it is working within the parameters perfectly well. However, if a week or two later there isn’t so much bio-methane or hydrogen being injected into the grid, then the new readings may not be comparable with the ones obtained previously. So, most manufacturers build in a tolerance, which appears to be widening all of the time. Many manufacturers suggest in their instructions that the readings obtained should be +/-0.2% for CO2 readings. However, sometimes due to the variable nature of the readings, manufacturers will end up having to widen their tolerance to +/-0.5% for example.
So, by the time the bio-methane or hydrogen ends up going into the grid, the engineer might record something like 8.8% on his readings and on the next few visits he might record 8.2%. This leaves the engineer with a dilemma; as they can’t adjust the amount of biomethane being injected, do they need to report the boiler as at risk?
HSE and mandating annual servicing
The engineer might record something like 8.8% on his readings and on the next few visits he might record 8.2%.
Injecting bio-gasses into the grid helps reduce carbon emissions and we are in support of this, but there has to be some acceptance that the readings obtained by an engineer will differ from day to day. The critical element is of course CO readings. We don’t want these to differ dramatically because this could be a safety issue. But for CO2, it is really just governed around efficiency, so there should be an acceptance by the industry that as we move forward more and more green gas will be injected into the grid, meaning we should look at larger tolerances on flue gas analysis readings. As this continues, I imagine the HSE will have to think about mandating that annual servicing of boilers is necessary – something they are currently reluctant to do. The more and more we see green gas being injected into the grid, the more irregular and inconsistent the gas quality will be. So, we should start looking again at making annual servicing a requirement for everybody, not just landlords and tenants. ■
16 | Cashback offer!
Helping your business get back on track Worcester Bosch’s most affordable combi boilers are now even better value than ever!
£100 cashback on every Worcester 2000 £50 cashback on every Greenstar i combi Simply purchase a Worcester 2000, between 15th June and 31st August, and a Greenstar i, between 24th June and 31st August. Cashback applied to a single pre-paid Mastercard for you to spend anywhere! Darren Humphries Humphries Gas Services
How will you spend yours? We want to support you in getting your business back to normal during these challenging times. That’s why we’ve introduced this amazing cashback offer. This offer is open to all installers across the UK and Ireland with the cash added onto a Worcester Bosch branded Mastercard via our cashback promotions page. ■
For more information, head to:
worcester-bosch.co.uk/cashback
Digital Training Hub launches | 17
Worcester Bosch launches
Digital Training Hub for installers During the coronavirus outbreak, and the imposed restrictions on movement, we launched a set of digital training resources for installers across the UK. Covering a range of topics in training sessions from gas specification to electrical safe isolation, we worked hard to ensure we were providing installers with a way to continue expanding their knowledge during the difficult times. After successful trial sessions with a number of installers, we were excited to extend these training sessions to a broader audience of installers. Broadcast via Skype, installers can ask real-time questions to a trainer who is happy to share as much expertise as possible. The success of these sessions led us to establish a Facebook training hub for you to access whenever it suits. The group, Worcester Bosch Training Academy, shares a range of information, from in-depth knowledge on key areas of training, to short hints and tips videos, as well as the ability to ask our trainers any burning questions.
The ‘Worcester Bosch Training Academy’ Facebook group also provides its members with an updated timetable of upcoming Skype training sessions for the forthcoming weeks, including the ability to share feedback on sessions and the chance to submit requests for future training topics. With limited access to each session, installers can share their interest in advance to book a slot on our ‘firstcome-first-serve’ courses by emailing the training mailbox, available in the Facebook group. We’re excited to continue sharing our knowledge with as many installers as possible. Movement online is one of the few benefits during the crisis. The integration of online platforms will help our industry to modernise and connect with installers who may have never otherwise had the opportunity to. ■
Sign up today! Simply search
Worcester Bosch Training Academy on Facebook
Installers must enter their Gas Safe Register or OFTEC number to be accepted into the group. If you are an apprentice, you must be under direct supervision of a Gas Safe and/or OFTEC competent registered engineer.
18 | Safe in your home initiative
Helping you back to work safely Thousands of installers have pledged to our Safe in your Home Installer Commitment. The installer pledge was introduced to remind installers and reassure homeowners of the correct safety precautions to take during at-home maintenance. Back in June, we launched a free initiative to support installers and homeowners for work undertaken in the home. Since then, we were delighted to have seen thousands of installers across the UK sign up! The ‘Safe in your Home Installer Commitment’ is a pledge for installers to sign-up for, enabling them to receive a pack of digital and physical tools to help them undertake work in customers’ homes safely and securely.
The commitment intent
The physical pack includes: Removable van vinyl of the Installer Commitment logo ‘Installer at work’ sign, showing the precautionary measures being taken, to be displayed in your company vehicles during call outs We felt it was important to support installers during a time when the UK Government begun easing its lockdown measures. The new tools were designed to help installers demonstrate that safety is the main focus for any boiler installation and home heating maintenance. ■
Give installers clarity on the correct social distancing and hygiene guidelines they need to be following when entering customers’ homes
You can still pledge to be a part of the commitment, by visiting:
Give customers reassurance that any visiting installer who signs up to the commitment will have the knowledge and tools to take the right precautionary measures
worcester-bosch.co.uk/safeinyourhome
Safe in your home packs Every installer who signs up to the Safe in your Home Installer Commitment will receive a digital pack of assets and will be sent a physical package of free goods. This consisted of: Digital stamp for use on social pages and website, a clear indicator to show they have signed up to the initiative An email checklist for customers and installer to fill out pre-visit Guidance documents for installers and homeowners, an essential reminder of the precautions to follow Email footers, to work as a signature in customer comms
“We’ve been issued a checklist that we are following to ensure ourselves and our customers are safe. We’re proud to be part of this pledge, and this means using clean hygiene, clean uniform, clean hands, all the PPE required to keep our team and our customers safe.” Leon York
Leon York Heating Limited
Safe in your home initiative | 19
“With the social distancing that’s in place, it’s good to show customers our checklist so they are aware of what I’m about to do. Precautions we take start from a phone call with a series of questions, before a home visit with the appropriate safety equipment and measures.” Matthew Brome
Brome Gas Heating and Plumbing Services
Just some of our COVID-19 local heroes…
Darran Grant Ltd. Auctioned a free boiler and installation with B-Tech Heating, with all money going to NHS Charities Together. He also did the food shop for a 97 year old customer!
F&P Heating, Birmingham and Midlands Rescued a WWII Veteran when his boiler broke down with no heating and hot water. Swift turnaround with a new boiler on VE day!
South Manchester Heating and Will Stone Gas, Plumbing & Heating Both won our rainbow boiler raffle competition and have agreed to install it free of charge in an NHS worker’s property.
Highly Efficient Heating Phil, Kalvin, Graham, Chris and Phil from Highly Efficient Heating, dedicated 13 nightshifts at the Nightingale Hospital in Sunderland. They, and other volunteers, were responsible for running copper pipework to the medical wards and individual beds throughout the hospital.
20 | Installer spotlight
INSTALLER
SPOTLIGHT Alex Maggs
How long did the club have its old boiler for? Alex Maggs, from Barry-based Alex Maggs Plumbing, was sitting in his local social club – The West End Club and couldn’t understand why the heating was on and the windows were open. It was a cold day, so the heating was needed, however it soon got so hot that the patrons found it necessary to open a few windows. He first asked to see the heating system only to find two large boilers, vastly oversized for their requirements, with a lack of controls and no thermostats. A check of the gas bills confirmed his fears, they were paying £1000 a month between November and February. Alex offered to review the old heating system and make some suggestions for a replacement. After weighing up the options, he decided to
When you saw The West End Club’s gas bill, what made you realise they might be paying more than they were meant to be? The amount they were paying for gas was huge. £30 a day. There was clearly a problem. The pipework was oversized, the boilers were oversized and the zoning was pretty
‘They saved £700 in heating bills in the first 24 days!’ recommend a Greenstar 8000 Style boiler, along with Smart TRVs and a Bosch EasyControl. We caught up with him to find out what benefits the new heating system has brought to the social club and its loyal visitors.
much non-existent. If one part of the club needed heating, this brought radiators on all over the property. It was over-engineered, expensive to run and provided an uncomfortable, uncontrollable heat.
How long did the club have its old boiler for? It was actually 30 years old, only 7 years younger than me! The amount of gas it has gone through over that time is scary. As soon as I was made aware of the bills I started putting together a proposal for a new system – one that utilised the latest WiFi technology from Worcester Bosch. I had to reiterate that this wasn’t just about getting work for myself, it was for the future of the club and the planet. It’s socially and morally wrong to be burning any more gas than is absolutely necessary. Faults were developing with the existing set up, repairs were required more and more frequently – for example, the wiring was all over the building and completely impractical. Thanks to my advice they decided that they needed to replace their system before they began any other improvements, and that the energy savings could help with future upgrades to the building.
Installer spotlight | 21 The smart control means it can be monitored from anywhere in the world, and will supply a daily detail about how much gas has been used. The weather compensation and pre-heat works wonderfully, especially on the skittle alley which lacks insulation and is a single skin block construction.
The Smart TRVs are the key to the system. We have 17 individually controlled radiators so now the club can be warm wherever we want it, whenever we want it. The fact that the Style can modulate down to 3kW was also a huge positive. If only one radiator is needed, the boiler can throttle itself right back, ensuring it is always running at optimum efficiency.
We’ve basically taken out something that was old and replaced it with some great tech.
There’s a lot of clever software available to calculate boiler sizes, however with a building of this size, with the doors opening and closing all the time we opted for a 30kW boiler, confident we could range rate it down as I knew that 30kW would be too much. In December, the boilers were set at a maximum of 60% output, so 18kW. Remarkable when you consider the last boiler was 72kW. The Greenstar Intelligent Filling System was a no brainer as with changeover of staff, it’s difficult to explain how to repressurise a system to everyone who works there. This filling system automatically tops itself up whenever needed.
Have you and the customer been pleased with the results? They’re over the moon! I can monitor the results from wherever I am and found they had already saved £700 in heating bills in the first 24 days! If you can keep bills down, everyone is a winner. Everything about the replacement installation has been great. I originally estimated that it would take 30 months to pay for itself but, given the exceptional results we’ve seen already, I imagine it will take even less time. And the club is now a comfortable temperature, day in, day out. I’m struggling to find anything negative to say.
The Greenstar 8000 Style
In terms of recommending solutions, what made you opt for a Greenstar 8000 Style boiler along with the EasyControl and Smart TRVs?
Have you recommended a Greenstar 8000 Style to any of your other customers? I’ve got eight going into a new housing estate! The developer chose the 8000 Style based on its looks and Worcester Bosch’s brand reputation. The fact the Style can be modulated down to 3kW is just brilliant to me. I have a CDi Classic in my house currently but when that goes, we’ll be putting in the Greenstar 8000 Style. It will be out on display in the kitchen so it will be nice to have something that looks really smart too. ■
More about the Greenstar Intelligent Filling System Our industry first, Greenstar Intelligent Filling System uses the latest innovative software to ensure our 8000 Lifestyle range helps maintain optimum boiler pressure. If the system pressure becomes low, this revolutionary software allows the internal filling valve to automatically fill the heating system. Once optimum pressure has been reached, this function will automatically stop and close the integrated filling valve. It also prevents the boiler from over-filling and will alert your customer if the heating system is losing too much pressure. This reduces the need for unnecessary call outs.
22 | WIN with Worcester!
WIN with Worcester!
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HYDROGEN
We are excited to reveal our hydrogen-fired boiler prototype to the nation. With heating being one of the largest areas to tackle for decarbonisation it is essential to find alternative ways to heat our homes. Hydrogen gas is looking to be one of the most important future fuels to help the UK achieve net zero carbon emissions. With decarbonisation a big theme for the UK, this Installers’ Choice competition asks the following:
Question: What year has the UK government set a target to go net zero carbon emissions by? a. 2050
b. 2060
c. 2040
Enter now!
Wireless Bosch EasyControl (black) RF Care Pack
To be one of 5 installers to win a Greenstar Heating System Care Pack of your choice, please email your answer to marketing.mailbox@uk.bosch.com by 31st August 2020. Make sure the subject line says ‘Installers’ Choice Aug/Sept 2020 competition’. Good luck!
Meet the team | 23
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5 “The GB162 is easy to install, has great control options and, combined with unparalleled support from Worcester Bosch, is the best wall-hung commercial boiler on the market.” Paul Hull Managing Director of The Commercia Group Founder of Gas Safety Superheroes
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Get everything you need for less with our GB162 V2 boiler and pump bundle pack. Each 50kW and 65kW pack is covered by our extended 5-year guarantee promotion* and includes a high quality, fully insulated pump. Plus, receive a free flue and commission with your first purchase when you contact your local Commercial Technical Sales Manager. For more information and to find your local Commercial Technical Manager, visit: worcester-bosch.co.uk/littlebigbundle *Terms and conditions apply. Promotion ends 31st December 2020.
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