Plumbing
Ford transit retained its leading position as the most popular van make among plumbers and tradesmen in the UK. Ford has shifted 6,348 vehicles in 2007, which amounts to 29% of the UK market. General Motors (Vauxhaul Commercial Vehicles) has shifted 3,776 commercial vehicles during 2007, accounting for 16% of the market. In third place, Volkswagen shifted 2,162 light commercial vehicles (10% of the UK market).
Corgi has recently marked the 1,000th member for its student membership scheme, reaching the milestone just nine months into the programme.
Ben Wright from Bradford Collage was presented with a prize to celebrate the milestone. It was presented to him by Sam Browne of Corgi and Paul Bickerdale of Parts Center (part of the Wolseley Group, which also owns Plumb Center).
Recent survey of 1,300 plumbers, heating engineers and installers has confirmed that the overall majority of them are happy with the general format of the Approved Certification Scheme (ACS).
The campaign to cut the VAT from 17.5% to 5% has just added a powerful new member. The Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC) has recently joined the cross-industry ‘Cut the VAT Coalition’.
Recent feedback from plumbers and heating engineers involved in the solar thermal industry has been very negative regarding the governments’ Low Carbon Buildings Scheme. The government has allocated £87 million of funding to be spent on solar thermal systems in the UK, but it is not being implemented as there are only 31 plumbers that are approved installers under the scheme.
New course for plumbers, using three dimensional virtual technology can help solve the shortage of plumbers in the UK, claims the training course provider.
JTL, which offers the new plumbers’ training course, issued a fresh warning that the UK’s construction industry could soon be hit by a shortage of skilled plumbers.
The Heating & Ventilation Contractors’ Association (HVCA) which counts many plumbers and heating engineers among its members has criticised the government for failing to support its own legislation.
The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) has launched a scheme for energy assessors. The Scheme has been accredited by the government’s department for Communities and Local Government. The certification is one of the first available for energy assessors.
Recent research shows that 60% of consumers believe they will get ripped off by those in the home maintenance industry (such as plumbers, heating engineers, electricians, builders etc.). The research shows that 18% of the people surveyed said that TV programmes such as ‘Rogue Traders’ have put them off from using a home maintenance tradesman.
Corgi, the UK’s gas safety watchdog is calling for an introduction of a coherent system of gathering and reporting data on carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, as several reports show conflicting results on injuries and fatalities due to CO poisoning (caused from faulty boilers, faulty gas cookers etc.).
A certification scheme for plumbing work was recently launched by the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employer’s Federation (SNIPEF), in conjunction with Scottish Water. The new scheme allows businesses that have met the set criteria to be an Approved Contractor. According to the scheme plumbers which are approved contractors can self-certify that the plumbing work they carry out meets the Water Bylaws requirement.