Blog
Many plumbers raised their concerns with us recently about the state of the economy and the falling house prices in the UK. According the leading mortgage lenders prices of properties in the UK have seen flat to negative growth rates, sending many plumbers and heating engineers into panic mode that it will mean the end of the property boom.
Boiler fitter, David Mountford from Stoke-on-Trent, put many lives at risk as he continued to work on boilers in customers’ homes despite being banned by the court. He has been taking on several boiler jobs and pretended to be a fully certified plumber while not having the right qualifications. On January 18th, he was sentenced to six months in jail.
A recent report published by the Construction Skills Network claims that more than 180,000 extra people are needed to finish the construction work for the Olympic games in 2012. The report mentions that among the missing professions there are plumbers, both commercial plumbers and domestic plumbers to complete the plumbing jobs on site. Other jobs mentioned are bricklayers, engineers and all types of plumbers and plumbing professionals.
Cost of domestic gas and electricity has gone up by around 15%, becoming the latest in an ominously long list of financial bad news recently.
British Gas, the UK’s biggest energy provider (with around 16 million customers), announced on 18th January an immediate price rise of 15% for its gas and electricity customers. The company has blames rising wholesale prices for the increase. The cost increase translates to an increase of around £130 per year for an average duel fuel bill.
BBC has reviewed plumbers and heating engineers and has reported that British Gas is one of the most expensive fuel provider for most customers and is among the worst for customer service.
Scottish Power is the latest energy company to announce it is to increase its bills by 15 per cent, further putting pressure on domestic heating cost for the vulnerable and the poor.
The EU parliament has tables a controversial bid to ban the use of patio gas heaters as part of a package to combat global warming and climate change. It is estimated that if the bid becomes effective it may cost restaurants and pubs around £250 million a year.
A television advert by British Gas has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority due to misleading claims that the heating and electricity is generated through zero carbon technology.
The energy industry is facing fresh calls to restrain the increases in the cost of heating, gas and electricity. A committee of MPs was set to investigate the level of competition within the energy supplying sector. This investigation is part of a wider range inquiry following recent string of announcement by four of the large energy companies of double digit increases in the cost heating and energy, which put further pressure on the population in general and the poor in particular.
Corgi is launching a new campaign to discourage the public from doing gas work themselves of using friends that are not fully trained to do the work. Corgi is the only organisation who certifies plumbers and heating engineers to undertake gas-related work.
Following pressure by solar thermal manufacturers, plumbers, home owners, green organisations and trade bodies, the government has now amended that planning permission rule to allow installation of solar thermal systems without the need for a planning permission.
Corgi and Plumb Centre have partnered up to back a gas safety initiative that would limit un-registered plumbers’ ability to buy and install gas boilers and parts. Plumb Centre and Parts Centre, both part of the world’s largest plumbing and heating supplier, Wolseley Group, are backing an initiative which was developed in partnership with Corgi (Council for Registered Gas Installers, UK) to crack down on ‘cowboy’ plumbers.