News Archive - January 2008
Electricians can deliver Part P message says NICEIC
31 January 2008
NICEIC, the voluntary regulatory body for the electrical contracting industry, has produced a Part P fact sheet for electricians to give to customers.
Life's Good with 22% growth target for 2008
30 January 2008
LG has announced it is aiming for 22% growth in its global air-conditioner shipments this year to $5 billion.
Over 70s clamour for free insulation
30 January 2008
Demand for free insulation is up by 25%, following the government's introduction of free loft and cavity wall insulation for all homeowners and private tenants over 70.
Hortstmann joins Entity
30 January 2008
Horstmann, the manufacturer of domestic and commercial heating controls for electrical and gas heating systems, has joined the Entity Group
East earns Accolade for outstanding service
29 January 2008
Derrick East of Accolade Building Services has been honoured with an HVCA Outstanding Service award.
Horsfall retires after 25 years in heating business
29 January 2008
After 25 years in the heating industry, Dick Horsfall, brand director for Purmo radiators has retired and admits the sector is a far tougher market nowadays than it was when he first entered it.
HVCA asks members for convergence consent
28 January 2008
Members of the Heating and Ventilating Contractors Association and Electrical Contractors Association have been asked whether they want both associations to become a single organisation representing M&E contractors.
LG steps up to sell domestic ac to UK
25 January 2008
LG is gearing up to target the UK domestic market with its Art Cool range of "designer" air conditioning units.
Website calls for Europe to be Proheatpump
23 January 2008
A website about the European IEEA project-Proheatpump is up and running to aid the understanding and use of ground source heat pumps.
MP urged to stop housebuilder pay cuts
22 January 2008
Contractors faced with swallowing as much as a 10% pay cut from housebuilders, contrary to agreed contracts, are urging the construction minister to prevent the cuts.
Balfour Kilpatrick promotes Slevin
22 January 2008
Balfour Kilpatrick, has promoted Mark Slevin from contracts manager to area manager for its Birmingham office.
NG Bailey acquires s2s
21 January 2008
Bailey Teswaine, NG Bailey's ICT systems infrastructure subsidiary, has bought Crawley-based firm s2s
Rise in construction students
18 January 2008
The number of students taking undergraduate courses in 2007 in planning rose by 14.8% from 2006, and by 10.3% for civil engineering according to UCAS figures released on January 17.
Asbestos plumber's widow gets compensation
18 January 2008
A plumber exposed to asbestos lost his battle for life but this week won a five-year battle for compensation thanks to his wife's persistence.
British Gas price hike makes customers feel heat
18 January 2008
British Gas' electricity and gas prices have increased by 15%, with immediate effect, the company announced today.
Haden Young MD goes 'Beck to shop floor'
18 January 2008
Haden Young's managing director David Beck has raised more than 30,000 for Marie Curie Cancer Care.
SPX completes APV acquisition
17 January 2008
US cooling solutions provider SPX Corporation has bought APV, manufacturer of heat exchangers and other engineering products for the sanitary market.
Biomass fuels GENERA '08
17 January 2008
GENERA'08, the International Energy and Environment Fair, is now an annual event and will focus on biomass energy when it kicks off in Madrid on February 26-28.
E.ON buys Midlands heating firm CHN
17 January 2008
E.ON, the gas and power giant, has bought Midlands heating services firm CHN Group in a 'multi-million pound' deal.
BSRIA opens Beijing office
16 January 2008
BSRIA has announced the opening of its subsidiary office in Beijing, designed to bring the association closer to its clients in Asia.
British Gas' Ceres investment will cut household emissions
15 January 2008
British Gas is investing in Ceres Power Holdings' boiler technology to cut the UK's household carbon emissions by up to 50%.
Rewarding opportunities for Sanyo installers
15 January 2008
A Formula One driving experience is one of many rewards Sanyo ac installers can get thanks to a loyalty scheme.
Baby's death lands heating rules in hot water
14 January 2008
The government is reviewing Part G of the building regulations relating to heating and hot water systems to determine whether rules can be re-written to prevent deaths like Rhianna Hardie's.
Rowlands becomes president of KNX UK
11 January 2008
Gareth Rowlands is the new president of KNX UK, the association representing UK manufacturers, integrators and training establishments associated with KNX technology.
Are you Britain's tradesman of the year?
10 January 2008
Tradesmen are queueing up to enter the Tradesman of the Year competition which is offering the UK's trade champion a 2,000 prize.
New TROX training for design engineers
10 January 2008
TROX academy has extended its training with 4-6 week work placements for design engineers
Road rays heat homes
10 January 2008
Rays from the sun falling on roads in a Dutch village have been used to heat local homes and commercial buildings.
Risky Business: Solid fuel work by non-HETAS CORGI installers
09 January 2008
Unsafe solid fuel and wood burning installations are being carried out by CORGI-registered installers who are not HETAS registered says HETAS.
Mitsubishi launches heat pump-driven air curtains
09 January 2008
AC manufacturer Mitsubishi Electric has collaborated with Thermoscreens to produce a heat pump-driven air curtain which reduces C02 emissions by 67%.
Heating installers GAIN work through grants
08 January 2008
Demand for trained, professional heating installers is rising to meet a growing workload created by the availability of grants and energy efficiency offers.
MCG leads industry's supervisors to H&S training
08 January 2008
The Major Contractors Group (MCG) has announced that all supervisors on their sites must attend the ConstructionSkills' supervisors safety training scheme
Burning bodies to heat UK's crematoriums
08 January 2008
Councils across the UK could soon follow Tameside Council's lead and harness the heat generated by burning the dead to warm the living mourning them.
JS Wright flies high with £1.7m deal
07 January 2008
Aston-based building services provider JS Wright has won a 1.7m deal to provide green services for a new hotel serving Heathrow airport.
Crane sells Ipswich plant and moves jobs to China
07 January 2008
More than 200 jobs could go at Crane Fluid Systems' Ipswich plant following the manufacturer's decision to sell the facility's land and buildings for 18m and move production to China.
Queen honours Peace with CBE
07 January 2008
The British Property Federation's chief executive Liz Peace has made the Queen's New Years honours list with a CBE for services to the property industry.
Fernox tackles rugby kit sponsorship
04 January 2008
Fernox, the Woking-based manufacturer of water treatment solutions, is the new shirt sponsor for local team Sharnbrook and Colworth RUFC.
Dean & Wood appoints technical director
04 January 2008
Dean & Wood has hired John Smith as its director of technical, just one of several new year appointments made by the air-conditioning wholesaler.
Grate Expectations
04 January 2008
Heat loss and bigger bills caused by chimneys sucking the heat out of buildings can be reduced by a shield placed over open fireplaces when not in use.
Big chill means demand for tradesmen is hot
03 January 2008
One in five UK households ‘called out’ emergency trades services during the Christmas holidays.
Cowboy gasmen get the boot from Wolseley
03 January 2008
Wolseley is promoting gas safety by showing the door to anyone attempting to buy a safety critical gas part who is not CORGI-registered.
Contractor Profile: Charity and business begin at home
01 January 2008
Mike Belliere loves working in the heating industry, but that does not stop him getting hot under the collar about the red tape he feels is stifling smaller enterprises. He talked to HVR about his passion for business and his charity work saving lives and eyesight in Kenya.
Proud to lead the team
01 January 2008
Mike Goodspeed and Iain Robertson joined what is now Lindab in 1991 and their careers have developed with the company. As they take over as joint managing directors, HVR talks to them in this company profile about their path to success.