There was an increase in the number of new home starts in England during 2014, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

BSRIA has launched its strategy for the next ten years.

LG Electronics has joined the Heat Pump Association and renewed its membership of HEVAC – both under the auspices of FETA.

Built environment certification body BRE Global and UL Environment, a research and standards body that supports businesses and manufacturers to be more sustainable, have signed a memorandum of understanding.

Figures released on 20 February by Barbour ABI reveal that in January the industrial construction sector increased its total value of contracts by more than 38 per cent compared to December.

Ecobuild takes place at London’s ExCeL from 3-5 March.

According to the Building & Engineering Services Association (B&ES), almost half of its members who responded to the latest state of trade survey experienced an increase in both workload and turnover during the second half of last year.

Daikin has been awarded Best Chiller Manufacturer of the Year at the Climate Control Awards 2014 ceremony, which was held in November in Dubai.

Ecobuild 2015 is just around the corner and takes place from 3-5 March at London’s ExCeL.With renewables moving into the mainstream, now is the time for installers to get in the zone and visit the event.

Plumb Center has joined forces with key heating and plumbing manufacturers to help installers understand the new EU regulations, which take effect in September.

Jet Environmental and Coventry University are set to present their collaborative research into the design and implementation of advanced energy efficient control of advanced energy efficient control of HVAC systems at a champagne reception on 25 March from 6pm-9pm, at the Techno Centre, Coventry University.

BSRIA has announced that Anne King MBE, its retiring marketing director, has been awarded Honorary Membership.

Worcester, Bosch Group has appointed Jon Wheeler as its new training manager, as part of its ongoing commitment to providing installers with a host of development opportunities.

Klima-Therm has made two further appointments as part of its strategic growth plan.

BSRIA has introduced an App version of its popular Blue Book.

In a move to enhance its national sales support network, commercial heating specialist Merriott has appointed Stephanie Foster as area sales manager for East Anglia and North London.

Altecnic, the supplier of heating and plumbing products has kicked off 2015 with two key appointments.

Julia Evans Chief Executive of BSRIA has welcomed the progress made in the UN Climate talks in Geneva which ended with an agreement on a formal draft negotiating text for the summit in Paris in December.

Ruskin Air Management has launched a new Natural Ventilation business.Called Airolution, this service will provide complete natural ventilation solutions for commercial buildings.

A recent report shows encouraging signs for London construction after steady growth in 2014, positioning 2015 to be a strong year with forecasted growth at 5.3 per cent and a number of major schemes in the pipeline.

Torin-Sifan, a leading producer of energy efficient fan technology to the European air movement industry, is flying the flag for British manufacturing by investing in excess of £2 million in a new state-of-the-art production facility.

Two men have been prosecuted over illegal gas work that endangered lives at a hotel in Sawbridgeworth, in Hertfordshire.

The Yorkshire region of The Building & Engineering Services Association’s (B&ES) Yorkshire Region presented its training awards for this year during its annual ball at the Cedar Court Hotel in Bradford.

Stamm International Corporation has appointed Jason Lee as managing director of SF Ltd (SFL).

Since fgasman.co.uk was launched by HRP in December 2014, the website has proved popular with contractors.

Adexsi UK, the smoke and natural ventilation specialist, has appointed Chris Shepherd as sales director.

A Staffordshire gas fitter has been given 240 hours of unpaid work for failing to identify defects on a boiler that left a young family with carbon monoxide poisoning, just a day after they took their newborn baby home.

Latest industry figures show that heating oil is now cheaper than mains gas for home heating.

Hull’s Ideal Boilers is continuing its long-standing support for Hull City FC and the club’s ‘Tigers Trust’, by becoming a founder member of its corporate ROAR! support fund.

Flexenergy the pipe specialist based in Fife has appointed Ian Urmston as sales and business development manager for the South.

Ideal Commercial Boilers has launched a new, permanent exhibition stand at The Building Centre in Store Street, London.

Daikin UK has opened a new 2,100sq ft office and 2,000sq ft training centre for the Midlands region in Birmingham Business Park.

New research by ADEY Professional Heating Solutions warns that wasteful behaviour could cause unexpectedly bigger energy bills as households endure the winter cold snap.

Hamworthy Heating has added a new CIBSE accredited Continuing Professional Development (CPD) seminar to its training programme.

HETAS will be taking to the road again with a series of events aimed at anyone currently working in the solid fuel and biomass sector, or looking to expand their skill sets.

Airedale International recently joined other representatives from the Yorkshire region at an event hosted by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, The Rt Hon George Osborne MP.

A campaign led by Plumb and Parts Center, Honeywell and the Katie Haines Memorial Trust to make carbon monoxide alarms mandatory with the installation of any carbon-burning appliance has won support from MPs.

Waterloo Air Products plc has joined the Institute of Customer Service and says it is the first UK manufacturer of air distribution products to do so.

Remeha Commercial has appointed James Porter as its new national sales manager.

Staff at AMP Air, the expanding Toshiba air conditioning distributor, have successfully completed advanced NVQs in Management and Customer Services as part of a training initiative.

Rural Energy’s managing director Paul Clark has been elected to the Wood Heat Association’s (WHA) first board of directors.

Pipe Center has officially opened its Measham distribution centre (DC), the newest and most technologically advanced distribution facility in Wolseley UK’s supply chain.

ADEY Professional Heating Solutions will be getting hands on at Ecobuild this year as part of Plumb Center’s Practical Installer demonstration area.

John Hamnett, director of A1 Flue Systems is making final preparations for a charity trek of a lifetime to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro – by running up to 60-mile marathons.

Cambridge plumbing and electrical contractor, Huttie, has created a new Renewable Energy Division, headed up by Jim Harvey, to meet growing demand for renewable energy installation in Cambridgeshire and beyond.

The co-founder of a Northumberland biomass heating specialist has been appointed as a board member of the Wood Heat Association (WHA).

At a major London workshop on 4 February 150 industry representatives and other stakeholders will discuss the output from a year-long government-commissioned study into how the UK’s most heat intensive industries can reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency whilst maintaining competitiveness.

OFTEC (the Oil Firing Technical Association) is backing the national Cold Homes Week campaign which runs from 3 to 7 February.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted an unregistered gas fitter who illegally serviced a boiler at a home in Honiton that was later classed as ‘immediately dangerous’.

A landlord in Harrow has been handed a suspended jail sentence and fined £10,000 for putting his tenants’ lives in danger by carrying out illegal gas work at flats he rented out.