Boilers 8
Jeremy Hawksley addressing over 70 fuel oil distributors on the subject of Oilsave and the fight for oil heating at the Fuel Oil News Distributor Debate in the West Midlands earlier this month.
The price difference between oil and gas has narrowed significantly. Three years ago oil was nearly 60% more expensive than mains gas but now it is just over 12% more expensive, based on using a condensing boiler.
Around 68% of households in Northern Ireland use oil. A recent ComRes Energy Study found that 63% of consumers are concerned about how they are going to pay heating bills this year.
OFTEC chairman Martyn Bridges, centre, with other members, supporting the Energy Bill Revolution to end fuel poverty in the UK
To help raise awareness of the 20% of UK households living in fuel poverty and the need to make the country’s homes more energy efficient, OFTEC backed this month’s Cold Homes Week.
Martin Lake, commercial director, Graham, Steve Lister, sales and marketing director, Worcester and Dan Williams, procurement manager, Graham
Worcester, Bosch Group, was named Supplier of the Year by plumbers’ merchant, Graham.
With a poor response to the government’s Green Deal, OFTEC has written to secretary of state for energy, Ed Davey, to propose the introduction of a boiler scrappage scheme to encourage more people to make the switch to high efficiency condensing boilers.
Support OFTEC’s tank safe campaign
OFTEC has teamed up with several tank manufacturers to promote safe storage of heating oil.
Worcester’s Neil Schofield – dedicated to championing the role of the installer
Worcester, Bosch Group recently held an evening reception for installers at the House of Lords.
“An un-notified installation can be a real headache,” says Adrian Lightwood, registration services director
OFTEC has made it easier for its technicians to register installations of new oil boilers and oil tanks by opening a new telephone service for notifiable works.
Boiler sales for the first half of this year are up 23% on 2012 – a very welcome outcome for installers, boiler manufacturers and kerosene distributors.
Since Green Deal’s launch in January 2013, official figures show that take-up amongst consumers has been poor with only a handful of installations, despite 9224 assessments being completed.
Strong response from Irish householders to the government’s £12million Boiler Replacement Scheme introduced last September, has been welcomed by OFTEC.
Royal Warrant holder, Worcester, Bosch Group has honoured last month’s royal birth by creating a one-off baby blue boiler.
Encouraging oil installers to join Hybrid Heating System’s installer network, managing director, Mark Menhennet
For installers wishing to offer their customers services in renewables, MCS registration can be both expensive and time consuming (see page 28-29). Mark Menhennet, Hybrid Heating Systems, talks to Oil Installer about taking the pain away for those who train.
“Hybrid systems offer a smart choice to owners of oil-fuelled homes” is the message from Glow-worm’s Pippa Wibberley
At a time when many oil installers are considering a move into renewables, Glow-worm’s commercial director Pippa Wibberley asks whether the choice needs to be as clear cut, with the added option of going down the hybrid route.
Last winter’s prolonged icy blast may have been a source of misery for many UK residents, but it seems to have done no harm at all to oil boiler sales, which have seen a significant improvement since October 2012.