This lads going for the blue run.
Survey sheds new light on consumer view of renewables
New research commissioned by Daikin UK gives an insight into UK homeowners’ awareness and experience of renewable technologies and the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (dRHI) scheme.
The survey of 1,000 homeowners indicates that general awareness of renewable technologies is reasonably high, with 61% saying that they have heard of at least one of these types of system: air-to-water heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, solar thermal, solar PV or hybrid heating systems (traditional boiler combined with a renewable technology). Only a third (36%) of the sample claim they have no knowledge whatsoever of any of the technologies named.
More people say they are aware of heat pumps (53%) than any other renewable technology, followed by solar thermal (42%), and solar PV (31%). A quarter (25%) of those questioned are also familiar with hybrid systems combining a renewable energy with a boiler.
However, the number of those with direct experience is considerably lower. Just 17% of homeowners have had any sort of interaction with a renewable technology, while only four per cent have had one the technologies mentioned installed in their own home.
Encouragingly, a further five per cent – which equates to 900,000 households when applied nationally – say they are planning to have a renewable technology installed within the next 12 months, and an equivalent of an additional 1.3 million households (or eight per cent) say they plan to take the plunge at some point in the future.
The research identifies a strong relationship between direct experience and an intention to purchase. Seventy per cent of those planning an install within the next 12 months have had direct experience of at least one of the technologies, but, conversely, of those who’ve considered but rejected the idea, only two per cent have had the same direct experience.
Unsurprisingly, solar PV has the most exposure, with seven per cent having direct experience, followed by solar thermal (five per cent), and ground source, air-to-water and hybrid each having been experienced by three per cent of homeowners.
Awareness of the dRHI however is modest, with just over a third (35%) acknowledging any form of awareness. Of these, 14% say they’re aware of the term but don’t know anything about it; one in ten say they’re familiar, but don’t fully understand; eight per cent are fully aware, but haven’t taken advantage of it; and four per cent have already applied.
Unsurprisingly, awareness of dRHI is higher amon those living in off-gas properties (which typically have highest fuel bills), than their on-gas neighbours (44% vs 32%).
Encouragingly, of those surveyed who have already installed a renewable technology, over half (54%) have taken advantage of, or applied for, the dRHI. The research also indicates a correlation between those who are familiar with dRHI and who have had some interaction with a renewable product, suggesting those in the know are engaging with the funding options available to them.
The reaction to dRHI once the scheme was explained to surveyed homeowners is positive. Two in every five (42%) homeowners think it’s a good idea, a quarter (24%) think it will encourage the adoption of renewable technologies, and almost one in five (17%) go as far as saying they think it will fundamentally change the way British homes are heated in the future.
The research also examined the reasons those who have considered but ultimately not installed a renewable system made their decision. The top three reasons cited are being unable to afford the initial financial outlay (46%), not knowing enough about it (46%), and the return on investment not being sufficient (21%). Of those saying the capital cost is too high, 45% are unaware of the dRHI, while one in five (18%) of those dismissing the return on investment have no knowledge of the scheme, suggesting a lack of awareness of the funding options available.
Of those who’ve not considered installing, half (51%) simply say they don’t know enough about the subject.
Nancy Jonsson, Daikin’s heating and renewables product manager, said:
“This research paints a very interesting picture of current attitudes towards renewable technologies among UK homeowners. Some of the findings are extremely encouraging, demonstrating a healthy level of awareness of the technologies, and a strong interest among householders who are planning installations. It’s also encouraging to see that of the small number among this sample who have installed a renewable technology, over half have taken advantage of the dRHI, suggesting that when awareness of the scheme has a direct influence on take-up.
“However, with capital cost cited as the most common barrier to adoption, it is very concerning to see a general lack of awareness of dRHI. For dRHI to deliver all it promised to be, it is essential that the Department of Energy and Climate Change, manufacturers and installers work together to address this the gap in awareness. Likewise, the link between those who have had direct experience of renewables and those who have installed, or are planning to install, the technology in their own homes is clear, stressing the need for testimonials, case studies, demonstration equipment, and site visits.”
Tagged with: consumers, Daikin UK, domestic, dRHI, Nancy Jonsson, Renewable Heat Incentive, renewables, RHI, scheme, survey
Lecico announces two new ranges
Lecico has developed two new ranges designed to expand its offer to the UK market. Senner and Roxton boost the design options in the current Style Collection and are available from January 2015.
Senner (seen here), is a new contemporary styled collection, an effective soft square design with clean uncluttered lines. The range comprises a choice of 43cm, 54cm and 60cm basins with the option of either one or two tap holes and full pedestal. A 54cm semi-recessed basin is available too. The close coupled WC pan is offered in a round or square design and there is also a square wall mounted option. The ceramic cistern offers a dual 6/4 litre or 4/2.6 litre water saving flush.
Roxton is a suite of Victorian styling but with the benefits of modern technology, featuring period detailing on its basin splash-back and stepped design around the basin rim that is reflected through the Roxton family. The collection includes a 53cm two tap hole basin with full pedestal, and a low level or close coupled pan option. Roxton can be mixed and matched with Lecico’s New Hamilton family adding a high level cistern option too.
Lecico has a new retailer brochure for 2015 to support these new products, which can be viewed at
Tagged with: 2015, Hamilton, http://brochure.lecico.co.uk, January, Lecico, Roxton, Senner, Style Collection, Victorian
Training at the new Geberit Academy in Warwick
Installers visiting the Geberit Training Academy in Warwick this year will be among the first to make use of its redesigned facilities, with the refurbishment of the venue now in full swing.
Since the purpose-built academy opened in 2009, hundreds of installers have benefited from being able to get hands on with Geberit products and systems, with training modules offered free of charge by the manufacturer to its customers.
Anticipating another busy year ahead, the Academy has been updated for 2015, ensuring the facilities continue to reflect the workplace environment and enable installers to learn more about the latest innovations in sanitary and piping solutions from Geberit.
The new look Training Academy features four different working walls to cover all aspects of fitting Geberit products, while a HDPE stack featuring various connection types will help installers get to grips with fitting Geberit pipework.
Candidates will also benefit from a greater integration of the piping and sanitary elements of the manufacturer’s offering too, reflecting the crossover that many installers encounter within their day-to-day work.
The dates for the training modules at Warwick in 2015 will be as follows:
Sanitary Piping
March 11 March 12
March 18 March 19
September 9 September 10
September 23 September 24
October 7 October 8
October 21 October 22
Covering the latest techniques for fitting wall-hung sanitaryware using the Geberit Duofix WC frame, the sanitary systems training gives installers the know-how and confidence to fit such systems themselves, while the piping systems training module offers an introduction to the Geberit Mapress and Geberit Mepla press fitting systems, covering everything from cutting and deburring, through to bending and pressing.
To book your place on any of the training modules in 2015 email training.gb@geberit.com or call 0800 0778 365.
Worcester’s online training academy gets over 2000 sign ups
The number of installers to have signed up to Worcester, Bosch Group’s Online Training Academy has eclipsed 2,000, within just four months of its launch.
Worcester’s Online Training Academy will focus on keeping installers up-to-date with the latest product features, installation tips, and troubleshooting advice at their own convenience.
Worcester, Bosch Group training manager Phil Bunce commented:
“We are delighted with such a high level of early uptake amongst installers and believe that this shows the enthusiasm for development among industry professionals.
“With smartphones and tablets now essential components of an installer’s toolkit, we want to give installers more opportunity than ever to enhance their industry knowledge whenever suits them best. Online training can never completely replace the hands-on equivalent, but it’s certainly a great option for those who wish to continually refresh their knowledge.”