Pipe Center and Climate Center hit the road for Help for Heroes

Posted on by Posted in Useful Resources

help-for-heroes

A team from Pipe Center and Climate Center hit the road earlier this month for a 60-mile charity cycle ride through the lanes of Worcestershire for Help for Heroes.

The event was in memory of Rob Townley, from Pipe Center’s Gloucester branch, who died earlier this year. The group, made up of staff, suppliers and customers, began and finished the ride at the Old Bull in Inkberrow, with a mid-day stop for lunch.

They raised more than £1,500 for Help for Heroes, a charity close to Mr Townley’s heart.

David Beattie, product sourcing director for Pipe Center and Climate Center, who organised the event, said:

“Rob was a gentle man and loved by all. The ride was a way for us to remember him and raise money for his favourite charity. He came from a military family so it meant a lot to him.”

 

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Energy Saving Trust What the UK thinks about its homes

Posted on by Posted in Renewable Energy

energy saving trustThe UK public’s attitude towards their homes and energy saving has been revealed by the Energy Saving Trust (EST), in the first of a series of public opinion trackers known as UK Pulse.

Nearly half of householders (44%) claim to live in homes with draught problems, 38% in homes with condensation problems and 29% in homes with mould, according to the survey’s findings. All three issues were even higher among renters.

Meanwhile, 24% of homeowners suffering from draughts are planning to install energy-efficiency upgrades in the next year, compared with 12% of homeowners overall.

Home renewables, such as solar panels, were considered to be the ”ideal”  energy efficiency improvement if money and hassle were no object, with most respondents out of the 2,000 putting this ahead of wall and loft insulation and draught excluders.

In addition, 47% of householders would like to know the suitability of their home for renewable energy measures.

David Weatherall, energy efficiency expert at the EST, said:

“We need to move away from big messages for broad audiences to information that is tailored to people’s individual motivations, their lifestyle and their home. We can no longer get away with a ‘one size fits all’ energy-efficiency message for UK consumers.

“People’s motivations for changing behaviour, or choosing how and where to invest money in energy efficiency, are diverse across genders, age groups and UK regions, as well as being heavily influenced by the type of property people own or rent.”

Other findings highlighted the UK public’s attitudes towards technologies and domestic appliances:

  • The majority of homebuyers and renters enthused over renewable energy features, with 59% more likely to rent or buy a property with a renewable energy system such as a solar panel or heat pump
  • Forty percent of those who feel their energy use is out of their control blame too many appliances in their home
  • More than half (54%) of all tumble-dryer users use their tumble dryer at least once a week during the summer
  • There is an appetite for bigger TVs with 54% buying TVs in the past year which are 39in or over
  • However, 78% of householders using their tumble dryer in summer, and buying TVs in the past year which are 39in or over, claim to be concerned about energy bills.

Following these findings from the first UK Pulse, the EST is calling for a ”radical shift”  in how industry sells the benefits of energy efficiency for the home.

Mr Weatherall said:

“From our Home Analytics data of the entire UK housing stock, we know that householders and landlords have installed the measures that offer the quickest wins and biggest energy-saving paybacks; millions of cavity walls have been insulated in recent years and virtually no completely non-insulated lofts remain.

“This is good news. However, as our homes improve, the opportunities change. In the next stage of the evolution of our homes, we need householders to engage with their energy use in a new, deeper way that focuses on the importance on comfort and control, as well as the cost benefits of energy efficiency.” 


Through the UK Pulse research, the EST has identified several new opportunities for encouraging energy efficiency in the home:

  • Promoting comprehensive insulation solutions for all homes
  • Encouraging rapid uptake of new energy-saving technologies as they emerge
  • Continuing to bring home renewable energy into the mainstream
  • Transforming householders’ ability to monitor and understand their energy use.
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Lakes Bathrooms Goes Large

Posted on by Posted in Bathrooms and Kitchens

lakesbathrooms2Further growth for shower enclosure specialist Lakes Bathrooms has seen the company nearly double its storage facility space, just two years after moving to significantly larger premises. With a whole new mezzanine floor added to their warehouse, space at the company’s UK headquarters expands to a mighty 120,000 square feet.

This expansion is due to continued market success for Lakes Bathrooms, plus, it says, to accommodate several new product lines due for launch later this year.

Sales and marketing director, Clive Organ said:

“We could be accused of being under ambitious when we moved to much larger, 60,000 square foot premises in 2012,”

“But we never dreamt then that in such a short space of time we would have demand for the colossal volume of stock we now need to hold in order to satisfy market demand and maintain our 24/48 hour delivery service across the UK to retailers and wholesalers. It’s a nice problem to have, but means that we have to develop the site to cope with our own success.”

The company’s three acre site near the M5, in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, doubled its previous space and consolidated four factory units into one two-storey building with mixed office and warehouse space. Capital investment there continues as work starts to replace the entire 60,000 square foot roof. Whilst this work is underway some stock will be moved off site to one of the company’s legacy warehouses to ensure continuity of availability.

Clive Organ went on to say:

“In the last twelve months we have introduced a new semi-frameless range to our popular 8mm Coastline Collection, added new bath screens to the Classic Collection and expanded other ranges within the portfolio. This means we already have 40 different product lines in stock, with the range of sizes making for over 160 variants,”

“We must now prepare to house stock not only to service this, but to support major product launches due to be unveiled in the coming months, in order to be ready for the demand that they create,”

According to Lakes Bathrooms, the company now holds around 20,000 pieces of stock to provide a minimum of eight weeks-worth of product to fulfil demand, with the fastest moving lines stocked to even higher levels. From its headquarters, the company operates its own fleet of 15 delivery vehicles, despatching daily to over 150 different locations, nationwide.

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A Thiess joint venture has been selected for the AWRP in Australia

Posted on by Posted in Construction

wastewaterThe AWRP will be built for Western Australia’s Water Corporation in Craigie, north of Perth. It will use treated water from the Beenyup Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to inject highly-treated wastewater into aquifers as part of a project to boost Perth’s drinking water supplies.

The Thiess and CH2M HILL 50/50 joint venture will undertake the AU$80m (£44m) project in alliance with the Water Corporation, with the joint venture awarding all contract packages on the project.

Thiess WA/NT General Manager Stuart Crofts said that the contract continues Thiess’ record of undertaking projects for the Water Corporation during the past 15 years.

Stuart said:

“Thiess was part of the W2W Alliance that built the trial recycling plant at the Beenyup facility, in addition to upgrading and expanding the Beenyup and Woodman Point WWTPs,”

Theiss is also currently designing and constructing the East Rockingham WWTP in an alliance with the Water Corporation and SKM-Jacobs.

The project is scheduled to reach practical completion by December 2015, followed by a 30-week validation and verification stage.

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Twyford puts fresh Energy into new bathroom range

Posted on by Posted in Bathrooms and Kitchens

Twyford-Energy-Collection-e500Manufacturing company, Twyford Bathrooms have given a clear indication that they are not happy with only being the number two brand in the UK’s bathroom market, they have made an investment of £150,000 for a new showroom and the launch of their new range that looks like it is a very good contender in regaining the number one spot, and increasing it’s share in the bathroom market.

The Energy Collection from Twyford is sub-divided into three sections. e100 offers a choice of either round or square ceramics with very keen price points, Rimfree technology on some WC’s and a 25-year guarantee on sanitaryware. e200 is a compact collection that is tailor-made for the UK’s ever-shrinking bathroom footprint. Corner washbasins, wall-hung short projection WC’s and a dedicated collection of furniture will help to make the most of the available space.

e500 is the top of the new Energy Collection bringing the latest European design style to a UK company with a 160-year heritage in bathrooms. Once again round and square solutions are offered in a broad range of ceramic products and furniture. These can add real flair to a market sector where affordable design is so important.

To complete the Energy Collection, Twyford is offering two shower enclosure programmes. es200 provides affordable and stylish enclosures at entry level prices manufactured from 6mm safety glass. Bi-fold, pivot and corner entry enclosures are offered. The es400 programme offers a number of enhanced features such as double rollers on the top and bottom of doors and a protective coating on the glass for easier cleaning.

All of the products in Twyford’s Energy Collection are made in Europe and will be available in September 2014. Sanitaryware in the Energy Collection carries a 25-year guarantee, the Energy shower enclosures come with fault-free lifetime guarantee and the Energy bathroom furniture has a two year guarantee.

Speaking at the launch, Brent Hudson, commercial operations manager at Twyford said:

“Twyford is a heritage brand with a long history in innovation and product development. Even with the challenging economic climate of recent years, the company has retained a strong position and has remained a household name and we are the only bathroom company worldwide to hold the Royal Warrant. Despite the recession, we have continued to invest in new product development and are now at a key stage in the modern history of Twyford.

“With an exciting and invigorating new Energy Collection we are re-booting the Twyford brand. We have a modern design story to tell that makes Twyford very relevant to the bathrooms of today.”

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