Design Council’s chief design officer completes conference line-up

Posted on by Posted in Bathrooms and Kitchens

designcouncilMat Hunter, chief design officer at the Design Council completes the line-up of speakers for this year’s Bathroom and Kitchen Conference on 7 October in Enstone, Oxfordshire.

He will speak about how the societal challenges that we face can represent creative and commercial opportunities. His talk fits perfectly with the theme of the event ‘Marketing the Future’ says the BMA, and Mat joins line up of eight speakers who will give a completely new insight into the bathroom and kitchen industry.

Yvonne Orgill, CEO of the Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA), organisers of the event said:

“We are delighted to have Mat join us”

“We have a very powerful line up and we expect bigger numbers of delegates than ever before.”

As the Design Council’s chief design officer Mat Hunter heads up the organisation’s Design Challenges programme. This demonstrates how the societal challenges that we face can represent creative and commercial opportunities; from supporting health and wellbeing to combatting violence and aggression. The programme has incubated numerous products and services that are now in active use, see: www.designcouncil.org.uk/.

Before joining the Design Council Mat was a partner at IDEO, an intentional design and innovation consultancy, where he focused mostly on creating digital products and services. He is a graduate of Central St Martins School of Art & Design and the Royal College of Art and is Adjunct Professor at Imperial College Business School.

The conference on Tuesday 7 October and its fringe events on Monday 6th will be held at the Heythrop Park Conference Centre, Enstone, Oxfordshire. It is open to all in the KBB industry and organisers of the event are urging early booking to avoid disappointment. A range of delegate packages and attractive sponsorship deals are on offer, says the BMA.

More details from the Conference Blog at: bandkconf2014.blogspot.co.uk/

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New consumer contracts for engineers supported by TrustMark

Posted on by Posted in Heating, Plumbing Industry News

trademarkFollowing the introduction of the new Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, scheme operators for TrustMark, the government endorsed quality mark for expert tradespeople, is swinging into action to help plumbers and heating engineers comply with the significant changes that now apply to home improvement and repair contracts.

The new regulations introduce major changes in the law relating to consumer protection. They now apply to consumer contracts made on-premises (through retail stores), made at a distance (including online sales) and off-premises (e.g. in-home sales).

Plumbers and heating engineering firms will need to review their processes and if not already compliant, change their paperwork and terms and conditions to ensure they are operating within the new law.  Failure to comply may result in prosecution or a fine. Depending on the type of breach, the contract with the homeowner may also be invalid.

The key changes include:

  • Consumers must now be given much more information before they sign a contract, about the trader, the goods, the price, any other applicable charges, the terms of the contract, and their cancellation rights in a clear and comprehensive manner.
  • Traders will need the active consent of the consumer for all payments – pre-ticked boxes for additional payments, for instance, will no longer be permitted.
  • Consumers will not be liable for costs, which they have not been told about in advance.
  • The cooling-off period for goods and services sold by distance or by off-premises selling will be harmonised across the EU to 14 days from date of delivery of the products, as opposed to the previous seven days from date of contract.
  • Where a consumer has a right to cancel a contract, the trader is required to provide the customer with a model cancellation form.
  • The cancellation period is extended to, broadly, 12 months if the trader fails to provide certain pre-contract information.  The trader could also be liable to a fine of up to £5,000.
  • There are some exemptions as regards cancellation rights, one of which is for products “made to the consumer’s specification” – this will include such products as made-to-measure windows made to a consumer’s specific requirements; another is for urgent repairs and maintenance when a consumer invites a trader to their home.

Liz Male, chairman of TrustMark, said:

“These new Consumer Contracts Regulations will really help to clarify contracts for homeowners and tradespeople, so they should be viewed positively. It’s a big step forward to helping both sides enjoy a positive and transparent working relationship on all home repair, maintenance and improvement jobs.

“What matters now is that all TrustMark-registered firms get the detailed guidance they need in order to ensure they are fully compliant. I’m delighted our approved scheme operators in this sector, including the Building & Engineering Services Association are already busy providing this support to their registered firms.”

Roderick Pettigrew, chief executive, Building & Engineering Services Association, said:

“With these new laws, traders are required to give much more detailed information before and after making a sale, which can only be a good news for consumers so they can ensure there are no hidden costs.  The purpose of this requirement is to make sure that, should a dispute arise at some point after the contract has been concluded, both parties have a record about what was agreed.

“But the burden of proof that the relevant information has been provided rests with the tradesperson. That’s why we are helping registered firms understand the new requirements and make appropriate changes in order to avoid the risk of committing a criminal offence and resulting in non payment from a customer.  We anticipate that in many cases our registered firms are already compliant with the consumer-friendly aspects of the regulations, but we encourage all firms to review their terms and conditions to make sure that they are in line with the fine detail of these new changes.”

 

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Government figures have revealed that solar generation is up 77%

Posted on by Posted in Renewable Energy

solarindustryThe new government figures have revealed that compared to this time last year, solar generation is up 77%.

Greater uptake of solar power led to generation in 2013 increasing by over half compared with 2012.

Renewable electricity capacity was 20.8 GW at the end of the first quarter of 2014, a 15% increase on a year earlier. Two-thirds of the increase compared to the first quarter of 2013 was due to new, mainly large-scale, solar photovoltaic capacity.

This comes just as the government is consulting on completely withdrawing its Renewables Obligation support scheme for solar farms above 5MW, and follows a spectacular 60% fall in costs since 2011.

Solar Trade Association chief executive, Paul Barwell, said:

“These figures show how quickly the UK solar industry has developed to make a significant contribution to our energy needs.

“Solar is a secure, home-grown solution to Britain’s twin crises of security of supply and spiralling energy bills.

“Pulling the rug out from under the UK’s second cheapest mainstream renewable will just mean more public spending on more expensive alternatives.

“The cost of solar has fallen by 65% since the coalition came to power. But if this coalition government holds solar back, we risk losing momentum on cost reduction and job creation. We are close to being subsidy-free, all we need is one final push.”

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Wolseley UK Partners with British Forces Resettlement Services

Posted on by Posted in Useful Resources

BFRSWolseley UK has partnered with the British Forces Resettlement Services (BFRS) to bring former military personnel into its workforce.

As part of its strategy to recruit from the widest possible talent pool and attract the best candidates, the plumbing and heating firm is reaching out to ex-forces personnel looking for employment in a civilian role.

BFRS is a non-profit organisation set-up to help its 14,000 members find employment when returning to civilian life or continuing their post-forces career, a number which is only expected to grow amid recent news of armed forces redundancies.

Sam English was employed as branch supervisor at Poole’s Parts Center in March of this year, after applying for the role through the British Forces Resettlement Services website. Sam said:

“I left the army late last year after being injured in an explosion while serving in Afghanistan. I applied for the branch supervisor role, and was delighted when I was hired.

“Wolseley UK has such a positive attitude towards ex-servicemen and women. With Wolseley UK and its brands actively advertising on the BFRS site, I think that is a really encouraging message to all those who have, or are about to, leave the armed forces and may be worried about their employment.”

Siobhan Morrison, Wolseley UK’s interim HR director, said:

“The partnership between Wolseley UK and BFRS allows us to target a more diverse talent pool, putting us in touch with the best people to fill our vacancies.

“Those returning to civilian life can continue their personal development and gain further vocational qualifications.”

Neil Dean, director at BFRS, said:

“Our members are highly-trained individuals who have developed a strong skill set during their time in the armed forces. Most of these skills are transferable to a civilian role, such as teamwork skills and lateral thinking, and when you combine this with the can-do attitude of the armed forces, it makes BFRS members ideal candidates to UK employers.”

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Revamped Green Deal cashback scheme is good news for installers

Posted on by Posted in Renewable Energy

niceicThe revamped Green Deal cashback scheme is good news for installers as well as homeowners, according to leading certification body, NICEIC.

During May this year, the Department for Energy and Climate Chance (DECC) made an announcement for new incentives regarding householders in England and Wales, with up to £7,600 cash-back available for people who are installing energy efficiency upgrades to their homes.

The changes instantly boosted uptake in the Green Deal with DECC claiming more than £2.6 million was issued via cashback in the first week alone.

Dani Putney, sector specialist at NICEIC, said:

“While the benefits to homeowners have been well documented, the new scheme is also good news for Green Deal installers.

“Installers can now directly access the cash back fund on behalf of their customers without the need to go through a Green Deal provider.

“This has simplified the whole process and means installers can pick up work from householders without the need to have a sub-contract in place with a provider.”

To benefit from the new scheme authorised Green Deal installers simply need to register for the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund (GDHIF) by signing up and returning the scheme terms and conditions to the scheme administrator, DECC.

Once they have signed up, they will be able to offer the enhanced incentives to householders. The new incentives offered to households are broken down into: £1,000 for installing two measures from an approved list of renovations; £100 is available as a refund for the initial assessment; and £6,000 is on offer for installing solid wall insulation. Those who’ve bought their property within 12 months are also eligible for a further £500.

DECC reports that over 1,700 applications have been received for the GDHI so far.

Dani said:

“The revamped scheme is the boost the Green Deal market needed. It means authorised installers can grow their customer base, offer customers what they want and install more energy efficiency measures so that customers can benefit from reduced energy bills.

“Previously, signing up for a Green Deal was very complicated. GDHIF has simplified the process and the early signs suggest it is working. The long-term plan must be to make signing up for a Green Deal as easy as ordering any type of renovation work on your own home.”

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