HEATING ADVICE FROM VOGUE UK

CRAZY BREXIT RULING TO HAVE SERIOUS ADVERSE EFFECT ON UK RADIATOR SALES

www.vogueuk.co.uk

Under a recent ‘absurd and impractical’ ruling not to allow transfer of current CE Mark test certificates, in a few months’ time, the majority of radiators on sale in the UK, will be without a ‘valid’ test certificate and therefore unable to be sold legally!

Following the UK’s exit from the EU, members of the Manufacturers Association of Radiators and Convectors, MARC, have joined forces to challenge the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on this ruling, which could mean that UK homeowners will be unable to purchase and install new or replacement radiators from January 2022!

Isaac Occhipinti, Head of External Affairs, MARC has said, “Since changes to CE marking were announced, the radiator industry has been working with the understanding that for existing products a transfer of test certificates would be possible. However, we have since been informed that this is not the case, even though the European standard tests are identical to the UK standard EN442! As it stands, in order for products to start using the new UKCA mark, they will need to be completely retested using a UK test lab.

There are currently thousands of radiator products on sale in the UK with a valid CE mark. But, there is only one test laboratory in the UK which has a limited capacity for testing. Even with a heroic effort, it will only ever be able to test a very small percentage of radiators currently legally on sale in the UK.” It will be impossible for all products to be tested by the 2022 deadline. The industry now faces the reality that the majority of radiators on sale in the UK will be without a ‘valid’ test certificate, in a few months’ time, and therefore unable to be sold legally.

This ruling does nothing to improve standards as the European and UK criteria are the same. It merely places impractical and costly barriers for the industry. MARC and its members have worked tirelessly to raise standards and stamp out non-compliant products, only to be penalised at the last minute. This

ruling is not in the consumer interest and is forcing the radiator industry in to an impossible situation. We urge the Secretary of State to reconsider this ruling and allow European test certificates to be valid for products already on sale.”

Speaking on behalf of radiator and towel rail manufacturer Vogue UK on the ruling, Sales Director Steve Birch said, “We fully support and commend MARC’s action and urge the Rt Hon Robert Jenrick to carefully consider all the implications behind the nontransfer of CE certificates. Clarity is key when running a business and moving the goalposts puts British heating manufacturers in an impossible situation as we plan for post-COVID recovery. Heating manufacturers do not have the ability to pivot into different revenue streams or diversify into another sector.

At a time when the housing market is on the up and there is a huge appetite for British made heating internationally and at home, it is somewhat disappointing

that our own Government would make life even harder for heating specialists and suppliers. Radiators and boiler manufacturing is an estimated £2bn industry in the UK and heating is an absolute necessity given the UK’s damp climate. We are proud to export our products globally and can meet all the required standards for each country, region or project. The refusal to transfer CE certificates seems petty and smallminded in the context of talk of a ‘Global Britain’.”

Steve Birch, Sales Director, Vogue (UK)

“We fully support and commend MARC’s action and urge the Rt Hon Robert Jenrick to carefully consider all the implications behind the non-transfer of CE certificates.”