PHAM MAY22:Layout 1 05/05/2022 16:32 Page 1
MAY 2022 | VOLUME 60 | ISSUE 4
phamnews.co.uk
Increased heating costs putting more UK households into debt The number of UK households in debt to their energy supplier has risen by 52%, according to a new survey from Uswitch, while an estimated six million households are said to owe money to their provider. The amount of money that households collectively owe to their energy suppliers has doubled in the past year to reach £˚ billion, with ˛˜% of consumers now in energy debt, according to new research from comparison and switching service Uswitch. Some six million homes now owe an average of £˚ˡˡ to their energy provider, which is £˞ˡ more than this time last year, while the number of households in credit with their supplier has decreased by ˚ˡ% compared to last year.
Rising bills mean that many consumers are taking a different approach to their credit balances, says Uswitch. Rather than asking their supplier for their credit balance to be returned, two thirds of people in credit plan to leave the money with their supplier to try to reduce their monthly bills. Only one in ten intend to ask their supplier to return some of their credit. Four in five consumers have attempted to cut down their energy use at home amid rising
prices, with ˜ˢ% turning down the thermostat, ˜˜% only using the heating on days it felt particularly cold, and ˚˞% turning off their heating entirely. Justina Miltienyte, energy policy expert at Uswitch.com, says: “Higher prices over the winter has meant we are seeing many more people in energy debt at a time when they should be building up their credit again. The situation is going to get far worse in October when we expect another price rise.”
A separate study undertaken by City Plumbing concludes that heating a single room to ˚ˡ°C is now costing the average household £˞˛̍˛˙ extra each month. The company also surveyed ˛˙˙˙ people in the UK on how the price crisis was influencing their energy habits at home and found that the great majority of those surveyed (ˡˢ%) reported that they have changed (or are in the process of changing) their energy usage because of a rise in their heating bills. A lthough many households may view such measures as a temporary response, some energy experts have predicted that bills will remain significantly above average up to ˛˙˜˙ and beyond. Researchers from management consultancy Cornwall Insight forecasts that there is little prospect of pre-˛˙˛˚ prices making a comeback over the next ˚˙ years, with gas set to remain the primary fuel source for producing power throughout the remainder of this decade.
Prosecuted for dangerous gas work
˛˙˚ˢ by HSM Builders Ltd, the principal contractor for a domestic renovation in South London, to carry out plumbing and gas work, including the installation of a new gas boiler and gas cooker. However, some of the gas work was later found by a Gas Safe Register inspector to be an immediate danger if connected to a live gas supply. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Mr Pauliuc was not registered with Gas Safe Register, and that HSM Builders did not check.
Valentin Pauliuc pleaded guilty to a breach of Regulation ˜(˜) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations ˚ˢˢˡ. He was sentenced to ˚˙ months in custody, suspended for ˚˛ months, and was placed under a curfew and was also ordered to pay £˚˟˝˝ in compensation to the owners of the property, and £˝ˠ˝ˠ in costs. Enfield-based HSM Builders pleaded guilty to a breach of Section ˜(˚) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act ˚ˢˠ˝. The NZX[LYd bL^ ʭYPO n˞˙̇˙˙˙ and ordered to pay £˝ˡ˞ˢ in costs.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Gordon Carson, said: “All gas work must be done by registered Gas Safe engineers to ensure the highest standards are met to prevent injury and loss of life. HSE will not hesitate to take enforcement action against people who break the gas safety rules, which are in place to protect the public. We would encourage anyone who is asking for gas work to be done to make sure they check the engineer has the right skills and is registered with Gas Safe Register.”
, RL^ ʭ__P] LYO M`TWOTYR NZX[LYd have been sentenced at Southwark Crown Court following unsafe and unregistered gas work that was deemed ‘immediately dangerous’ by a Gas Safe inspector. The Court heard that Valentin Pauliuc, trading as VP Plumbing & Heating, was hired in February
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Inside this issue Training Update Heat pump advice for installers See page 14
New products Is this the future of showering? See page 39
COMPETITION Win a press & push tool kit! See page ˝˚
05/05/2022 12:03