Around the industry

Landlord failed to arrange gas safety checks despite Improvement Notice

A letting agent and its director have been fined for not having gas safety checks carried out in their rental property.

Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court heard that the landlord, Belleview Property, failed to carry out the annual gas safety check at its rental property in Colchester, Essex. Belleview was served with an Improvement Notice requiring the checks to be carried out but failed to do within the specified timeframe. The agent also failed to provide details of the tenancy agreement when requested to do so by an HSE inspector.

HSE’s investigation found that Belleview’s failures were committed with the consent of or were attributable to neglect by Adrian Ellis, who was its sole director.

Mr Ellis had been prosecuted by HSE previously, the court was told, for failing to arrange gas safety checks at properties that he owned and rented out.

Belleview had been subject to HSE enforcement twice in the past five years for failing to arrange gas safety checks at its rental properties, including the one to which this prosecution referred.

Belleview Property Limited of Station Road, St Ives, Cambridgeshire, pleaded guilty to breaching the Gas Safety Installation & Use Regulations 1998, Regulation 36(3), and failing to comply with the requirement to provide information under the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974, Section 20. It was fined £12,000 plus costs of £2,245.28.

Director Adrian Ellis from Colchester pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. He was fined £3,000 plus costs of £2,245.28.

Both defendants were ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £170.

NGN fined £5m over fatal explosion

Northern Gas Networks Ltd has been fined £5 million for safety breaches after a fire and gas explosion in West Yorkshire resulted in the death of the homeowner.

Leeds Crown Court heard that, on 11 February 2019, West Yorkshire Fire Service was called to a fire and explosion in Huddersfield Road, Mirfield. The property was still on fire when the occupier, Elena Frunza, was discovered during a search. She was taken to Pinderfields General Hospital, where she died the following morning.

The HSE investigation found that the source of the gas escape was a fractured six-inch cast-iron main running under the carriageway to the front of the property. The main did not appear on Northern Gas Networks’ drawings, which meant that it had not been maintained in accordance with the Pipelines Safety Regulations 1996.

Northern Gas Networks Ltd of Thorpe Business Park, Colton, Leeds, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £5 million and ordered to pay costs of £91,487.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Neil Casey said: “This incident, which put the lives of the elderly residents of a care home at risk and cost a homeowner her life, has highlighted a failure by Northern Gas Networks Ltd to follow their own safety procedures, in this case requiring the prompt and effective investigation and correction of anomalies in their records.”

Landlord fined after tenements found with dangerous gas work

A landlord has been fined £4,500 after failing to ensure that gas safety record checks were carried out in flats in an old tenement block.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that from late winter 2013 to early spring 2014, David Mackman from Kirknewton said he was the landlord for at least 15 flats in the block. The majority of the flats had gas boilers and some served more than one flat but the court heard that tenants had not been provided with landlords’ gas safety records.

HSE investigated after receiving a complaint from a tenant and its inspectors attended the flats when Mr Mackman failed to respond. The inspectors gained access to several flats and identified gas safety concerns. They again attempted to make contact with the landlord during this visit but failed.

Because of the gas safety concerns, Scottish Gas Networks (SGN) also attended. The inspectors and SGN engineers found further gas safety faults after gaining access to more flats. SGN classified the work as Immediately Dangerous and disconnected the gas supply to several properties. Despite HSE’s repeated attempts to contact the landlord, he did not attend the flats to assist with the investigation.

At a later visit, warning notices were again issued to a number of flats. Mr Mackman attended during this visit and HSE inspectors issued him with 15 Improvement Notices to make sure that all gas safety issues were identified and rectified by a competent Gas Safe registered engineer and to obtain a landlords’ gas safety record.

David Stuart Mackman of Shepherd’s Keep, Colzium, Kirknewton, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 36(3)(b) of the Gas (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998. He was fined £4,500 and ordered to pay a £175 victim surcharge.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Katherine Gostick said: “It was very fortunate that Mr Mackman’s failure to carry out important landlord gas safety checks did not result in a number of deaths in the flats he rented out, where the unsafe gas appliances were leaking poisonous fumes.”

Environment awards now open to gas engineers

Worcester Bosch has relaunched its Environment Awards with a new sustainability-focused criteria for heating engineers, as well as new-build and social housing organisations.

The Environment 2050 competition encourages gas engineers to work with customers to make environmentally friendly choices for their heating and hot water.

The competition runs every year: gas engineers should submit a short statement about why they chose to install a particular product as well as supplying a photo of the installation.

There will 16 winners – four per season in four categories: boilers, heat pumps, solar, and hybrids – who will each receive: • 18V cordless Bosch drill • £200 towards a charity of their choice • Framed certificate • Branded van stickers and marketing material • Local PR.

One overall winner will receive a further Bosch power bundle worth more than £500 and an FSC-certified oak engraved award.

Worcester Bosch is working closely with Rewilding Britain, a charity that supports rewilding initiatives in rural and marine areas in the UK. For every entry received, the manufacturer will donate £5.

Victoria Billings, director of marketing at Worcester Bosch, says: “The Environment 2050 competition is a great way to recognise our professional customers for choosing to install products that are sustainable and built to last in homes across the UK.

“We look forward to hearing more about the work you are doing to protect our future. Good luck.”

You can enter at: www.worcester-bosch. co.uk/professional/ environment-2050

Women Installers Together returns

The Women Installers Together (WIT) conference is returning to London in the summer.

It’s the only national event for all women plumbers, gas engineers and other tradeswomen and trainees and will be taking place on 6 July 2022 in a full-day event, bringing together speakers and supportive sponsors. It’s a rare opportunity for tradeswomen to meet in person and talk.

Hattie Hasan MBE, founder and CEO of Stopcocks Group, will chair the event, which will take place in the Great Hall at London Metropolitan University. The headline speaker will be former RAF fast-jet fighter pilot Mandy Hickson.

Women Installers Together is free to all tradeswomen, women trades trainees and sponsor reps. A small fee is payable by other attendees.

You can find out more and book tickets at: www. stopcocks.uk/conference

New UFH package from Unitherm

Unitherm Heating Systems has launched a bespoke underfloor heating solutions package for installers and developers. It means the company can now offer a full installation solution as well as providing individual components.

Unitherm’s Gina Parsons says: “We bring a level of expertise in system design and equipment provision that comes with over 20 years’ experience in the industry. Our customer service levels are impressive and we provide a high level of support once the installation is under way, including help with commissioning.

“Alongside the equipment and the design service, we provide bespoke drawings for each project and offer a number of different floor solutions that cover both new-build and renovation projects.”

Unitherm also supplies and designs full renewable heating systems including heat pumps, to go with UFH and radiators.

Find out more about electric boilers

The Electric Heating Company wants to help gas engineers find out more about electric heating and will be holding a live webinar next month.

Electric heating is becoming more popular, with a rise in the use of electric boilers. The company says properties can benefit from low installation costs, no flue requirement, low maintenance, rapid heat-up times and high efficiency. And the move from gas to electric in new-build properties from 2025 could see more growth in newgeneration electric products, which are 100 per cent efficient.

The Electric Heating Company’s live webinar training session will discuss the requirements around installing electric boilers as well as previewing the company’s range of appliances. It will take place at 2-4pm on 20 May 2022, hosted at the EHC Training Academy.

Find out more and book your place at:

ehc-training-academy. trainercentral.com

Hydrogen appliance labelling agreed

HHIC appliance manufacturers have agreed new, clear labelling for hydrogen appliances.

The labels will show three separate categories: • Hydrogen Blend compatible, capable of running on a blend of up to 20 per cent hydrogen in the gas network • Hydrogen-ready appliances, capable of running on a 20 per cent blend but which can be converted by a

Gas Safe engineer to run on 100 per cent hydrogen • 100% Hydrogen, an appliance built specifically to run on the gas without the need for conversion.

HHIC director Stewart Clements says: “These labels bring clarity to consumers and installers. As we go on the journey towards decarbonising the gas networks, industry needs to be absolutely transparent on what appliances can and can’t do.

“The labelling… will be used by them to clearly identify products. It will also help communicate the changes that will take place in UK homes, as we work towards achieving net zero.”

Improve CO safety in commercial property, says charity

Safety charity the CO Research Trust is calling on the government to improve CO safety by accepting an amendment to the Building Safety Bill in the House of Lords. Chair of the Trust Baroness Finlay tabled an amendment that includes the requirement for CO alarms in commercial properties.

The amendment would fill an important gap in the legislation, covering commercial property, says the Trust. Baroness Finlay said. “We cannot afford to miss this opportunity to extend the scope of requirements for CO alarms, which will ultimately protect more people.”

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, who is supporting the amendment, said: “The issue of indoor air quality is now more critical than ever and must be a primary consideration for this bill. I fully support the amendment to include CO alarms within commercial properties, to bring the legislation in line with residential properties.”

Smart hydrogen hybrid heating system unveiled

The world’s first smart hydrogen hybrid heating system has been demonstrated in Pembrokeshire. The trial combined a hydrogen-fuelled boiler with an air-source heat pump alongside smart control technology in a commercial building at the port of Milford Haven.

Kiwa UK delivered bottled hydrogen to the Worcester Bosch boiler to simulate periods when renewable electricity was unavailable to run the heat pump, or when a temperature boost was required. The Passiv UK smart controls integrated to automatically switch between the heat pump and the boiler.

Every two minutes, the system assessed the energy generation mix and renewable electricity availability on the local grid and demanded the boiler to run on hydrogen when unavailable.

Matt Hindle from project partner Wales & West Utilities says: “Hybrid heating systems can be easily retrofitted to existing housing stock, without costly changes to radiators or internal pipework, keeping disruption to homes and communities to a minimum. This trial has demonstrated how they can work with hydrogen in place of natural gas.”

Govt grant to help off-grid homes save energy

Thousands of low-income households in England will see their energy bills reduced by up to £200 a year as part of the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) scheme, says the government. £67 million in funding is being allocated to 22 local authorities to upgrade insulation in homes and install low-cost clean heating in up to 4,300 low-income, off-gas grid households.

Grants will pay for energy efficiency measures such as wall and roof insulation, as well as new low-carbon heating systems, thermostats and room heating controls, expected to be delivered before the end of March 2023.

The money will help people who are most vulnerable to fuel poverty, who are on low incomes and living in off-grid privately owned homes, both rented and owner-occupied.

It’s the first round of funding from a total of £950 million allocated to the HUG scheme last year and will be available until 2025.

Business and Energy Minister Lord Callanan said: “This funding will make a real difference to thousands of low-income households – saving them up to £200 a year on their energy bills through upgrades like better insulation.”

It also follows the government’s announcement of a package of support to help households with rising energy bills. This includes a £150 non-repayable rebate in Council Tax bills for all households in Bands A-D in England and £144 million of discretionary funding for local authorities to support households who need support but who are not eligible for the Council Tax rebate.

There will also be a £200 discount on household energy bills this autumn for domestic electricity customers in Great Britain, which will be paid back automatically over the next five years.