Baxi head takes over HHIC chair

Karen Boswell is the new chair of the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC). The managing director of Baxi UK and Ireland is organisation’s first female chair and succeeds Steve Keeton.

HHIC says Karen will bring a strong focus on business improvement and accelerating growth. As the heating industry continues towards decarbonisation and developing the skills required, Karen will drive forward the organisation's focus on advancing the heating industry to net zero.

Karen says: “Our industry is at the forefront of enabling solutions for decarbonising heat and hot water in UK homes and businesses. The next three years are going to be incredibly important and exciting as we help move customers towards their carbon reduction targets and ambitions.

“Our members are best placed to provide expert advice to government and support the development of the right decarbonisation policy that benefits everyone.

“One of my clear focus areas

Boost your Works points

You can earn triple Baxi Works points for every boiler you register from Baxi’s 600 and 800 ranges as part of the company’s Summer Sizzler campaign.

All Baxi Works installers, including new members, are eligible to earn triple points that can be put towards anything from tools and workwear to high-street vouchers and more. And when you register a boiler from the Baxi 600 and 800 combi, system and heat ranges, you will be entered into a draw automatically to win one of three £500 pre-paid cash cards.

The company’s Nick Platt says: “We wanted to do something fun to reward our loyal installers, which is why we’re tripling Baxi Works points. It’s our way to say thank you.

“Fancy some personalised workwear? Or how about treating the family with a pizza oven? Installers who install and register a Baxi 600 or 800 boiler by 31 August can put their triple points towards these items and much, much more.”

Liquid Gas UK ignites calls to capitalise on biofuels

Clarity from the government around the use of renewable liquid gases is needed urgently to accelerate domestic production, says Liquid Gas UK.

Its CEO George Webb says: “We’ve £600 million projected investment up to next year, and are already making good progress on our pathway to achieve our vision to be 100 per cent renewable by 2040.

“Knowing what slice of the pie we’ll have from government in terms of the Biomass Strategy will give us that impetus to accelerate future investment in infrastructure, skills and development for renewable liquid gases,” he says.

Renewable liquid gases, including bioLPG and renewable dimethyl ether (rDME), are proposed as a suitable alternative to decarbonise rural buildings where electric heating is not viable. They offer significant carbon emission savings compared to traditional off-grid energy sources and are compatible with existing appliances, says the organisation. will be growing our skills base to deliver this critical, transformational role. We must attract, train and reward new talent from all walks of life.”

Liquid Gas UK is advocating that they should complement the government’s heat pump-first approach to net-zero. Despite continuing uncertainty, Mr Webb says the LPG industry remains positive that its work and investment to date shows that the sector can deploy renewable liquid gases at scale.

HHIC director Stewart Clements adds: “New technologies like heat pumps and hydrogen further down the line mean there is exciting opportunity for jobs and making a difference in the UK’s decarbonisation journey. However, our research has found that there is a large skills gap that we must fill if we are to make any progress.”

£154 million: the price of boiler breakdowns

Boiler repairs cost homeowners in England £154 million every year, with homes in London the most likely to be affected.

Repair specialist Fair Fix analysed homes across each region and estimated the number of breakdowns seen in a year. Its research found that of estimated 22.6 million boilers, more than 500,000 break down over the course of the year. With the average boiler repair costing £300, that’s an eye-watering £154 million.

Homeowners in London are the most likely to have a boiler breakdown, according to the research, with nearly 100,000 homes (2.9 per cent) needing their appliances fixed at a cost of around £29 million. Homes in the North-east see the lowest level of breakdowns in a year, but nearly 28,000 homes (2.4 per cent) will still need a gas engineer.

Get £250 when you fit a Daikin heat pump

Daikin is giving MSC-certified installers £250 each time they fit one of its air source heat pumps.

The national Installer Incentive scheme is linked to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) and the Home Energy Scotland Scheme (HESS). MCS-certified contractors who install eligible products under either BUS or HESS will receive the £250 cash incentive. The eligible products are air source heat pumps in England and Wales, and air source heat pumps and hybrid systems in Scotland.

Henk van den Berg, the company’s head of Residential Business, says: “The £250 incentive... will be particularly attractive to gas installers who want to expand their business into renewables too. This will require additional investment and training, so the £250 bonus per heat pump installation is another great reason to get ready for renewables.”

The company’s new installer offer provides free local heat pump training at a Daikin Sustainable Home Centre and £100 off easy MCS accreditation.