Symple on a high with Lofti deal

Symple has taken another leap forward with an agreement to offer its certification services to thousands of tenants, landlords and homeowners using the international property management platform, Lofti. The deal sees Symple become a preferred supplier to Lofti users. The agreement follows a similar arrangement announced in the summer with Sykes Holiday Cottages, which has registered Symple as a preferred partner, providing exclusive discounts and rates to its property owners. Symple’s range of services currently covers gas safety, energy performance and electrical installation condition reports alongside PAT testing and boiler servicing. Symple manages the entire renewal process for certifications, including sending reminders that they are due, managing bookings for inspections and arranging with key holders for accredited and strictly vetted service providers to carry them out. Registration is free for landlords and service providers. Users can check the progress of each job and are then charged for each completed inspection. Launched last year by Simon Dresdner, Symple now employs a team of 15 and has grown its portfolio to nearly 10,000 properties and its network of service providers to more than 1,100. London-based Lofti was founded in December 2020 by Chief Executive Andreas Gkerazis. Currently more than 2,500 properties are managed through its SaaS (Software as a Service) solution. Lofti is building a community-driven platform that enables collaboration between service providers, contractors, property owners, homebuilders and tenants to improve and maintain their properties, building a suite of solutions to do this. The platform saves its users time by looking after a range of administrative tasks, from the pre-tenancy stage to repairs and maintenance management. Requests are raised by tenants through the Lofti app, the property manager is notified and either solves the problem or assigns a contractor. Andreas says, “Our partnership with Symple emanates from our mutual goal of making property management accessible and easy for landlords and property managers. “With both solutions being available online and on-the-go, users of the Lofti platform can benefit from a trusted certificates partner helping to keep their property compliance up to date in an affordable and accessible digital environment. “Both founders are from a property background and understand the importance of compliance, so by using technology and working together, it’s another way for our users to keep on top of the certificates they need.” Simon comments, “Lofti is a tremendous and very welcome addition to our expanding roster of partners. We are excited to be working with Lofti and hope that our platform will be of great benefit to its users. It’s great when like-minded businesses get the chance to work together, and this collaboration is a perfect example of that happening.”

Octopus Energy and Lloyds bring heat pump offer to UK households

Octopus Energy and Lloyds Banking Group have announced a pilot scheme bringing a heat pump offer to UK households, in a move to reduce energy bills for customers and decarbonise the heating of homes. Under the scheme, Halifax mortgage customers can get a heat pump installed from as little as £2,000. Octopus Energy will provide and install the heat pumps, while Halifax will award a £1,000 Green Living Reward. The scheme, used in conjunction with a £5,000 government Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) grant, could mean heat pumps for some homes will cost less than many gas boilers. The offer is designed to benefit the around 40% of UK homes (10 million) which are already suitable for heat pumps, or around 65% (14 million) with a minor efficiency measure (such as loft insulation) carried out. The new scheme will also unlock greener energy for UK households. Air-source heat pumps are a low carbon source of heating - running on electricity, increasingly from renewable sources - and are three to four times more energy efficient than gas boilers. The news comes as UK homeowners face the worst cost of living crisis in a generation. With higher efficiency and lower maintenance requirements than gas boilers, heat pumps are often cheaper to run than their fossil fuel counterparts. Under current energy prices, a heat pump could save a typical home £187 per year compared to a gas boiler. The pilot is the latest in Octopus Energy’s roster of initiatives designed to wean the UK off fossil fuels and become more energy independent. Earlier this year, the energy supplier acquired heat pump manufacturer Renewable Energy Devices (RED) in a move to build cheaper and better heat pumps for the UK. Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, Chief Product Officer at Octopus Energy, comments, “We’re always looking for ways to help people save money while accelerating the shift to a clean energy future. The pilot with Lloyds Banking Group comes at a crucial time for consumers facing a dual climate and cost of living crisis. It no longer needs to be a question of prioritising one over the other: heat pumps are greener than gas boilers, and thanks to Octopus, the government and Lloyds Banking Group they can be cheaper too.” Jas Singh, CEO Consumer Lending, Lloyds Banking Group, says, “Our partnership with Octopus adds another element to supporting our strategy to help Britain live in better, warmer, greener homes and move the country towards its net zero target. “Lots of homeowners who need to replace or want to upgrade a gas boiler may have considered the switch to a heat pump but see the cost as a barrier. This extension to our Green Living Reward scheme will make switching from a gas boiler to a new, more efficient, cheaper to run heat pump easier and more affordable than ever before. “We won’t stop here. We are committed to playing our part in reaching net zero by continuing to support and encourage our customers to make greener choices for their homes. This pilot is just the first from our partnership with Octopus Energy; we will continue to innovate, we will continue to help make Britain’s homes better for their owners and better for the environment.” The pilot is the first step in the partnership between Octopus Energy and Lloyds Banking Group, with more projects in the pipeline to accelerate the green energy transition at home.

BES apprentice scoops national award

The BESA HNC and HND Apprentice of the Year Award 2022 has been awarded to Dylan Gilbert, who has been training with BES. These annual awards recognise apprentices and employers within the building services industry who have demonstrated outstanding achievements. An example that determination and hard work brings success. Dylan, who went through to the national finals of the Apprentice of the Year Award ceremony having first won the North West regional competition, joined BES for a weeks’ work experience back in 2014/15. Initially he didn’t get accepted on the apprenticeship scheme but reapplied the following year. Even that wasn’t that straight forward, as he needed to prove himself again throughout several trial periods. However, Dylan successfully proved himself and five years later, following extensive training and development and hard work at BES, Dylan undertook day release through college. He has not only won this national award but is now working on complex building projects in the pharmaceutical sector. Steve Marsh, Founder and Chairman at BES is delighted with Dylan’s progression. He says, “Dylan without doubt deserves this national accolade. He is a fine example of where his own personal determination, and going that extra mile, has brought success.” Dylan, who is now junior mechanical designer, comments, “This is such a massive achievement for all the hard work over the last five years. When I first joined the BES apprentice scheme, I needed to prove I was no ‘one hit wonder’ throughout my training where I began on small scale projects with limited scope. Today I am working for one of the company’s largest clients as a designer and have been involved in surveys, estimates and every part of the job which I thoroughly enjoy. It is a challenge but also fun to learn and I know I have the support and confidence of my team to go on and achieve even more.”

Vent-Axia welcomes World Ventilation Day

Vent-Axia welcomes the first World Ventilation Day, a day dedicated to recognising and promoting the importance of ventilation and indoor air quality (IAQ). Taking place on 8 November, the day aims to raise awareness of the importance of ventilation as a crucial part of enabling health and wellbeing. It also seeks to recognise and celebrate the ventilation and IAQ community. World Ventilation Day has been initiated by a group of researchers and professional bodies who are passionate about the importance of ventilation. Indoor air can contain over 900 chemicals, particulates, biological materials, viruses and bacteria. Each of us breathes 9,000 litres a day, with poor IAQ affecting the health of everyone. It is therefore vital to reduce indoor air pollution by reducing the number of pollutants put into the air. On World Ventilation Day, Vent-Axia is therefore continuing to recommend three key actions to take to improve indoor air quality: reduce the number of pollutants introduced into the air, dilute the pollutants in the air by ensuring there is adequate ventilation (introducing fresh clean air into the home and buildings), purify by adding an air purifier to remove the remaining pollutants from the air. “Vent-Axia has proudly led the way in ventilation for over 85 years. As well as launching a number of ‘firsts’ in our product lines, we have also led the way in reducing our environmental impact and always strive to be at the forefront of providing essential advice on ventilation to both the industry and to our customers”, says Lena Hebestreit, Marketing Manager at Vent-Axia. “Our message of reduce, dilute and purify is simple but essential for achieving a healthy indoor environment. We are delighted to support the first ever World Ventilation Day and continue to educate everyone on the vital role ventilation plays in our homes and businesses.” The launch of the first World Ventilation Day is well timed since the COVID pandemic put a spotlight on the essential role of ventilation. This led the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance to commission the ‘Infection Resilient Environments: buildings that keep us healthy and safe’, which was published in July 2021. This research set out to identify the measures needed to reduce transmission of infectious diseases in the UK’s built environment and transport systems with ventilation were found to be a key part of achieving this. Prior to the pandemic, the vital importance of clean air for children’s health was highlighted in the 2020 report by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and the Royal College of Physicians, ‘The inside story: health effects of indoor air quality on children and young people’. It found growing evidence that respiratory problems among children may be exacerbated by indoor air pollution in homes, schools and nurseries. Furthermore, the ‘Indoor Air Quality at Home’ guidance from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) also highlighted how reducing exposure to indoor pollutants helps protect health. In it, NICE confirmed the critical role ventilation plays in removing pollutants and improving IAQ in the home, helping people to stay healthy. To help protect health, Vent-Axia has been working hard to provide ventilation solutions to improve IAQ in homes and buildings. Over the last 86 years, ventilation has evolved significantly and has seen Vent-Axia launch the first Lo-Carbon range of fans with DC motors, the first smart app-controlled fans, and the first fans manufactured from recycled plastic. Vent-Axia is always looking at ways to reduce its environmental impact. Sustainability has always been core to product innovation and Vent-Axia is committed to continuously improving its products’ energy performance, reducing waste throughout a product’s lifecycle, and significantly increasing the use of recycled plastic from the circular economy in the manufacture of products. By 2025, over 70% of its products sold will be from one of its Lo-Carbon ranges, and 90% of the products that it manufactures will be made from a recycled source. Vent-Axia recently re-launched its Lo-Carbon PoziDry ProTM Loft Positive Input Ventilation (PIV), which is now made from recycled plastic. Using recycled plastic for the PoziDry Pro Loft PIV is designed to lower social housing's carbon footprint, helping social housing providers meet their carbon targets, while providing a solution for hard-to-treat mould. Manufactured from recycled ABS plastic, the units are still market-leading but are now more sustainable as well. Meanwhile, Vent-Axia’s Lo-Carbon Multivent mechanical extract ventilation (MEV) range, which is designed for housebuilders to meet the Future Homes Standard, is also made from recycled plastic and offers a total of nine units.

Fergus offers tips on managing your business through turbulent times

Fergus has released advice on ways to become a better trade business manager in 2023. The company suggests that with just a few simple tweaks to a business, owners can boost confidence and revenue, even in these difficult times. The guidance follows the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) calling on the government to end ‘the political turmoil in Westminster’, as the self-employed and trade businesses continue to be battered by rising costs, falling revenues and the shrinking availability of affordable finance. It is a cycle that can get on top of busy tradespeople already trying to manage a variety of challenges. “Building a business that works for you, not the other way around, should be a key priority for all business owners right now,” says James Chillman, UK Country Manager for Fergus. “The high personal risk of owning a trade business means business owner burnout is becoming more common. With the business environment seemingly changing daily the pressure can mount and we want trade business owners to tackle the hard stuff and stay on top of things.” These are difficult times for small business owners, but as Fergus points out, a few small changes can be all that’s needed to achieve great results: Put structure, systems and policies in place A big reason trade business owners burn out is that it’s easy to fall prey to the false perception that you need to be everywhere at once: quotes and invoices can’t be sent out without you checking over them, the job can’t be finished without you looking over it and so on. The way to combat this is by setting up policies, systems and processes that are black and white and leave little room for interpretation, for example: your materials management policy, your customer service promise, your company values and so on. If anything goes wrong in a business it’s usually because there’s an issue with the systems or the structure or procedure that business is built on, and that’s what needs your attention. Invest in your team Hire the right people with the right attitude. If you’re hiring people who are not up to scratch because they were a bit cheaper and the rest of your team have to pick up the slack, it hurts the productivity of the team as a whole and they will probably resent you for it. Onboard staff properly and make sure they understand your systems, processes and values. Training is a great way to show that you care about employees’ mental and professional wellbeing on a personal level. Have confidence in yourself and try new things If you doubt yourself sometimes and you’re not often confident about running or managing your business, here’s a tip: practically no one is. Most tradespeople don’t have a business background and even those who do are never really 100% sure things are going to work out. But if your default is to doubt things will work, you can be sure they won’t pan out. Accept responsibility for everything that happens in your business This is an easy one. If someone makes a grave error in your business, you have to be ok with that. Delegation is an essential part of growing your business and other people are rarely going to do things exactly the way you want it. But if someone slips up again and again and again, the consequences are on you. It sounds tough but if the process is broken, fix it and if the person can’t be helped, let them go. Know your numbers, know your business The reality is, nothing is more empowering for a business leader than getting a firm grip on your finances because it gives you the ability to make strategic decisions for your company. If you’re a little bit in the dark on where your numbers are, download a free cashflow forecast template from the internet and fill it out.

Toolstation supports clubhouse Renovation Competition project

Work has gotten under way at Long Buckby RFC, who were selected as winners of the Northampton Saints clubhouse Renovation Competition. The competition invited local grassroots clubs to win the chance for their facilities to be renovated as part of the fantastic work carried out by Volunteer It Yourself (VIY), supported by Northampton Saints, Toolstation and Travis Perkins. VIY have been joined throughout the works by Northampton Saints Foundation students, who are taking part in the foundation’s Hitz and Aspire programmes, as well as local college students on construction courses. They’ve been painting and decorating the changing rooms and adding individual changing slots at the club on Station Road, resulting in 19 Entry Level 3 City & Guilds accreditations gained by the young volunteers in painting and decorating and carpentry. They were also joined by current saints player, James Grayson, as well as saints legend Tom Wood, both foundation ambassadors who both helped the students with some painting at the venue. Greg Richardson, Head of Marketing at Toolstation says, “We’re really happy to have supported the VIY team and Long Buckby with the renovation of their facilities. This is a project that will help young people learn practical trade and building skills and earn a qualification. The construction sector is facing a shortage of workers and so we hope that this initiative will inspire more young people to consider entering the trades.” Connor Fleming, Head of Northampton Saints Community says, “The clubhouse Renovation Competition is an excellent example of our partnership in action, helping to support our local clubs and communities as well as supporting activity across the grassroots level. Projects like this help make rugby more accessible for everyone, using the power of sport to positively impact a wide range of groups and individuals. Tom adds, “It’s great to be able to do some practical activities with the young people out of the classroom, and particularly in the surroundings of a local rugby club. “I have been lucky in that rugby has given me a great deal, so getting involved in projects like this one give me the opportunity to give something back, not just to the students, but also the wider community.” Ed Sellwood, COO and co-Founder of VIY, says, "We've completed over 700 community projects since 2011, many of which have been improving grassroots sports clubs and facilities for the benefit of the local community and all helping boost the work-readiness of the young people who volunteer with us. Collaborating with cross-sector partners, from sports to construction like the saints and Toolstation, help us all do more to build better communities and help improve more young lives together."

GreenBrook Electrical appoints a new Managing Director

GreenBrook Electrical is delighted to announce the appointment of Peter Ratcliffe to the position of Managing Director. Peter joined GreenBrook in 2012 and has been leading the sales operation and driving the business forward since that time. Peter is a well-respected figure in the electrical industry, and has a wealth of knowledge of the sector. His passion to grow the business will have a positive reflection GreenBrook Electrical and it is excited to see how Peter shapes the future of the company.

Scolmore Group awarded IHEEM affiliate member status

As Scolmore continues to build its portfolio of products and solutions dedicated to healthcare settings, it has announced that it has achieved IHEEM Company Affiliate Member status IHEEM (The Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management) is an International Professional Engineering Institute, specialising in the Healthcare Estates Sector. It was founded in 1943 and was originally called the Institute of Hospital Engineering until 1996. The Institute counts among its members employees of both public and private healthcare providers, engineering and consultancy firms and practices. Increasingly members come from a non-engineering background, many with facilities management experience. IHEEM’s primary purpose is to keep members up to date with developing technology and changing regulations. The organisation supports Healthcare Engineers in registering EngTech, IEng and CEng and offers a number of activities and support to aid continued professional development (CPD).   IHEEM is also a registered charity under the education and training classification. As an IHEEM affiliate member, Scolmore Group will have access to a range of benefits that will assist the company in delivering its growing range of specialist medical products to an audience of specifiers, contractors and installers working within healthcare establishments. The specialist products that make up the Scolmore Medical Solutions range are from the Mode wiring accessories collection. All Mode products are manufactured using Urea Formaldehyde, which has similar inherent properties to antimicrobial additives that inhibit the growth of infectious diseases. All products independently tested achieved a 99.99% kill off rate across all four types of the strains of bacteria - MRSA, E-Coli, Salmonella, Klebsiella Pneumonia and enveloped viruses. Mode plates have also been independently tested and have shown to have anti-viral properties against enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. After a contact period of four hours, Mode was shown to have a 99.99% kill off rate against enveloped viruses and a 92% kill off rate against non-enveloped viruses. It has also achieved 99.98% kill off rate against influenza A(H1N1) after a 24 hour period. Over the years the company has continued to develop its collection of wiring accessories especially suited for the demanding needs of the healthcare sector with a focus on hygiene, safety and security.  The full Mode antimicrobial and antiviral Medical Solutions range currently comprises switches and sockets; blue ‘Medical Equipment Only’ sockets; red and green outboard rocker switched socket outlets, key lockable switches and sockets; locating sockets; wide rocker switches and the Part M range of visually contrasting wiring accessories. Scolmore recently added EBBs (Equipotential Bonding Busbars) to its Click wiring accessories range. EBBs play a major role in ensuring patient and clinician safety. In accordance with the Requirements for Electrical Installations BS 7671:2018 AMD2 Section 710 (Medical Locations) and the Health Technical Memorandum HTM06 01:2017, all Group 1 and 2 Medical Locations are to have an Equipotential Bonding Busbar (EBB) and associated supplementary protective equipotential bonding installed. The company has updated its Medical Solutions brochure which brings together this growing range of specialist products. It will provide a comprehensive guide for those contractors, specifiers and designers working on a range of healthcare related projects, including NHS hospitals, health centres, care homes and GP practices. As well Click wiring accessories, Scolmore Group also incorporates Ovia lighting and lighting controls, ESP electronic security and fire detection solutions, and Unicrimp cable accessory products.

NAPIT welcomes update to Welsh Government guidance

An update to the guidance issued by the Welsh Government about The Renting Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) (Wales) Regulations 2022, has been published to permit the use of an Electrical Installation Certificate in lieu of an Electrical Installation Condition report, when relating to a wholly newly built dwelling. The Renting Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) (Wales) Regulations 2022 come into effect on 1 December 2022 for all new social and private rented tenancies, and a year later for existing tenancies in Wales. The regulations place new legal requirements on landlords in relation to electrical safety checks, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Commenting on the update, Frank Bertie Chief Technical Officer at NAPIT says, “It’s good to see the Welsh Government listening to feedback from the industry who called for an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) to be accepted to demonstrate the safety of an electrical installation in new build properties. An EIC is only provided where the electrical service installation on completion of the inspection and testing meets the electrical safety standard and therefore confirms the installation is compliant and safe. It’s vital that landlords are using registered, competent, and qualified electrical installers, inspectors and testers to undertake electrical work in homes to provide confidence that work is being carried out to the latest standards.”

Scientists and engineers join forces to champion building ventilation

An international awareness campaign to promote the critical role of better building ventilation in supporting health, well-being, and productivity has been launched by a coalition of scientists, academics, engineering bodies and environmental activists. The first annual World Ventil8 Day (#WorldVentil8Day) takes place on 8 November and will involve a series of ‘in person’ and online events and discussions around the world. Spearheaded by leading healthy building champion Professor Cath Noakes OBE, Professor of Environmental Engineering for Buildings at the University of Leeds, the campaign is being driven by UK bodies BESA (the Building Engineering Services Association), CIBSE (the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers), IMechE (Institution of Mechanical Engineers) and FETA (the Federation of Environmental Trade Associations). They are working in partnership with international partners AREA (the umbrella body for European contractors’ organisations), ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers) and UNEP (the United Nations Environment Programme). UK academics backing the initiative include from the universities of Nottingham, Leeds, Loughborough, Sheffield, Strathclyde, and Imperial College London, many of whom are part of the Future Urban Ventilation Network. The overarching ambition is ‘Improving Ventilation for a Healthier World’ and this year the theme aims to celebrate ventilation through a series of events and knowledge sharing. The campaign will showcase powerful scientific and practical evidence demonstrating how good ventilation can reduce exposure to air pollutants and infectious diseases, which aids human productivity, improves sleep, and reduces mould and damp in buildings. “Good ventilation is part of creating a sustainable and low carbon environment, by using technology well to balance air quality, energy use and comfort,” said Professor Noakes. “It is critical to making buildings more resilient to health threats including our regular battles with the transmission of colds and flu around crowded indoor spaces.” As well as showcasing the range of ventilation solutions available to building owners and occupiers, World Ventilation Day will recognise the skilled people who implement the measures and strategies used to make buildings healthier and safer – highlighting the need for training and recruiting more skilled people to take on this growing global task. Its website - worldventil8day.com - includes a range of free resources including ‘top facts’ about the role of ventilation, and different methods that can be adapted depending on the age, design, location, and purpose of the building. It also explains how building operators can manage the complex trade-off between ventilation, energy consumption, climate change, urban pollution, noise, comfort, and security. Organisers are encouraging people to get involved by following their social media and using the hashtags #WorldVentil8Day and #CelebrateVentil8 in their own posts. Resources will be available on the website to download and share. People and organisations are encouraged to share relevant reports, standards, or studies, run a CPD event, give a talk or organise a workshop or activity for a school or community group to help promote healthy and sustainable ventilation.