2022 electric car sales already higher than the whole of 2020

The latest EV sales data shows that 2022 has already seen more electric cars bought in the first seven months of this year than in the whole of 2020. This data is from New AutoMotive’s Electric Car Count (ECC) - the most up-to-date and comprehensive electric car sales data in the UK. It also shows that in the first full month since the government scrapped the plug-in car grant on 14th June, electric car sales have dropped slightly, with year-on-year car registrations down 8% in July 2022 when compared to July 2021. That said, the data shows how the EV market is continuing to grow, with the top three manufacturers for EV registrations all newcomers in the industry. In July 2022, Genesis took top spot with 68% of cars registered being EVs, DS came in at second place with EV registrations making up 36%, and Cupra saw 34%. Jaguar came in at fourth place with 32%. The number of diesel cars registered have remained at historic lows, accounting for around one in 10 new cars bought, whilst sales of petrol cars have not recovered since before the pandemic. Ben Nelmes, Co-Founder and Head of Policy, New Automotive, says: “In the first full month since the government axed the plug-in car grant, electric car sales have continued to grow, bucking broader market trends during a generally disappointing month for overall car sales.” “However, the UK can and should be targeting higher electric car sales to reduce motoring costs, wean ourselves off of Russian diesel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In a month that saw record-shattering temperatures, it’s disappointing that 60% of new cars bought are still fossil fuelled.” “July’s ‘soft growth’ in electric car sales is a warning light on the dashboard. The axing of the plug-in car grant was inevitable, but it has left a gaping hole in government policy on zero emission cars. The next government should move at pace to introduce a California-style ZEV mandate that boosts EV sales and reduces EV prices, improving access to the growing second-hand EV market for car-dependent households.” For a full breakdown of electric vehicle sales by manufacturer, region and details of data sourcing and methodology, you can view an interactive dashboard, here. You can also find the July ECC report here.

Aico takes on the Snowdon Sunrise Trek to support The Movement Centre

Aico is no stranger to fundraising challenges, already looking to 2023 when it will take on the Snowdon Sunrise Trek challenge in support of local charity, The Movement Centre. On Wednesday 28 June 2023, over 50 Aico colleagues from Aico and HomeLINK will set off from its headquarters in Oswestry, travelling through the night and beginning their mountain ascent at 2am. The team will reach the summit of the largest mountain in Wales in time for the sun to rise, all to raise vital funds for one of its long-term local charity partners. The journey will be carried out in the complete darkness of night and will see the team travel nine miles and ascend 3,199ft. The Movement Centre helps children who have cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome or other diagnosis to achieve new skills through increased strength and control of their movement. They do this through the use of ‘targeted training’, a specialist therapy that is currently only provided by The Movement Centre. Aico has a longstanding relationship with The Movement Centre, showing continued support through fundraising activities and donations, organised as part of its corporate social responsibility programme, Aico in the Community. The Movement Centre’s Fundraising and Marketing Officer, Curtis Langley is excited for the challenge. He says, “At The Movement Centre, we are always trying to create new fundraising initiatives, and our latest is the Snowdon Sunrise Trek Challenge. Having met with the team at Sky Blue Adventures, I knew this was going to be our next new event, and it is all set to launch in 2023. After reaching out to a few corporate partners and individual fundraisers, I was amazed with the positive response, and really pleased to have the support of Aico, with over 50 signing up. "The response has been that great, not only from Aico, but other local businesses too, that we may have to put two events on in 2023 to keep up with demand, which will raise vital funds for The Movement Centre, and the families who attend. Snowdon can be a difficult walk to complete at the best of times but to complete it at night brings new challenges. A huge thank you to all Aico and HomeLINK colleagues for stepping up to the Snowdon Sunrise Trek. Bring on June 2023!” Jane Pritchard, Aico’s Community Liaison comments, “The Movement Centre is an amazing local charity, very close to our hearts and we are always excited to look at new ways in which we can fundraise and support them. We were delighted when Curtis approached us to see if we would be interested in a Snowdon Sunrise Trek next summer. Having almost 60 Aico and HomeLINK colleagues signing up for the challenge is fantastic! We just need to all start training hard now and focus on reaching our fundraising target.”

French heat pump costs blow hole in ‘nonsense’ UK government policy

Evidence of heat pump costs for French consumers blows a hole in UK government policy, a leading energy trade body has claimed. Chief Executive of Energy and Utilities Alliance (EUA), Mike Foster, believes this new evidence renders UK heat decarbonisation plans ‘useless’ and calls for a government reset. Current government policy believes heat pump costs will fall by 25-50% by 2025 and reach parity with gas boilers by 2030. The average heat pump costs around £10,000 to install compared to a combi-boiler replacement of £1500. The Heat and Building Strategy, published in October 2021, suggests that increasing volumes of UK heat pump installations will bring costs down. Some of the wilder claims suggest heat pumps could be reduced to £1000 a unit, but the evidence uncovered by EUA suggests this argument is fatally flawed. Evidence uncovered by the EUA indicates heat pump installations in France average £11,000, similar to the UK figure, but last year 537,000 heat pumps were sold in France, compared to 50,000 units in the UK. This suggests that higher volumes do not reduce costs and presents a challenge to current UK policy. Commenting on the findings, Mike says: “The French have blown a hole in UK government policy. Their experience shows that higher volumes of heat pump sales do not massively reduce their cost. The forecasted reductions, claimed by BEIS, are simply numbers plucked from thin air. Just across the channel we have real word experience, 537,000 heat pumps fitted last year, at a similar cost to that experienced in the UK, with our 50,000 sales.” “Heat pumps are a globally traded product, why would they be cheaper in the UK than France? It’s complete nonsense to suggest they would. Once you debunk this myth, the whole UK heat and buildings strategy falls apart. It now needs an urgent reset.” “Boris Johnson set a target of 600,000 heat pumps by 2028; cost reductions of 25-50% by 2025; parity with a gas boiler by 2030. In doing so, he has thrown public money at subsidies, he has scrapped VAT on heat pumps, he threatens to fine boiler manufacturers if they fail to meet his targets. But his own advisory body have warned that heat pump running costs are higher than a gas boiler and now these mythical costs reductions are shown to be just that, a myth.” “It’s time for the new PM, whoever that is, to press the reset button. It’s time to admit the previous policy was just hot air. And it’s time to urgently get our gas networks converted to hydrogen, keeping UK homes affordably warm without damaging the climate.”

Creating a consistent corporate identity with light

Zumtobel’s MIREL and PANOS infinity luminaires were chosen for the latest FinTrU office refurbishment, keeping a consistent design signature throughout the company's property portfolio. A good brand provides a distinct experience and evokes emotion from its customers, which is why a business needs to care about branding all the way through to its interior spaces. Extending branding to the working environment helps staff and customers understand who the company is and what makes them unique. FinTrU works with investment banks around the globe, designing technology-enabled solutions to help its clients meet their regulatory obligations. It employs over 900 people worldwide across Belfast, Derry/Londonderry, London, Dublin, Maastricht, and New York. The firm considers itself to have the fundamental social purpose of creating high-quality professional employment and cares deeply about its culture and values of partnership, passion, people, and professionalism, which are embedded and are at the core of everything that they do. FinTrU recently embarked on its latest office fit-out, following projects completed at its Pakenham Street and Gasworks offices in Belfast. The key to the interior brief was to keep a consistent design, feel, and aesthetic across all FinTrU locations. On previous projects, FinTrU appreciated the 'cellular' appearance of the Zumtobel MIREL evolution luminaire, and it soon became a signature in the design scheme. With this in mind, Zumtobel was the natural choice of luminaire supplier on the project. The Zumtobel lighting design team worked with Colin Harvey Design and FinTrU to find the best solution for this latest office fit-out, keeping the design consistent and in line with previous projects, reflecting the company’s ethos, while still delivering the lighting performance they had come to expect. A winning combination to continue FinTrU's design language Replicating the earlier office schemes, Zumtobel’s MIREL evolution and PANOS infinity luminaires light the City Factory office. MIREL evolution is fast becoming a popular stylistic choice for offices. An obvious departure from classic louvre luminaires, its distinct appearance integrates energy-efficient LED technology into a tried-and-tested stylistic idiom. The lenses and the light source of MIREL evolution are visible to the user and help create a striking design feature in the FinTrU office environment. Complementing the MIREL minimalist luminaires, designers chose PANOS infinity downlights. A high-quality, highly efficient choice with a minimalist design and a luminaire efficiency of up to 135LPW. The range incorporates unique LED technology that achieves a stable colour temperature of 3000K or 4000K throughout the service life of 50,000 hours and an excellent colour rendition of > Ra90. The winning combination delivers an excellent, highly efficient, and high lighting quality working environment for FinTrU employees and blends with their other office spaces for a consistent corporate identity. The City Factory office layout differed from the earlier sites, presenting challenges for the designers. Alternative mounting solutions had to be found to position the MIREL luminaires on exposed cable trays. Craig Gregory, Head of Office Facilities, FinTrU, comments, “At FinTrU, we aim to deliver highly effective workplaces for our staff members. The Zumtobel lighting scheme we have delivered in all of our offices helps us to achieve this. Zumtobel’s products are highly effective to achieve a close to natural light feel without the harsh output other products deliver. Once you have used these products for some time, it highlights the luxurious feel Zumtobel’s range offers. They also have a catalogue of aesthetically pleasing fixtures which assist hugely when design is a focal point of the workplace.”

Your first line of defence: staying safe with socket testers

Suitable for use as a first line indicator to identify potentially unsafe installations and wiring faults, socket testers offer a fast and effective solution when properly specified. Particularly useful as a service tool in identifying potentially unsafe conditions prior to carrying out work on existing installations or connecting new appliances, these devices can also be used to identify socket outlets which may require a more detailed assessment as part of periodic inspection and testing. “From the first ever ring main socket tester to today’s comprehensive range of residential and industrial check plugs - to many in the industry, Martindale means socket testing,” says Steve Dunning, Managing Director, Martindale Electric. "They are still a must-have for any tool kit and can act as the first indicator to a fault before a full test and inspection is carried out to BS 7671.” Offering electricians and maintenance personnel confidence and peace of mind, the Martindale CP501 classic check plug is a quick and easy way to ensure that 13A sockets are correctly wired. Featuring three bright long-life LEDs, wiring faults are indicated by one of the LEDs failing to illuminate, with the pattern of lit LEDs indicating the type of fault detected. This fail-safe system means that any LED not lit indicates a fault. The fault condition can be easily identified from the list of most common faults clearly displayed on the front of the label. With the added benefit of an audible sounder to confirm that the wiring is correct, the BZ101 is the ideal choice for checking sockets that are not easily visible or in difficult to access locations. In addition, with the audible indication, the BZ101 can also be used as a basic fuse finder. When the correct fuse is pulled, the buzzer stops. Cased in robust ABS housing with a sculptured shape for easy removal, the CP501 and BZ101 are instantly recognisable. They can accurately indicate up to 28 faults, the most common of which can be interpreted from the quick key on the front of the tester with further details clearly shown on a useful instruction card, supplied with all Martindale socket testers. However, it’s important to recognise that although socket testers can be used for detecting first line fault conditions, they are not an alternative to the full verification of wiring installations. For full verification, it’s necessary to follow the inspection and testing procedures set out in BS 7671, using a full set of test instruments complying with the relevant parts of BS EN 61557, typically with a multifunction electrical tester such as a Martindale ET4000.

Symple checks in with Sykes Holiday Cottages

Symple has struck a deal to offer its certification services to thousands of UK holiday home owners whose properties are listed with leading rental agency, Sykes Holiday Cottages. Sykes has registered Symple as a preferred partner as part of its Added Value initiative, which provides exclusive discounts and rates to property owners. Each supplier has to go through a rigorous interview and checking process before being admitted to the scheme to ensure a high standard of service and a product offering that owners will welcome. Sykes is one of the UK’s leading independent holiday home rental agencies with 17,000 owners on its books and a portfolio of over 22,000 properties, ranging from cosy cottages to larger accommodations for 20 or more guests. In total, Sykes hosts more than a million holidaymakers each year. Symple is an online platform for landlords, estate and letting agents and homeowners which manages the property certificates they require by law for single and multiple sites, such as those for gas safety, boiler servicing, electrical installations, PAT testing and energy performance. It is a one-stop shop that 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 - gas engineers, electricians and energy assessors - to carry them out. Registration is free for landlords and for service providers. Users can check the progress of each job and are then charged for each completed inspection. Symple, which has its headquarters in Swinton, Greater Manchester, and an office in London, was launched last year by Founder and Chief Executive Simon Dresdner. From a standing start, its team has grown to 15 and its portfolio to 5,000 properties. Symple is aiming to double its pool of service providers to 2,000 over the next 12 months in line with increasing demand, as it also looks to expand its offering to include repairs and maintenance, cleaning, pest control and property valuations. Simon says: “Our preferred partner agreement with Sykes Holiday Cottages is a superb opportunity to grow our business by taking our services to holiday home owners across the country. “We pride ourselves on taking away the headaches for property owners with a straightforward process that manages the entire renewal process for certifications. “Becoming a preferred partner with such a prestigious company as Sykes is a real feather in our cap as we continue our growth journey, and we look forward to working with holiday property owners across the country through this arrangement.” Dominique Morelis, Sykes’ Added Value and Estate Agent Specialist, comments: “We aim to help our owners in any way we can, including with setting up, managing and maintaining properties, and Symple will definitely support us with this. “The platform will aid with the management of health and safety requirements and other certification that is required by law. “Owners can book inspections that will not conflict with guest check-in times, and Symple will liaise with the key-holder if the owner lives in a different part of the country. “We believe that having Symple on board will strengthen our offering for property owners across the country as we work towards being the number one provider of UK breaks.”

ECA Edmundson Apprentice of the Year Award finalists announced

Three leading young people from across the electrotechnical industry have reached the final of the ECA Edmundson Apprentice of the Year Award 2022. The final three who remain in competition to become ‘Apprentice of the Year’ are as follows: James Stanford of Gilbert & Stamper Veronica Jennings of Imtech Engineering Services Charlie Ewing of The Rosebery Group Carolyn Mason, Head of Education and Training at ECA, says, “This year’s candidates were all of an extremely high calibre. The independent judging panel undertook a difficult but rigorous process to determine the final shortlist. “ECA would like to congratulate the three finalists, and indeed all of those who entered this year’s award.” The overall winner will be announced during an award ceremony on Wednesday 14 September at The Royal Society in London. The 2022 Apprentice of the Year and their employer will win a host of top prizes, including £1,500, a state-of-the-art toolkit and a unique trip overseas.

BigChange celebrates new customers in its most successful trading period

BigChange has announced that it has signed almost 200 new customers and £14m worth of new contracts in the first half of 2022. This was the company’s most successful half-year of sales in its 10-year history. In addition to strong growth in the UK, BigChange secured its first customer in Canada and expanded its international presence across France, Cyprus and Australia to more than 200 customers. The company’s new customers come from various sectors, including cleaning services, telecommunications, building services, property maintenance, plumbing, and heating. BigChange’s job management platform, which enables small and medium-sized businesses to digitise paper processes, streamline field-service operations and improve customer service, is now used by 1,900 organisations worldwide. More than 200 BigChange customers joined the BigChange Network in the first half of 2022, making it easier for them to collaborate on jobs, find subcontractors and manage work done by partners. Richard Warley, Chief Executive Officer at BigChange, comments: "2022 has been a terrific year so far for BigChange and, most importantly, it has also been a great year for our customer-base, who are continuing to show amazing levels of growth." "Against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, we are continuing to invest heavily in our software and customer support to continue to give our customers the edge that they need to be successful for the remainder of 2022 and beyond."

MKM tackling carbon emissions with solar PV trials

MKM is paving the way to greater sustainability across its network by trialling solar power at two of its established branches. The UK’s largest independent builder’s merchant is taking another step forward in its commitment to tackling carbon emissions after installing solar PV technology at both its Leeds and Newark branches. Rachel Constable, Head of ESG for MKM, comments: “As a business, it’s very important that we are ‘doing the right thing’. For us, this includes operating in the most environmentally-conscious way. “The trial of solar PV technology at MKM Leeds and MKM Newark marks another strategic step in our journey towards our sustainability goals. The pilot scheme, which runs for the next 12 months, aims to successfully generate enough energy to power the existing branch’s operational demand, accommodate future electric vehicle technologies and also sell electricity back to grid. “Whilst it’s still early days, trial data suggests this is going to be a huge success and therefore has the potential to be rolled out at more of our existing MKM branches and in our new-build sites in the future.” This latest announcement follows a number of sustainable initiatives that MKM has introduced in recent months, from the trial of Compressed Natural Gas HGVs and the introduction of electric forklift trucks, to the installation of EV charging points across its branch network, which will take place over the next few years. In addition to Leeds and Newark, another MKM branch that is leading the way in sustainable practices is MKM Glasgow, with renewable energy sources including biomass combined heat and power and solar PV. “Rising energy costs and global climate concerns are encouraging everyone to focus more on alternative energy technologies and MKM is no different,” continues Rachel. “Along with the investments we are making to reduce our operational carbon footprint, we are also extending our renewable technology offering for our customers to ensure they have access to all latest innovations on the market - from solar PV to air source heat pumps, and a spectrum of other sustainable technologies. “

Octopus Energy to rapidly repower up to 1,000 existing wind turbines in the UK

Octopus Energy Generation is partnering with turbine manufacturer EWT on ambitious plans to repower up to 1,000 existing onshore wind turbines in the UK to help boost energy security. The older wind turbines Octopus and EWT identified are located across England, Scotland and Wales, and have already been powering communities for years. In total the UK has approximately 9,000 onshore wind turbines. By increasing the green generation capacity of around a tenth of these, there’s potential to power hundreds of thousands more homes with new cheap, green energy, and drive down energy bills for more people. Under Octopus and EWT’s plans, they will upgrade these wind turbines to more powerful and tech-enabled ones. The new EWT wind turbines will range from 250 kW - 1 MW. Work begins this Autumn, and they aim to be finished by 2030. Starting in the UK, they’re looking at working together on similar projects in other European countries in the future. In this partnership, they’re exploring a range of ways to increase the green power generated by existing onshore wind turbines - from fitting larger turbine blades, to replacing whole wind turbines and large wind farms. EWT is one of the pioneers of community wind and has been providing clean and local electricity to communities in Europe and in the US for the last 15 years. Octopus has been working with EWT on two of its Fan Club turbines in Caerphilly, Wales and Market Weighton, Yorkshire. They’re expanding this relationship and are also exploring whether some of these re-energised wind turbines could be brought onto a Fan Club-style model. Octopus Energy’s Fan Club is a world-first tariff providing cheaper energy when the wind blows. Zoisa North-Bond, CEO of Octopus Energy Generation, comments: “We need to build enormous amounts of new renewable power, but at the same time it’s a no-brainer to make better use of the UK’s existing onshore wind turbines. There’s a huge untapped opportunity to repower wind turbines that communities have already hosted for many years. This means powering even more homes with cheaper, local, green energy, helping to drive down energy bills and provide energy security.” Carel Kok, CEO at EWT, adds: “By working with Octopus to rapidly repower lots of older turbines in the UK, we’ll help bring online much more renewable capacity. Our powerful and tech-enabled turbines are the perfect ‘goldilocks’ solution for communities. We’re looking forward to installing many more in the years to come to turn this vision into reality.”