News

Flame Heating Spares Is On Track!

Flame Heating Spares is on track to more than double its turnover and workforce, with the launch of its latest branch in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The North East’s fastest growing Heating & Plumbing merchant is targeting a record £13m turnover by the end of its financial year, in June 2017, building on last year’s £6.4m revenues and continuous year-on-year growth since it was established in 2011.

It has now opened its seventh outlet in Newcastle, on Brough Park Way, near to the Newcastle Greyhound Stadium, after securing the 7,000 sq ft premises. As a result of the launch, three positions have been created.

Top tips on how boiler and heating engineers can increase their business

According to recent data by telephone answering service provider CALLCARE, it had revealed that the majority of calls (30%) made to utility providers and boiler engineers in winter are to do with chasing for an update or making repeat calls to report the same incident.

This is a two-fold problem that could be seriously affecting the customer satisfaction of these businesses. Existing customers will be becoming more annoyed that they should continuously chase up engineers about the same problem leading to some dissatisfied customers. With this problem, engineers are potentially missing out on new business because they are dealing with so many repeat calls.

Electricians to Plumbers – the best cities for building a career in the trades

A new study from IronmongeryDirect finds that Brighton is the best city to start a construction, carpentry or gardening career – but plumbers and electricians might be better off elsewhere.
If your dream is to build your own UK construction company, or if you’re a carpenter who’d like to up sticks and move elsewhere, now you have the right tool for the job. With 25 new trade startups opening their doors every day, architectural ironmongery suppliers, IronmongeryDirect have produced a tool for exploring the best UK cities to be a tradesman based on local trade company competition, advertising costs, start-up survival rate, among others.

HomeServe-backed project helping to feed thousands of people in West Midlands’ communities celebrates special milestone

Two years on, the Midland Langar Seva Society, which is supported by HomeServe’s van and volunteers, has delivered more than 17,000 hot meals and 17,000 goodie bags to those in need of help

An inspirational charitable partnership which is helping to feed, clothe and support homeless and vulnerable people in towns and cities across the West Midlands is going from strength to strength two years on.

Put An End To "Pressing" Jobs With A Combined Toolkit

As the rise of more modern jointing techniques such as push and press continues leading manufacturer, Pegler Yorkshire, has developed a combined toolkit that gives installers the right equipment to speed up installations.

Phill Jackson, marketing and business development director said: “Each installation brings its own challenges but the key is being able to adapt. Our toolkit provides all the essential equipment for installers to be able to adapt their installation as the job dictates whether that is via push, press or a combined approach.”

Develop Training Ltd

Develop Training Ltd (DTL) is the UK’s leading accredited provider of Compliance, Technical, and Safety training and has already made significant strides to address smart metering training needs in the energy sector.

The UK Government has challenged energy providers to install smart meters in the homes of all domestic customers and small business by the end of 2020. Although there are less than 4 years remaining The Times reported in December 2016 that in excess of 48 million meters are still to be installed.

Part of the problem for the energy supplies is their lack of trained engineers, but DTL is positioned and ready to play its part to help.

APHC urges plumbing and heating businesses to check the rateable value of their business premises

Plumbing and heating businesses should check the new draft rateable value of their business premises ahead of the business rate revaluation, says APHC.

John Thompson CEO of APHC, a leading membership organisation for English and Welsh plumbing and heating businesses, said: “The last business rates revaluation was in 2010 and was based on 2008 property values. The next business rates revaluation comes into effect on April 1 this year and reassesses all business property in England and Wales based on the rateable values as of April 1, 2015.”

Checking the new rateable value will give business rate payers time to plan for any changes or to appeal against the new rateable value.

How Smartphones Will Change The Trade Industry

We are living through an unprecedented time of technological change. It’s not just smartphones, which have seen the fastest ever adoption of any technology in the world’s history. There is also ever cheaper solar power, self-driving and electric cars, drones, not to mention breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. Benjamin Dyer of Powered Now focuses on just one of these - smartphone technology – and looks at how this is going to change things in the plumbing trade.

Independent study hails HomeServe as the UK’s most improved company for Customer service

In-depth Institute of Customer Service survey of some of the UK’s biggest brands reveals HomeServe is the country’s most improved for Customer Satisfaction in the “Services” sector since records began in 2009.

HomeServe is the most improved of all companies in “Services” sector since 2014 when Martin Bennett became UK CEO and the only company to have consistently improved since then.

Walsall-based home assistance provider HomeServe is leading the way when it comes to improving Customer service, according to a satisfaction survey looking at some of the UK’s biggest brands.

A leading North East service company has launched a new, environmentally-friendly division to support homeowners and businesses in the region

0800 Repair Gas is now offering insulation services, in addition to heating and plumbing maintenance and repairs, which will provide customers with energy efficient solutions, including cavity, loft and external wall insulation services, to the energy and retail sectors, as well as to homeowners.

Supporting its team of Gas Safe registered heating engineers and boiler repair specialists; the Houghton le Spring-headquartered firm, which forms part of the Pacifica Group, has appointed an experienced Insulation Technical Manager to oversee the newly-formed division, with plans to create additional roles in the near future.

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