With one in five (22%) Brits spending over a thousand pounds, annually on home maintenance you would assume that many Brits may make cups of tea, gift biscuits and allow use of the facilities in a bid to build rapport with handy people, keep costs low and encourage a quick turnaround, but new research suggests this is no longer the case.
Jacqueline Gallazzi-Ritchie is the director of boiler cover provider All England Gas. Here, she discusses what the plumbing trade can do to get more women into STEM positions.
Historically, STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects have been largely dominated by men. Although, research has shown that the number of women graduating in core STEM subjects is slowly rising. From 2017–2018, the percentage of STEM graduates that were female increased from 25% to 26%, but this amount is still far too low when you consider that women make up half of the world’s population (WISE).
Here, Wasim Bux from insurance provider iGO4 tells plumbers about the new driving laws that all van drivers need to know in 2019.
When your livelihood depends on your van, you need to be familiar with any new driving laws. In this article, I’ll be outlining the main changes you need to know for 2019.
Smart motorways are designed to adapt to conditions on the road as they happen, warning drivers of speed limits or hazards. But, some drivers are still ignoring the warnings, driving on closed lanes and causing danger to broken down vehicles and recovery teams. If you’re caught driving your van through one of these lanes, you could face a fine of up to £100 and three points on your licence.
One in five (21%) Brits say they are more worried about gas and electricity costs than any other household spending*, yet many don’t appear to be taking advice from energy companies to help reduce bills.
Research from Boiler Plan revealed that Brits aren’t taking advantage of the many deals available to new customers, as a third (33%) have never changed their energy supplier** and 73% have not switched in the last 12 months***. Failing to consider moving to a new provider can end up costing consumers hundreds of pounds - as data shows that one in five Brits (20%) are spending between £750 and £1,000 per year on gas and electricity alone***.
1. Use free online tools to make savings
- Only 6% of Brits ask their plumber for water saving advice
- One in four admit they have no idea how much water they use at home
- More than half of UK homes now have a water meter installed
Only 6% of Brits ask their plumber for water saving advice, with people more likely to ask friends and family (18%) or social media channels (13%) - with the majority (40%) seeking advice from their water company.
A new survey, commissioned by the Water Regulation Advisory Scheme, found that 38% of Brits do not actively look for water saving advice, despite almost a quarter of Brits (24%) admitting they have no idea how much water they use.
Family-run Colin Laver Heating has taken another step on the road to an all-Mercedes-Benz van fleet with the recent arrivals from local Dealer Euro Commercials of another eight Vito models, and its first X-Class pickup.
The Pontypridd-based firm, which last year celebrated its 50th anniversary, offers a broad range of domestic heating, plumbing and electrical services, which includes the installation and maintenance of solar energy systems, and air- and ground-source heat pumps.
It acquired its first vans bearing the three-pointed star in 2016, and since then has been steadily taking on more as replacements for the French-built vehicles previously assigned to its mobile engineers.
Rogue traders have given plumbing and other trades something of a bad reputation, with 87% of homeowners admitting they feared hiring tradesmen (Plentific). So how can you show clients that you’re a reliable and trustworthy business that will offer a professional service?
Here, John Armstrong, from branding and printwear specialist Custom Planet, shares three company branding tips to help you to impress customers during face-to-face interactions.
When it comes to industrial safety, all of us understand the importance of wearing protective gloves or steel toe-capped boots. In fact, most employers wouldn’t dream of letting their teams on-site without adequate protection, and workers themselves are more than clued up when it comes to the latest safety requirements. However, the same can’t be said when it comes to the potentially fatal risk posed by Arc Flash – a relatively misunderstood, but extremely common type of electrical explosion facing a wide variety of sectors, including the plumbing industry.
Following the recent filming with Clive and Marjorie in the hot tub, there’s a new Boiler Man video which hit the world this week.
In this new video, we see Max the cat who lives in a cold house thanks to a faulty boiler. Max sees that an Ideal boiler is being fitted across the road and knows that living in that house will be a far more reliable source of heat and make his life far more comfortable. He grabs his belongings and moves in. To our surprise, the house is owned by Boiler Man!
News of Japan’s plans to increase the age of retirement to 70 years old will have UK workers anxious about our own plans. The Asian country’s government are hoping to pave the way for workers to stay in their role longer following Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s desire to encourage companies to increase their self-imposed retirement age.
The EU’s pension system has been described as creating a ticking time bomb for finances, with campaign group the TaxPayers’ Alliance claiming that around £1 in every £5 of council tax in the UK is already spent to cover the local authorities’ workers’ pension scheme.. On top of this, Russia’s President Putin has appealed for his nation to accept ‘painful’ pension changes and a five-year increase on the age of retirement.