News

Earnings for self-employed plumbers fell by 22.4 per cent in December, according to the latest figures released by Hudson Contract.
 
Analysis of December payroll data for more than 2,200 construction companies in England and Wales reveals a weekly average of £904 during December, consistent with time taken off work to spend time with families over the festive period.
 
Between January and November last year, earnings for freelance plumbers rose from £1,054 to £1,166, representing growth of 10.6 per cent.
 
Ian Anfield, managing director of Hudson Contract, said: “The very strong growth in weekly earnings over the year shows the financial rewards available for skilled freelancers.
 

Bell Plumbing Supplies has been chosen as the exclusive UK distributor and training provider for US-based Unico Systems.

The Missouri manufacturer of small duct heating, cooling and ventilation systems is looking to fulfil increasing demand for domestic air conditioning across Britain.

The Unico System, which is installed in half a million homes and small businesses throughout the US, provides the option of both heating and cooling when matched with a suitable air source heat pump. The system is also compatible with existing boiler and underfloor heating systems.

City Plumbing / PTS has unveiled its 368th branch at the new Taurus Road location, Bristol. The new CPS branch, located in Filton has created 3 new jobs in the local area and includes a new concept Bathroom Showroom, City Heating Spares and expansive Electrical department.
The branch will be managed by Gary McQuaid with a 5 strong team including dedicated Bathroom Showroom and Electrical employees. The new Bathroom Showroom concept is designed to encourage the trade to bring their customers to the showroom so they can choose for themselves from the extensive range of quality bathroom suites and accessories on offer.

Michael Cockcroft, Director of Centurion Plumbing Services Limited, Sleaford, has won the first Big Baxi Golden Ticket prize draw.  He bought the winning boiler, a Baxi 600 Heat, from the Sleaford branch of Wolseley.  All the Baxi boilers registered on Baxi Works loyalty scheme during the first week of January were entered into the draw, and the winner was drawn at random at the end of the week.
 
Michael’s Baxi representative, Matt Seaman, and Baxter the Baxi mascot surprised Michael when he visited Wolseley to stock up on materials for his next installation.  They presented him with a £1,000 voucher for a well-known high street store.
 

Too much work, time pressures and unprepared customers – these are the top three causes of stress at work, according to a new survey of almost 600 tradespeople by IronmongeryDirect.

Work-related stress and mental illness now account for over half of all lost work days in the UK*. However, despite this, the survey found that only 11% of tradespeople have taken any time off work in the last year because of mental ill-health. With over a third (34%) reporting regularly feeling stressed, this research paints a worrying picture.

The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering - CIPHE - is talking tough on TMVs as it renews calls on the Government to change the legislation surrounding the devices.

According to the latest hospital admission statistics from NHS Digital, the most vulnerable in society continue to be at a grave risk from household scalds and burns. Admission figures show that scalds from tap water remained a significant issue for the old and young in 2018/19, with:

Leading insurance specialist for tradespeople, Rhino Trade Insurance, has rewarded self-employed plumbing and heating engineer, James Anderson, with a range of free insurance policies, after hearing the brilliant story of his not-for-profit business, which hit national headlines earlier this month.

An invoice of Mr Anderson’s went viral online after it showed a call-out charge to a 91-year-old lady with leukaemia as £0, with the accompanying note: 

“No charge for this lady under any circumstances. We will be available 24-hours a day to help her and keep her as comfortable as possible.”

It was an exciting week for Plumb Inn (the plumbing, heating and bathroom specialists in Enfield) as they unveiled their IPG flagship store last week.  

The launch, which took place from the 2nd – 6th September, saw Plumb Inn reveal a brand-new look to their Enfield branch, following their partnership with The IPG.

Plumb Inn is one of three flagship stores that The IPG, the largest and fastest growing membership group for plumbing, heating and bathroom specialists is supporting across the UK. The store opening with Plumb Inn marks the second flagship location for The IPG, in just a few short weeks.

HMRC to Delay Implementation of Reverse VAT Charge until October 2020

The decision by HMRC to delay the introduction of the reverse VAT charge for construction services until October 2020 has been welcomed by businesses across the construction industry. David Redfern, tax preparation specialist and Managing Director of DSR Tax Claims Ltd commended the government's decision as a much-needed respite for the construction industry sector, already under pressure from uncertain economic conditions and agreed that the industry required additional guidance in order to ensure that the reverse VAT charge is rolled out without causing undue harm to the construction sector.

Brits are shunning trusted and approved sources when searching for a plumber, according to new research. Just under 5 percent (4.65%) would go to their water company to find a plumbing professional, the figures have shown. 

In fact, a higher percentage (6.8%) are more likely to ask strangers on Facebook.

While more than half (53.7%) would ask friends and family for a recommendation, a fifth (17.5%) admit to blindly searching online.

The study, by the Water Regulations Advisory Scheme (WRAS), asked homeowners about the process they go through when seeking out a new plumber. The findings show that consumers could be failing to do thorough research before commissioning plumbing work in their home.