How heating installers can help reduce the UK's energy usage

Over 50% of all the energy that is used in the UK goes on heating and hot water. This demonstrates how important the heating industry is in reducing our carbon footprint and the amount of energy we use. Central to our industry are the people who deal with homeowners and are responsible for the exact products and components householders use to heat their homes and water. These VIPs are….. heating installers. It’s estimated that a plumber or heating engineer visits a home every 20 seconds, which shows just how powerful installers can be when it comes to shaping how the UK as a whole consumes energy. When going to a job, homeowners will almost always seek advice from installers on the best course of action and the best heating set up for their home. This provides the average installer with a huge opportunity to educate the customer in how to increase energy efficiency and reduce heating bills, by recommending such products as heating controls and thermostatic radiator valves. For any heating engineer, it’s of the utmost importance to stay up to date on the latest technologies, fashions and trends within the heating industry. Spending the extra time getting to know your customer and their needs and requirements can prove to be vital in improving your level of service and growing your business. Every time you are called out to simply inspect a radiator or to take a look at a boiler provides a unique opportunity to interact with the homeowner and find out exactly what they want from their heating system. Households and families change over time, so a system that may have worked in the best, may no longer be the most cost effective solution now. Many people will not want to go in depth into the inner workings of their heating systems, but their will be just as many who are interested in the latest technologies that can make their lives easier and cheaper in the long run. It’s always worth opening up a dialogue and having a range of information, options and explanations ready at your fingertips. It’s often a good idea to have a look over the house house, where time and permission allow. You can then assess what is currently set up in the home before providing additional suggestions or quotes. Looking around can answer questions like: Are rudimentary heating controls installed? Does the home have a combi boiler? Is there any wall or loft insulation? Are all the radiators working and sufficient to heat the rooms they’re in? Is there any pipework that needs replacing or insulating? Are there areas where heat is escaping? How many people live in the house and what are their living arrangements? Rather than going to a job with a narrow focus on the exact issue a customer has called you out for, having these kind of questions in mind when you have conversation with a homeowner may well open up further business opportunities as well as averting emergencies or further large expenses for the homeowner. This approach will help your business, help the UK reduce its carbon footprint and provide the UK population with more energy efficient homes and cheaper heating bills. Article by Benjamin Clarke