Closing the gap on fuel poverty
We all know that the cost of living is getting more and more expensive; no matter if it’s a loaf of bread at your local supermarket or a pint down the pub, the wallet never seems to be quite as heavy as it once did. That’s before you even start thinking about heating your home! One of the biggest costs of living in the UK is of course energy, with the average household spending around £1,249 on energy bills each year. Whilst the word ‘poverty’ may sound extreme, no fewer than one in ten homes across the UK find themselves …
Britain’s erratic weather is causing mayhem with our boilers
The weather: it’s our favourite subject here in Britain! Despite our long history of extremely changeable weather, we still love a good moan when it rains cats & dogs, is boiling hot, or blowing a hooley – and the country practically comes to standstill when the snow arrives. Our weather is becoming increasingly unpredictable and we need to start doing more to ensure we are prepared for it. Research shows that hot spells are lasting longer and extreme cold snaps are becoming less frequent, which is altering the way we use our central heating systems. These longer warm spells interspersed …
How can you avoid your boiler breaking down due to loss of system pressure?
Plumbing emergencies can happen at any time, even the most inconvenient of moments, and they don’t just consist of burst or leaking pipes. Also amongst the most common reasons for needing to call out a registered plumber are: discoloured or contaminated water, detecting the smell of gas, a blocked toilet, or the boiler breaking down and suddenly finding yourself without heating and hot water. A common cause of boiler breakdowns is when the pressure in your system drops too low – which is certainly something you’ll want to get fixed quickly, especially during the colder months. Unfortunately, there is a …
Help keep your household safe from fire with our top 10 tips
The fire and rescue service attends more than 160k fires each year in the UK, around 30k of which occur in our homes. 261 people died in fires last year alone, and a further 6,902 were injured. Whilst demands on the service remain as high as ever, government funding for fire and rescue services has been cut by £155 million since 2016, and firefighters are being expected to do ‘more with less,’ taking on increased duties for the same pay. Average response times have increased by 4% since 2011 and look likely to continue to rise without increasing investment according …
10 better ways to spend your time than waiting for your hot tap to run warm
We live in an age when busyness is the norm and time is at a premium. Whether you’re juggling a demanding job, hobbies and a hectic social life, or facing the daily logistical challenge of getting the kids to and from nursery, school, after-school clubs, birthday parties and home again, most of us could do with an extra hour in the day or day in the week. Well, what if we told you that we could save you around three and a half minutes every day with no effort whatsoever? It may not sound like much, but over the course …
More than one in ten UK households are living in fuel poverty
The cost of heating our homes and water is rapidly on the increase, and millions of households in England are being left unable to meet these costs, a study has found. According to fuel poverty charity National Energy Action (NEA), around 4 million households are in fuel poverty. This is having an effect on both physical and mental health, and impacting on children’s education up and down the country, as some households face a shortfall of up to £600 between their fuel bills and what they can actually afford. A new government study shows that many appear to be choosing …
OFTEC urges householders to keep oil tank servicing up to date following serious house fire
On Saturday 13th April, a home in County Antrim, Northern Ireland was completely destroyed by a runaway oil tank fire that continued to rage for around two hours. The blaze, which it’s believed was started deliberately in a recycling bin at the back of the house, quickly spread to an oil tank and ripped through a 60-year-old woman’s home. Three neighbouring properties were also damaged, along with two vehicles which were parked outside, and a nearby electricity substation, leaving many without power. A 50-strong crew from the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue service attended with seven pump appliances and an …
CombiSave can halve water heating time, university study finds
Research carried out by Liverpool John Moores University has found that it takes up to twice the amount of time to heat water to the desired temperature without a CombiSave valve fitted, and also uses up to 56% more water. The low-cost, thermostatically operated CombiSave was invented to help reduce water wastage, gas consumption, environmental impact, and time, when heating water using a combi boiler. The CombiSave works by restricting the flow of water when the hot tap or shower is first turned on, allowing the water to reach temperature in a shorter amount of time and therefore wasting less …
Why buy a PressureSentry?
Loss of system pressure is a common cause of heating breakdowns, which can result in costly unscheduled callouts for both the homeowner and boiler maintenance companies. The PressureSentry is a low-pressure warning device that alerts you before the system shuts down, so that you don’t face a cold house with no hot water and an expensive emergency callout charge. The innovative device will save you time and money, prevent boiler shut-downs, and provide peace of mind. Avoid unnecessary callouts The PressureSentry alerts the homeowner when the pressure drops, so that a system repressurisation visit can be scheduled before it shuts …
Be prepared for cold weather
After the snow, ice, wind and freezing temperatures of the past couple of winters, it seems that extremely cold snaps are becoming an increasingly frequent feature of UK weather – and with these storms comes damage to our homes and property. According to the Association of British Insurers, bad weather insurance claims increased by 290% immediately following the Beast from the East in February and March last year [2018]. “The cold weather at the start of last year [2018] saw claims for burst pipes jump from £4m to £197m quarter-on-quarter, suggesting people are unprepared for the impact of extreme weather.” – …
