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Energy UK responds as October price cap confirmed at £1,723
Ofgem confirmed a 4% October price cap rise to £1,723, and Energy UK's Ned Hammond warns this intensifies the challenge for customers already struggling with…
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Business & Money
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Are energy bills capped at £1,723? Five costly myths you need to know
The £1,723 figure is not a fixed bill, not a ceiling, and not universal — it's a typical-use illustration that varies wildly by household. A handy myth-buster…
Energy debt hits £6 billion — and climbing
UK domestic energy debt has doubled in three years to hit £6bn, with 3 million customers in arrears and the average owed sitting at £1,800. Bad-debt costs…
Daikin introduces X Series mixed-technology heat pump
Daikin's X Series fuses air-to-air and air-to-water technology into one system that handles heating, cooling and hot water in a single unit. It rolls out…
Energy price cap to rise by 4% from October 2026
Ofgem has confirmed the energy price cap will rise 4% from 1 October, just as the heating season begins. For installers it's a ready conversation starter —…
The heating workforce is shrinking — and that's a problem
The heating workforce is shrinking at the same time decarbonisation work is expanding, leaving a growing gap between demand and skilled engineers. The upshot…
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Industry & Regulations
11 stories
Over 80% of tradespeople now generate work through social media
A Markel Direct survey found 84% of UK tradespeople get at least some business via social platforms, with 59% saying it boosted sales. But only 39% have…
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"We spent thirty years telling kids not to do this job. Now nobody can fix the boiler"
Powered Now CEO Benjamin Dyer argues the skills crisis was entirely self-inflicted: decades of pushing kids toward degrees and desks have left the average gas…
UK heat pump sales rise 27% in 2025, HPA UK data reports
Over 125,000 heat pumps were sold in the UK last year, with 36% manufactured domestically. Growth is solid but slowing — to hit the government's…
Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant raised to £9,000 for oil and LPG
A £1,500 uplift takes the BUS grant to £9,000 specifically for oil and LPG-heated homes switching to heat pumps, aimed at rural households hammered by the…
The Clean Heat Market Mechanism is policing a missing market
Worcester Bosch's Martyn Bridges lays out the numbers: Q1 2026 retrofit heat pump installs were just 10,693 — down 18% on the previous quarter and 22%…
UK heat pump sales rise 27% in 2025
UK heat pump installations jumped 27% in 2025, according to new data from the Heat Pump Association, as the market keeps accelerating. Installers who can…
The Clean Heat Market Mechanism is policing a missing market
Boiler sales are on track to hit 1.3 million units in 2026, yet the Clean Heat Market Mechanism's heat-pump quota still targets a market that hasn't…
Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant raised to £9,000 for oil and LPG
The government has added a £1,500 uplift to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, taking the grant for oil and LPG-heated homes to £9,000. It's a bigger incentive to…
Oil boiler ban would be a vote loser, says EUA
New polling commissioned by the Energy and Utilities Alliance suggests the proposed oil boiler ban could cost sitting MPs votes at the next election. The…
What does the 2026 heating landscape look like for installers?
Vokèra's Neil Mattock maps the year ahead: gas boiler replacements stay the core of the market, but installers who diversify into heat pumps are best placed to…
What will happen to the gas network as the UK transitions?
Alpha's Darran Smith walks through the long-term future of the UK gas grid as the country shifts to low-carbon heat. It's a useful read for engineers planning…
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Training & Compliance
7 stories
What will happen to the gas network as the UK transitions?
Alpha's Darran Smith maps the long-term fate of the UK's 280,000km gas grid. As customers switch to electric-only heating and stop paying gas standing charges,…
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Bosch HIU training now leads to Ofqual-regulated Level 3 qualification
Bosch Commercial & Industrial's heat interface unit course is now an LCL Awards Level 3 qualification, covering installation, commissioning, and fault-finding…
Lawton Tubes launches online technical hub for installers on the job
Copper tube supplier Lawton Tubes overhauled its website into a mobile-friendly technical hub with pipe sizing calculators, 3D product models, and installation…
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Gas Safety Week 2026: 'Take No Chances'
Gas Safety Week runs 14–20 September under the 'Take No Chances' banner, a ready-made hook for engineers to promote annual servicing and safety checks to…
Should you stay solo or build a team?
CIPHE's latest guest blog weighs the decision every growing tradesperson faces: stay solo or start hiring. It's a clear-eyed look at when scaling a one-man…
LCL Awards announces its 2026 'Trainee of the Year'
LCL Awards has announced its 2026 Trainee of the Year, celebrating the standout newcomer in plumbing and heating. It's a reminder of the pipeline of new talent…
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Gas Safety Week 2026: 'Take No Chances'
Gas Safety Week runs 14–20 September under this year's 'Take No Chances' theme. It's a ready-made hook for engineers to promote annual servicing and carbon…
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New Products & Tech
7 stories
CP42 scope expansion: what every commercial building manager needs to know
CP42 certification now covers all gas appliances — cookers, direct-fired heaters, and water heaters — not just boilers. Buildings with 5+ appliances now…
EDF heats up £1,000 price cut on heat pumps
EDF is offering a limited-time £1,000 heat pump savings package on Daikin and Ideal units, plus a free 7-year service and warranty. With the BUS grant applied,…
Viessmann launches Vitocal 150-A and 151-A monobloc heat pumps
Viessmann's two new-generation R290 monobloc air-source heat pumps are aimed squarely at boiler replacement in UK homes, co-developed with UK installers. Part…
Part L 2026: what changes and when
The 2026 Building Regulations (SI 2026 No. 335) tighten Part L and introduce a new L3 duty requiring on-site renewable electricity from March 2027. New-build…
EDF heats up £1,000 price cut on heat pumps
EDF is running a limited-time heat pump savings package that knocks £1,000 off installations, aimed at moving households entirely off gas. For approved…
All-in-one outdoor heat pump for simple boiler replacement
A UK startup has unveiled an all-in-one outdoor heat pump designed to make gas-to-heat-pump swaps faster, cheaper and far less disruptive. If it delivers, it…
Viessmann launches Vitocal 150-A and 151-A monobloc heat pumps
Viessmann has launched two new-generation R290 monobloc air source heat pumps, the Vitocal 150-A and 151-A, built for straightforward boiler replacement in UK…
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Quick Links
8 stories
Daikin introduces X Series mixed-technology heat pump
Daikin's X Series fuses air-to-air and air-to-water into a single outdoor unit handling heating, cooling, and hot water for homes up to 150m². Rolling out…
Carrier Solutions launches PartnerPlus digital rewards platform
A unified rewards-and-training portal covering Toshiba, Carrier, and Viessmann brands with tiered Silver/Gold/Platinum levels. Points redeemable for tools,…
LCL Awards announces its 2026 'Trainee of the Year'
Carly Gayle, a Baxi F-Gas engineer and former plumbing business owner, took the top prize. A great story for promoting women in the trades at a time when the…
Fernox donates £10,000 to Woking & Sam Beare Hospice
A feel-good industry note: water-treatment maker Fernox handed £10k to a Surrey hospice.
Gas Safety Compliance 2026: CP42 scope expansion
CP42 certification now covers all gas appliances — cookers, direct-fired heaters and water heaters — not just boilers, tightening commercial inspection scope…
Fernox donates £10,000 to Woking & Sam Beare Hospice
Water-treatment maker Fernox has donated £10,000 to Woking & Sam Beare Hospice, a feel-good industry gesture worth a mention.
Talon announces 40th anniversary giveaway
Pipe-clip and fixing specialist Talon is marking 40 years in business with a giveaway for installers.
Rehau wins Heat Network Supplier of the Year award
Rehau has won Heat Network Supplier of the Year, a nod to the growing district-heating supply chain.