Helping Householders Use Less Energy.
7th December 2006
One of the cornerstones in the development of the local natural gas industry has been the growth of an indigenous trade and now after 10 years there are over 300 individual natural gas installation businesses in the north.
It is largely through this installer network that the message about energy saving measures, through more efficient central heating systems, has been taken to local homes and businesses.
This week CORGI, the ‘Council for Registered Gas Installers’, addressed a forum of some 150 installer businesses at an event, hosted by Phoenix Natural Gas, on the new building regulations for Northern Ireland.
Speaking at the event was CORGI’s Registration Development Manager Peter Martin. CORGI explained the detail behind the new legislation and further helped to update the installers on the levels of energy efficiency that can be achieved from different boilers and new technical guides. James Murray, CORGI’s Northern Ireland Area Operations Manager, reflected on the visit by saying:
"CORGI has been very impressed with the proactive approach already shown by gas installers in Northern Ireland over the last 10 years in terms of promoting the most energy efficient systems to households and businesses. With the new regulations officially coming in this month we felt it was important for us to come over and put forward our view on how exactly this affects the guys on the ground".
GIFNI (the independent Gas Installers Forum for Northern Ireland) is chaired by David Adams, himself a life long installer, who commented on the new regulations by saying:
“We welcome the official change in the regulations which is long overdue. In conjunction with Phoenix our members have been actively promoting the replacement of inefficient heating systems in favour of new modern high efficiency central heating boilers with fully integrated controls. Also I know the guys out there are pushing the benefits of a full cleanse treatment for existing radiators and pipe works in dwellings”.
Endorsing the impact of the take up of highly efficient modern natural gas fired heating systems, Alastair Pollock, Retail Operations Director at Phoenix also commented:
“The impact over the last 10 years of local homes, local businesses and local industry upgrading to natural gas has demonstrated that the average consumption of natural gas locally is 25% lower than in Great Britain. There are a number of contributory factors, a major one being the efficiency levels of the boilers being installed, the level of controls, as well as insulation.”
Pollock concluded: “Local natural gas customers are not only making energy savings, they are making a significant contribution to environmental savings and have helped prevent over 1.6 million tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere – equivalent to taking over half a million cars off our roads for a full year.”