dodgy gas engineer tried to sneak out of court disguised as a WOMAN

A crooked gas fitter dressed-up in drag in a bid to sneak away court undetected.
Shamed Martyn Crute had just been fined £43,000 after a court heard that he carried-out dodgy installations without meeting safety standards.

But his attempt to avoid any negative publicity backfired spectacularly when he was spotted wearing a wig, dress and a pair of black high heels by a film crew from Anglia TV. 

What a drag: Crooked Crute tries to avoid the cameras after realising he's been rumbled
High-heeling it: But gas fitter Martyn Crute's attempt to disguise himself as a woman didn't fool the keen-eyed Anglia TV crew they filmed him as he shuffled out of Lincoln Crown Court and his antics subsequently appeared all over the TV news bulletins.

The Court heard employees of UK Oil and Gas Ltd, including director, Martyn Crute, carried out gas fittings and service pipework in several domestic properties between 23 February 2008 and 19 November 2008, despite not being registered with the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI).

The company, which operated shops called Embers in Horncastle and Sleaford and has since ceased trading, also installed two gas combination boilers in an unsafe manner potentially risking people's lives.
A large number of complaints were received about work UK Oil and Gas Limited undertook including from 14 rented properties and one from an elderly couple who had their boiler condemned - costing them hundreds of pounds to fix on top of the original installation costs of more than CB£2,000.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Martyn Crute for breaching Section 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 while UK Oil and Gas Limited of Carre Street, Sleaford were charged with breaching three sections of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. 

Both parties pleaded guilty and were handed fines totalling £8,000.

Plumbing apprentice - 2011 SkillPLUMB competition

Calling all apprentices – the 2011 SkillPLUMB competition is looking for the industry’s most promising talent to be named the UK’s best plumber.

During the competition, organised by SummitSkills, entrants will be assessed on a series of challenging practical tests reflecting their day-to-day work. Regional heats will be held around the country, culminating in a grand final in September.

This year will see SkillPLUMB finalists competing side-by-side with those from SkillELECTRIC, SkillPIPE and SkillFRIDGE at a prestigious event that will also feature the UK final of construction competition SkillBUILD.

“Taking part in SkillPLUMB is not only highly motivational for employees but also drives them to achieve higher standards back in the workplace,” said Neil Collishaw, head of skills competitions and awards at SummitSkills. “Past competitors have gone on to become an even greater asset to their employers and a inspirational role model for their peers.”

Information sourced from Plumbzine.

For plumbing supplies including energy efficient boilers contact Energy Smart today.

EnergySmart goes mobile - order discounted boilers by text.

Energy Smart, in partnership with Plumbing Trade Supplies (PTS), launched a new marketing campaign today which will change the way plumbers order boilers.  The SMS solution will enable plumbers to text Heat to 86688 at their standard network rate. This will prompt a phone call from one of our customer services advisors who will ensure the heating engineer gets the latest offer as well as processing their order within a matter of minutes.

The key advantages of this new campaign are that it takes the administration out of the ordering while offering instant savings.  The process also acknowledges the “on the road” nature of the job and will reduce time spent standing around in Merchants.

Mike Goldsmith, Managing Director of EnergySmart commented, “We are very pleased to launch this new customer-focussed approach to our plumbing customers and believe that it will save the installer time, therefore money and offer significant convenience.”

Energy Smart provides plumbing supplies and discounts on a range of high efficiency boilers and products promoting carbon emission reduction. Combine these savings with same day pick up from your local PTS branch or free next day delivery to an address of your choice and we believe we offer the best value on or off the web.

To find out more information, please contact: Redvers Paterson, t: 01376 531 531 or 07794 103 723.

For plumbing supplies, boilers prices including efficient products check out Energy Smart. Also follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/energysmartuk

Additional Notes:
Energy Smart is a campaign managed by CEN Services.  CEN is an environmental organisation delivering a range of services to engage householders, businesses and communities in environmental and social improvement.

We have a long track record of successful project delivery in energy and carbon management, energy efficiency, sustainable construction and design, sustainable travel and low carbon technologies. Founded in 1997, we now have over eighty employees in London and the South East, and are part of the Climate Energy group.

Our success is based on a partnership approach, and we work across the UK with local, regional and national government bodies as well as with commercial organisations and charitable groups.

Heating Plumbing Supplies Group now owned by staff

Heating Plumbing Supplies Group is now totally owned by the staff and management of the company with no outside shareholders.

The successful management buy out (MBO) follows the announcement of record sales and improved company profits for 2010.

Sales were £39.6 million in 2010 up from £33.3 million in 2009. Profits were up over 50% from £1.2 million in 2009 to £1.81 million in 2010.

Managing director, Ron Walker, said: “We are delighted to announce such excellent results and to have completed a successful management buyout of the company.

“We are especially pleased that 50% of our staff have taken the opportunity to invest in the company which reflects the amazing support and dedication the company enjoys from all its staff.

“We look forward to continuing the successful development of the company following our MBO and will continue to expand our branch network in the coming years where we can find the right people and suitable opportunities,” he said.


Sourced from Plumbzine

For plumbing supplies and boilers prices including efficient products check out Energy Smart. Also follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/energysmartuk

Biasi spearheads VAT scrappage campaign

Biasi UK has launched an online e-petition campaign to lobby the coalition Government to scrap VAT on all renewable products and high efficiency boilers.

Targeting those in the heating industry as well as professionals across all business sectors, the 'Scrap the VAT' campaign has evolved from the company's belief that one of the main barriers to the selection and installation of renewables and high efficiency boilers is down to the cost. By scrapping the VAT, these products will become more affordable and their use will become more widespread. In turn, this will result in reduced energy consumption and emissions as well as saving money on fuel bills for cash-strapped homeowners.

Biasi md Gren Ward said: "It is well known in the heating industry that boiler replacement is, for most people, a distress purchase and is not normally driven by a straightforward desire to upgrade and improve their heating provision. 

"If the Government is truly serious about encouraging uptake on these products to achieve our emissions targets and helping people to heat their homes in the most efficient and cost effective way possible, the best method of achieving this is to instantly remove the VAT on renewables and high efficiency boilers. The success of last year's boiler scrappage scheme demonstrated how such initiatives can make a big difference to people's thinking and purchase decision making.

"In addition, this would also have the knock-on effect of boosting the heating industry at a time when many of the public sector cuts are having such an impact on the trade.

"As well as installers and heating engineers, contractors, specifiers, merchants and the general public, we'd also encourage all our heating manufacturer colleagues and equipment suppliers to get involved in the Scrap the VAT campaign by signing up and spreading the word to encourage others to register their support."

According to the Energy Saving Trust, boilers account for around 60 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions from an average home heated by gas. It says that, by replacing an old G-rated with a new high efficiency boiler and using the latest heating controls, it is possible to reduce emissions and save the householder as much as £225 per year. In addition, use of a solar water heating system can reduce water heating bills by as much as £85 in a year; and solar PV can generate around 40 per cent of a household's annual electricity needs.

For more information on the scrap the VAT campaign and to sign the e-petition, go to www.scrapthevat.co.uk

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Smart Advice to Avoiding boiler breakdowns

More than 30% of boiler breakdowns that took place over the winter could have been avoided through regular maintenance work, according to a local fuel company.

Tincknell Fuels services over 10,000 boilers a year and in the cold weather last December received more than 1,000 calls in two hours from people who had broken boilers or needed fuel.

The main problems were caused by frozen fuel lines, sludge in the systems and lack of servicing in the coldest winter since 1979.

Robert Tincknell, managing director at Tincknell Fuels, which has depots in Avonmouth, Gillingham, Wells, Exeter, Plymouth, Newquay, Southampton and Bridgwater, said:“Now we are moving into spring and we have had time to analyse the activity from November 2010 to January 2011, where some days saw 30cm of snow falling overnight.

“Importantly, one of the issues our report has shown is that at least 30% of the breakdowns we were called to could have been avoided if people had kept on top of servicing and boiler maintenance throughout the year.

“A high proportion of the boilers that broke down had not been serviced for some years and in these cases the weather was the final straw.”

Tincknell Fuels advises homeowners to keep on top of their boiler maintenance with the following tips:

• Have regular servicing from a reputable company, where oil lines are changed every two years and the boiler is set up using an electronic gas analyser
• Make sure that any water that has got into the tank is monitored
• Clean out sludge from heating systems
• Regularly check the level of oil in your tank to ensure you don’t run out which can then require the lines to be bled through
• Ensure that tanks are filled at the end of the summer to avoid running out at peak times.

Information Sourced from hpmmag.com

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New boiler installation VAT campaign gathers pace

Support is growing for the industry campaign seeking to persuade the government to cut the rate of VAT charged on high-efficiency boiler installations.

Boilers are subject to the full 20 per cent rate but other energy-saving equipment, such as controls, insulation, combined heat and power systems, biomass boilers, heat pumps and solar panels attract a 5 per cent rate.

The reduced rate applies to energy-saving installations in all residential properties and commercial buildings used by charities. Installations of these systems in new properties are zero VAT rated.

Leading figures are calling for this to be extended to boilers and passive flue heat recovery systems.

Last year’s boiler scrappage scheme saw sales of domestic boilers rise by 5.3 per cent in the final quarter of last year, according to the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council. However, the market has fallen back again since the start of 2011.

“The government could surpass the impressive results achieved by the scrappage scheme quickly, cheaply and with minimal administration costs if it just cut the rate of VAT on high-efficiency boilers,” said Baxi marketing director Sarah Brook (pictured).

Ms Brook said a temporary cut until the Green Deal scheme comes into effect in October 2012 would help the industry bridge a potentially difficult funding gap.

Peter Thom, chair of the Heating Strategy Group of the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes, has petitioned Chancellor George Osborne but was still awaiting a reply as this issue went to press.

For energy efficient boilers contact Energy Smart today