May 2007
The Challenge of the New
Plumbers and heating engineers, and important members of the heating and plumbing industry across the country, will be meeting at the Hinckley Island Hotel, Watling Street, Hinckley, on 1 and 2 June to hear about and debate the challenges being set the industry by new European directives and Building Regulations for the UK. The Conference theme is ‘Directives for Innovation’. Papers include news about the latest legislation and regulations that plumbing and heating engineers need to be aware of and adhere to, as well as some of the innovative new products that manufacturers are developing to help meet those requirement.
The event is fully sponsored by leading manufacturers in the industry – Munters, Worcester Bosch, Honeywell Controls, Mira Showers, Pegler, Yorkshire Fittings – along with CORGI, Courtprice, Yellow Pages and The Plumbing Academy.
The Institute of Plumbing & Heating Engineering (IPHE) is the UK’s professional and technical body for all plumbing and heating professionals. It has roots that go back to 1906 when it began as The Institute of Plumbers. From 1957 it was known as The Institute of Plumbing (IoP) and became known as the IPHE on 4 June 2004 when the IoP corporate members agreed that the new title better reflects their scope of work and firmly identifies plumbing and heating as an engineering discipline.
The Institute’s Annual Conference and Exhibition is now a well established and prestigious event in the plumbing and heating industry’s calendar that gives members of the industry, both members and non-members, the opportunity to learn more about topics and issues related to the day to day running of their business, as well as more long term and global issues.
Manufacturing members of the Institute (Industrial Associates) will be staging an exhibition throughout the two-day event, open from 12 Noon to 5pm on Friday, and 8.30 to 3.30pm on Saturday. Members of the IPHE are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting, held in The Paris Suite from 2pm (registration from 1.30pm), and there is a special Seminar at 5.30pm on ‘The Role of the Trustees’.
Plumbers and heating engineers (IPHE members and non-members) who are interested in attending and finding out more about the work of the Institute, should call the Conference Organiser Barbara Field on 07780 698990, or the IPHE headquarters at Hornchurch, Essex on 01708 472791. Further details can also be obtained from www.iphe.org.uk
ENDS (391 WORDS)
MAY 2007
A smart move
The Government has just published its Energy White Paper, which sets out its long-term framework for action to tackle climate change. Part of that action will be to encourage the take-up of ‘smart meters’ in the household sector and small firms. The Government expects that everyone will have one within the next 10 years and most small firms within five years.
Blane Judd, chief executive of The Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (IPHE) believes smart metering will help consumers understand their energy usage better and hence encourage them to be more energy efficient.
“At present meters are hidden away and display energy units which then need to undergo calculations to determine the cost of the energy used, when we get to the stage of having Internet meters, which will be positioned in a more prominent position and display how much energy is being used in monetary terms, consumers will take a greater interest in saving energy.
“This has got to be good news for the environment and I think it will be a driving force in encouraging alternative energy sources.”
ENDS (184 WORDS)
MAY 2007