plumbers

Here, Wasim Bux from insurance provider iGO4 tells plumbers about the new driving laws that all van drivers need to know in 2019.

When your livelihood depends on your van, you need to be familiar with any new driving laws. In this article, I’ll be outlining the main changes you need to know for 2019.

Smart motorway closures

Smart motorways are designed to adapt to conditions on the road as they happen, warning drivers of speed limits or hazards. But, some drivers are still ignoring the warnings, driving on closed lanes and causing danger to broken down vehicles and recovery teams. If you’re caught driving your van through one of these lanes, you could face a fine of up to £100 and three points on your licence. 

On World Plumbing Day, 11th March, two proud members of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) received Master Plumber Certificates. Organised by the Livery Companies Skill Council (LCSC), the event was hosted by the Worshipful Company of Carpenters at the Carpenter’s Hall in London. Certificates on the day were awarded by The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor, Alderman Peter Estlin.

Jamie David Cousins and Lucy Mawer were both worthy recipients of the prestigious award, which is only attained by the highest of skilled members of the plumbing & heating industry. The ‘Charge’ which Jamie and Lucy accepted, was read out by Dame Fiona Woolf, the Master of the Worshipful Company of Plumbers.

WRAS is urging anyone planning plumbing work to check if they need permission from their water company, before installing certain plumbing fittings

Nearly two thirds of homeowners (60%) are unaware that they must inform their water company if installing specific water fixtures in their home, including large baths and some types of bidets.

To safeguard our drinking water, UK water regulations and byelaws require, for most types plumbing of work, the designer, installer, owner or occupier to obtain their local water supplier’s consent first. In much the same way you must notify building control if extending or altering your property, you also must send notice and details of the proposed work to the water company.

Plumbers in the UK are over-spending on their van insurance when leaving it to the last minute, new data reveals.

According to data held by Confused.com, more than one in two (53%) plumbers buy their van insurance 48 hours or less before their renewal date, which is costing them a whopping £854.60, on average.

Meanwhile, those shopping around the three-week mark are benefitting from savings upwards of £145. According to the data, the cheapest day to buy van insurance is 22 days ahead of renewal, when premiums cost just £706, in comparison, on average. This suggests that being that little bit more organised could in fact save Plumbers £147 (17%), on average.

It has arguably never been more difficult to find good temp workers thanks to a frustratingly inefficient recruitment process and the fact that the number of temporary trades people is at a five-year low. However, help is at hand, says TempRocket’s Andrew Johnston…

It’s no secret that finding the right plumbers to add to your team cannot only be a very tough task, but also annoyingly time consuming and expensive. And this is especially the case when it comes to tracking down good temporary trades people, because the process on this side of the recruitment sector is particularly inefficient. 

Paul Bailey, Senior Product Manager at GROHE UK, discusses the value of loyal customers to the plumbing trade…

It seems plumbers are guaranteed not to get that sinking feeling every time they go to work…

A survey has revealed that Britain’s plumbers are the happiest professionals in the country. In fact, 55% of plumbers said they were ‘very happy’ in life.

It seems tradespeople are way ahead in the happiness index because builders were next on 38%.

The survey was commissioned by Boundless, an experiences company with a 94-year heritage.

Powered Now, the people making life easier for electricians, has announced a major new release of its app for simplifying paperwork.

The release also adds a raft of new functionality designed to help teams work closely together in the most efficient way possible.

Powered Now helps electricians by:

• Getting their evenings back. Especially true for small businesses who hate paperwork and often have to waste their evenings on it.

• Growing their business. Powered Now users win more business as they can raise and track quotations faster and more easily.

Small Business Minister Margot James and Philip King, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management have confirmed new measures to support the Prompt Payment Code in a letter sent to the code’s signatories this week.

Over 1,800 firms have signed up to the Prompt Payment Code, agreeing to maximum payment terms of 60 days and a target payment time of within 30 days as part of their commitment to the fair and equal treatment of suppliers.

Under the code, companies whose payment terms stretch beyond 60 days must be able to demonstrate that exceptional circumstances apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.