News

Oct 17, 2016, 11:44 AM by OFTEC

OFTEC has submitted recommendations to the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee, calling for a total re-think on the UK’s low carbon heat strategy to instead focus on incentivising solutions that are simple, affordable to install, impose limited disruption on the home owner and offer competitive running costs.

Oct 17, 2016, 11:43 AM by OFTEC

Commenting on the Comprehensive Spending Review, OFTEC director general Jeremy Hawksley says: “OFTEC welcomes the Chancellor’s announcement today that reforms will be made to the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme to deliver better value for money.

Oct 17, 2016, 11:42 AM by OFTEC

With oil boiler sales reaching a five year high and oil prices dropping to a six year low, 2015 is proving a winning year for the oil heating industry and consumers alike.

Oct 17, 2016, 11:41 AM by OFTEC

In support of Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week 2015 (16-20 November), OFTEC is urging all households using oil heating to install carbon monoxide detectors and ensure their boiler is regularly serviced and inspected by a registered technician, to reduce any risk of poisoning.

Oct 17, 2016, 11:37 AM by OFTEC

OFTEC is urging all installers to ensure their work is correctly notified as failing to do so could be a breach of their duty of care - and leave customers in hot water as a result.

Oct 17, 2016, 11:36 AM by OFTEC

Cowboy technicians are putting lives at risk by failing to perform basic safety checks when servicing boilers, leaving households with ineffective and potentially dangerous heating systems in the run up to winter.

Oct 17, 2016, 11:35 AM by OFTEC

Homes that use oil heating are set for a warmer winter this year as the latest data shows households are taking advantage of low oil prices and keeping their heating on for longer*.

Oct 17, 2016, 11:33 AM by OFTEC

Households on oil heating could be missing out on savings of almost £200 a year by not upgrading the old, inefficient boilers installed in their homes, according to the latest industry data*.

Oct 17, 2016, 11:32 AM by OFTEC

Following consultation with industry members, OFTEC have designed a re-certification package for oil assessments to enable technicians renewing their qualifications to spend less time off the job.

Oct 17, 2016, 11:30 AM by OFTEC

With thousands of pupils receiving their A-Level and GCSE results, OFTEC is urging school leavers to consider an apprenticeship or vocational training as the first step to as successful career.

Oct 17, 2016, 11:29 AM by OFTEC

In response to the recent conviction of a part time plumber in North Devon who has been jailed for two years for carrying out dangerous installation work and vastly overcharging customers, OFTEC stresses the importance of checking the credentials of tradespeople before employing them.

Oct 17, 2016, 11:27 AM by OFTEC

On the back of government plans to reduce ‘out of control’ green energy costs, OFTEC says it’s time to look at more pragmatic and affordable ways to reduce carbon emissions and heating bills. Last week DECC announced there will be no further funding available for the Green Deal and Green Deal Home Improvement Fund (GDHIF) schemes, alongside sweeping cuts to subsidies for the renewable energy sector.

Oct 17, 2016, 11:26 AM by OFTEC

Almost three quarters of heating industry professionals think the government’s Heat Strategy is unrealistic and will fall far short of its target to achieve an 80% reduction in UK carbon emissions from 1990 levels by 2050, according to the results of a poll held at OFTEC’s annual conference last month.

Oct 17, 2016, 11:24 AM by OFTEC

OFTEC, the UK trade body for oil heating, is urging local MPs to support oil using households and help them improve the energy efficiency of their homes to cut fuel bills and reduce CO2 emissions.

Oct 17, 2016, 11:21 AM by OFTEC

After two years at the helm of OFTEC’s board, Martyn Bridges, director of marketing and technical support at Worcester Bosch, is standing down as chair with Nick Hawkins, general manager of Deso – part of the Kingspan Group – taking up the reins.

Oct 17, 2016, 11:14 AM by OFTEC

Rural households that use oil for heating their homes are now paying significantly less on their fuel bills than urban households connected to mains gas, according to new figures.

Oct 17, 2016, 11:12 AM by OFTEC

In its first year of operation, the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme has failed to attract sufficient support, barely achieving in a whole year the number of installations required each month for the Department of Energy and Climate Change to meet its ambitious 2020 carbon reduction targets, says OFTEC.

Oct 17, 2016, 11:09 AM by OFTEC

OFTEC has further extended its range of competent person registration services to include solid fuel appliances, following Government approval by the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) Building Regulations.

Oct 17, 2016, 11:08 AM by OFTEC

Throughout the summer, OFTEC will be on the road across the UK and Ireland holding a series of free local seminar events for registered technicians.

Oct 17, 2016, 11:06 AM by OFTEC

OFTEC and FPS, supported by rural communities’ charity ACRE, have written to more than 500 prospective parliamentary candidates urging them to support proposals for a radical shake-up to home heating policies for the UK.