UK in danger of losing British tradespeople to jobs abroad
The UK construction industry is experiencing a severe labour shortage, with almost two-thirds (63%) of UK trades struggling to fill roles this year, according to Rated People. New research from the trades platform reveals that UK tradespeople are also looking to leave the country to find work abroad which could make the situation even worse. […]
Toolstation launches its biggest ever summer sale
Toolstation has unveiled its biggest ever summer sale as part of its pledge to help DIYers and tradespeople to secure the best value for trade-quality products. Customers will now have access to thousands of products on sale through its app, in stores and online, and it will run until 13 August 2023. Stand out offers […]
Leaky homes revealed by energy champions
‘Lights, camera, action!’ took on a new meaning when specially trained ‘energy champions’ helped nearly 200 Surrey residents spot where energy was leaking from their homes and take steps to save money. Thanks to funding from UK Power Networks, the Leaky Homes project, run by Zero Carbon Guildford and Energy Action Redhill & Reigate, was […]
Wales leads the way for renewable energy and heating in the UK
The latest data from MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) shows that the number of small-scale renewable installations in homes and businesses in Wales in April saw the nation secure the highest uptake in the UK. In recent years, Scotland has held on to the top spot as the UK nation with the highest proportion of installations […]
Octopus Energy and Legal & General invest in ground source heat pumps
Octopus Energy’s generation arm and Legal & General Capital are turbocharging Britain’s heat pump rollout by investing £70 million in the Kensa Group. This marks the biggest investment ever made in ground source tech in Britain. It will allow Kensa to rapidly expand and install 50,000 ground source heat pumps a year by 2030. The […]
Octopus Energy report reveals how to speed up green grid connection
Queue-jumping, sunset clauses and a data-driven can-do attitude are simple ways to connect renewables to the grid faster, a new report by Octopus Energy’s generation arm outlines. Increasing competition in the connection process and greater collaboration between developers are the other two areas that will help unleash Britain’s colossal green energy potential. Implementing this five-point-plan […]
Soaring energy bills prevent Brits from buying low carbon heating technology
New data from The Eco Experts‘ National Home Energy Survey has revealed that soaring energy bills and the rise in cost of living has made 43% of Brits less likely to purchase low carbon technology in the past 12 months. Low carbon heating products such as air source heat pumps could help UK households to reduce […]
Toolstation increases colleague salaries by 9.4%
Toolstation is increasing pay for its 5,500 colleagues. The retailer has introduced a pay rise of 9.4% for all colleagues at entry level and in all store and operations roles. It means that the hourly rate for entry level colleagues will increase to £10.60. Jag Nagra, HR Director for Toolstation, says, “We’re a business that […]
Legal & General Capital invests a further £15m in decarbonising homes
Legal & General Capital (LGC) has invested £12.5 million across three companies – Cambridge Electric Cement (CEC), Hometree, and SunRoof – and increased its existing investment in Sero Technologies as part of its commitment to decarbonise the residential sector. These partnerships demonstrate the breadth of LGC’s investments into decarbonising residential real estate, from reducing construction […]
Just 0.3% of tool thefts have resulted in a charge
Metropolitan Police data has revealed that 34,712 tools were stolen in London from 2021 to 2022 compared to 21,445 tools from 2019 to 2020. While as many as four in five tradespeople have experienced tool theft, just 0.3% of all cases (three cases per 1,000) ended in a charge for the suspect. In over 86% […]