Beating the boiler cowboys - Heating Helpline backs new national Benchmark customer service standards campaign

25 March 2011 – The UK’s major gas boiler manufacturers, with the support of the Heating and Ventilating Contractors’ Association (HVCA), have launched a campaign to rid the industry of rogue, incompetent installers. Consumers are often confused by how to ensure that their installer is suitably qualified, but the new initiative will see warranty claims becoming invalid if a commissioning checklist was not completed when the heating system was installed. The nationally recognised Benchmark scheme is the mark of quality for the installation, commissioning and servicing of domestic heating and hot water systems. Benchmark checklists are included within the installation instructions of products supplied by all the mainstream boiler manufacturers, making it simple for the competent, qualified installer to comply. Commissioning checklists are also recognised by the government as an effective means of demonstrating compliance with Building Regulations and are increasingly important for customers for future reference and as evidence of a competent installation. By linking the completion of a commissioning checklist to the warranty of a new boiler they are also sending a clear message to illegal and cowboy installers that manufacturers will not support installations that have not been carried out in line with the manufacturers’ instructions. HVCA Chief Executive Robert Higgs comments, “Rogue traders are clearly the public’s number one issue. We support the Benchmark campaign and have full confidence that our own members will complete and sign the Benchmark commissioning checklist. We also actively encourage householders to use the government backed TrustMark website (http://www.trustmark.org.uk) when searching for local reputable tradesmen. This will ensure that any heating work undertaken in homes complies with the law and meets the highest standards from start to finish.” The Heating Helpline (http://www.heatinghelpline.org.uk) is backed by the Heating and Ventilating Contractors’ Association (HVCA). This free service provides essential information on where homeowners can find local, reputable installers, how to employ them, how to get the best from them and what to do in the unlikely event that things do go wrong. On the website homeowners can put in their postcode and it will produce a list of reputable, registered installers in their chosen area. Ends