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EOGB’s burning desire


EOGB has been a developer and distributor of gas, oil and dual-fuel burners for domestic, commercial and industrial applications for nearly 25 years, but how did it get where it is today and where is it going...


I


n 1993 Electro Oil & Gas Burners Ltd, a subsidiary company of Bentone in Sweden, disbanded due to its parent company looking to downsize operations in the UK. Following a management buy-out, the company rebranded as EOGB Energy Products Ltd and relocated to St Neots in Cambridgeshire.


Initially EOGB acted as an agent for the Bentone


range of burners servicing the needs of the UK customers with technical backup and spares. However, in 2000 it started developing its own products, a range of 12v and 24v versions of the Bentone Sterling burners, before designing and manufacturing its own X series range of domestic oil burners. In the same year, EOGB became the sole UK agency for Italian burner manufacturer, Baltur. In 2010 EOGB constructed a purpose-built


training facility within its existing building and started offering a range of oil and gas burner training courses for heating engineers.


Products and services


EOGB manufactures and distributes a comprehensive range of oil, gas, dual-fuel and premix burners for domestic, commercial, industrial and specialist applications. In addition, it offers associated services including installation, commissioning, servicing and advice on energy saving options. EOGB also provides burner spares and industry


related accessories from the majority of major manufacturers at highly competitive prices to an established OEM, stockist and distributor network. The fully-accredited training and assessment


centre has grown considerably over the years and now offers a wide variety of industry-recognised courses. EOGB also runs commercial burner training at the Baltur test centre in Bologna, Italy, every summer which provides engineers with


 March 2017


hands-on experience of firing large commercial burners, which is not an option in the UK.


Overcoming challenges


One of the biggest challenges the industry is facing is energy conservation and the most practical way to help achieve this. More often than not, equipment that offers long-term energy savings is usually more expensive initially but can offer payback over a relatively short period of time, often 3-5 years. The problem is that companies which are tendering for work will often reduce the specification level of their proposals in order to win the business resulting in the client ending up with equipment that is not always the most energy efficient. EOGB is looking to bring a greater awareness of


energy saving measures for combustion equipment, working together with the Carbon Trust and promoting its Energy Technology List which offers tax breaks for new installations when energy saving equipment is used.


EOGB has also launched a new ‘Heating Health Check’ service to give companies an honest evaluation of how their current heating system is performing – and show them what savings can be made with some very minor adjustments. As part of this, EOGB recently completed an installation at a large commercial building in the North of England which implemented combustion monitoring equipment. By installing O2 and CO trim technology, combustion efficiency was increased, meaning savings for the client.


The importance of training


There is currently a real shortage of the unique skills needed for the burner industry. EOGB’s policy is to train current employees to have multiple skills, to provide greater flexibility.


Previously, the company has successfully used the NVQ and in-house training to add these skills. In fact, Reece Summerfield, an EOGB engineer, won ’Trainee of the Year’ at this year’s HVR Awards. EOGB is now looking to implement an


apprenticeship scheme, to further enhance its future skills resource. It takes a long time to learn the specific skills needed and the company believes starting the learning process earlier in an individual’s career is key to EOGB’s future.


The impact of Brexit


2016 proved to be very positive for EOGB, with burner sales up by 23% and an 21% increase in the number of people attending an OFTEC oil course at its training centre. Good currency exchange decisions enabled the company to return higher profits and there has been big investment in both personnel, to offer better technical support, and R&D, to develop new products such as a fully modulating Low NOx blue flame burner which will be launching this spring. The inevitability of Brexit has focused thinking in the areas of sourcing parts, exports and currency exchange. These issues will be affecting all manufacturers, therefore being flexible enough to adapt to changes quickly and turning them into opportunities should make this a successful year.


Looking to the future


EOGB’s future plans are to provide quality service and equipment, sound engineering advice, and actively help the industry prepare for the future challenges ahead imposed by greater climate change measures. Reducing NOx emissions and cutting carbon is a key priority in the sector and EOGB is committed to assisting businesses and industry to achieve this.


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