NEWS
Hive and Aira join forces to drive energy transition
Eco-tech pioneer Hive and clean energy-tech champion, Aira have formed a long-term, strategic partnership to supercharge heat pump installs in the UK. Combining Hive’s legacy as a leading smart home solution provider and Aira’s intelligent products, the collaboration will see the brands dramatically increase adoption in the UK by making heat pumps more affordable and accessible.
As an eco-tech company, Hive has already transformed home energy usage in over 2 million homes and saved over 1.6 billion kilos of carbon through its energy-efficient smart home technology, saving its customers over £490 million in energy costs. Leading direct-to-consumer clean energy-tech brand, Aira, offers customers an all-inclusive plan with
affordable monthly payments and an industry first 15-year Aira Guarantee. This partnership will help supercharge Aira’s ambition to drive a clean-energy revolution one home at a time and to increase heat pump accessibility at scale. Through the partnership, Aira’s intelligent and intuitive heat pumps will scale across the UK through Hive’s customer referrals, saving more people up to 29% on their heating costs. partnership comes at a critical time. Although heat pump installations were at a record high in 2024, at 60,000, the UK is still far away from achieving the Government’s target of installing 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028. With 25 million homes in the UK still heated with gas boilers accelerating the shift to cleaner, greener and more affordable solutions is essential. Dan Rosenfield, Managing Director of Hive commented: “Our partnership with Aira brings together the best of British tech and innovative Scandinavian design to provide customers with more choice in how they electrify their home heating.
Domestic heating is one of the largest emitters of carbon in the UK which is why we’re collaborating with other like-minded businesses to address this challenge and help customers make the switch to a lower-carbon future.” Martin Lewerth, Aira Group CEO commented: “In some of the coldest parts of Europe such as Scandinavia, heat pump technology has been widely used to heat homes for decades, and yet, nations like the UK are still in the very early stages of adoption. Building on Hive’s leadership in the smart home space, this partnership will help solidify heat pumps as a cleaner and more affordable heating solution for UK households, increasing awareness and accessibility - and ultimately supporting the clean-energy transition.” The announcement comes shortly after the Government’s relaxation of planning permission restrictions for heat pump installations in the UK and increased funding for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, taking the overall BUS budget for this financial year to £205 million. The partnership therefore is poised to help even more UK homeowners benefit from air source heat pumps in their homes.
EcoVadis Bronze Sustainability Medal for Scolmore Group
Scolmore Group, supplier to the professional electrical contracting sector, has announced that it has retained its Bronze Sustainability Rating Medal first awarded by EcoVadis in 2022. This achievement is significant as it was awarded despite much more stringent eligibility criteria introduced last year. As a result, Scolmore Group’s new ranking places them in the top 35% globally of all companies rated by EcoVadis, a global leader in business sustainability assessments. Having improved its scoring from 56/100 to 66/100, in November Scolmore Group was just one percentile short of achieving a Silver Medal. The EcoVadis assessment evaluates 21 sustainability criteria across four core themes: environment, labour & human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. In each of the four themes, Scolmore Group saw its scores rise significantly from 2022 when it was first award its Bronze medal, with well above industry average scores achieved in each of the four categories. The Group’s Environment score rose from 50% to 70% (49% industry average); Labour & Human Rights from 50% to 60% (51% industry average); Ethics from 50% to 70% (44% industry average) and Sustainable Procurement from 40% to 70% (industry average 38%). EcoVadis’ business sustainability ratings are based on international sustainability standards such as the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact, the International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards and the ISO 26000 standard. The ratings provide an evidenced-based analysis on performance and an actionable roadmap for continuous improvement. More than 130,000 companies globally have been rated by EcoVadis. Responsible for driving the EcoVadis sustainability initiative at Scolmore Group is Manuela Rubino Courtney,
group legal and compliance manager. She commented: “We have been in a fortunate position over the past few years that both revenue and market share have
increased, despite the many macroeconomic challenges that we have encountered along the way. We are keen to continue to grow our business sustainably in line with company growth and contribute positively to society whilst we are on our journey. “Scolmore, Ovia, Unicrimp and ESP were awarded ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System) in January 2024. The latest EcoVadis medal endorses the work we have done so far in making our business offer sustainable. It bolsters our commitment to making a positive impact and embedding corporate sustainability into our culture, strategy and day-to-day operations across the Group. As part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability, we aim to build upon this recognition by further enhancing our CSR initiatives and strive for higher levels of EcoVadis certification in the future.” The Scolmore Group of companies incorporates Click Scolmore wiring accessories and the Elucian by Click consumer unit and circuit protection range; OVIA lighting and lighting controls; ESP security and fire protection products, the Sangamo range of heating controls and time switches and Unicrimp cable accessories.
6 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER MARCH 2025 ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Quote, unquote
Commenting on the latest ONS Construction figures Terry Woodley, MD of Development Finance at Shawbrook said…
“The construction sector ended the year on a high, with Q4’s figures showing a quarterly increase in activity, despite a month-on-month decrease. “Moving into the new year, green shoots are poking
through and prompting improved confidence levels in developers. Further clarification of the Government’s next steps for reducing planning red tape and boosting housebuilding has been released, making developers feel more supported and hopeful for 2025. However, challenges with recruitment and supply chains have emerged in recent months and will need to be addressed if construction output is to truly bounce back this year. “As we approach the Spring Statement, developers should continue to keep an eye out for any further updates from the Government. Speaking to a broker will also help clarify financing options, especially if developers feel the need to shift business plans in line with projected activity this year.”
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Sharing comments from Hive, a part of British Gas, on the Boiler Upgrade Scheme figures for December Gav Murray, Hive Heating director at Centrica New Business Net Zero, said: “Although application figures may have dropped slightly in December, it’s clear that 2024 has been a record-breaking year for the scheme, with applications up 50% year-on-year as more people than ever make the switch to sustainable heating systems. Homeowners’ appetite for heat pumps continues to grow and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme remains a catalyst in the journey towards a more sustainable future.
“As we look ahead, the outlook for future adoption looks promising as the government ramps up its focus on renewable technology adoption. The additional funding announced in the Warm Homes Plan coupled with upcoming reforms the Clean Heat Market Mechanism will making heat pumps an even more attractive and viable option for homeowners.”
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On the surge in heat pump sales, Hamid Salimi, residential product manager at Daikin UK said… “The HPA’s latest research shows strong growth in heat pump installations and the number of trained installers. Despite this, if the Government is going to meet its net zero targets it needs to do more to encourage demand. Not only should it provide a clear, credible plan supported by policy and regulatory change, it urgently needs to bring down the cost of electricity compared to gas and to extend financial support to include hybrid and other low carbon heating technologies.”
Daniel Särefjord, Aira UK chief executive said… “The surge in applications for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in 2024 marks a pivotal year for heat pump adoption in the UK as more and more people are switching to cleaner, greener and more affordable heating solutions. The scheme has proven to be a powerful asset in helping households lower their energy bills while contributing to the nation’s efforts to get off gas and reduce carbon emissions, but there is more to be done. “To truly maximise the scheme’s impact, the government must take bold action. We urge policymakers to move faster on implementation dates for the critical removal of planning permission red tape, which was announced over two months ago and still has no sign of action; to address the ongoing price imbalance between electricity and gas, to increase accessibility within the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and to overhaul outdated grid connection processes for heat pump households— ensuring they can benefit from their heat pumps without unnecessary delays.
’ Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk
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