Hydronic floor heating control
GOVERNMENT MUST LISTEN TO INDUSTRY F GAS CONCERNS
refrigeration and air conditioning industry is seriously concerned that the Environment Agency does not have the resources to police the F Gas process and that the number of breaches of the regulations could increase after Brexit. A recent parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) report reflected the sector’s worries, and highlighted the lack of prosecutions being carried out under the rules. However, DEFRA said the lack of prosecutions was “not necessarily a good indicator of the effectiveness of compliance work”. “It is right to say enforcement notices, advice, awareness campaigns and guidance have been successful in making people aware of their obligations, but awareness does not guarantee the success of the programme,” said Graeme Fox, head of the country’s main F Gas register Refcom. “There are serious breaches going on out there, which require direct and tough action that the EA cannot take because it does not have the manpower.” He said there had been “numerous non-conformances” that were not
T Graeme Fox
investigated because of lack of resource or because the EA said there was “insufficient evidence”. EAC chair Mary Creagh said her committee was disappointed the
government had not shown more urgency about how this important environmental law would be enforced after Brexit. She asked that DEFRA and the EA publish plans for monitoring non-compliance. She made particular reference to social media, which is fermenting a hugely damaging trade in illegal refrigerant gas.
Illegal
She believes there should be a considerable tightening of customs arrangements to target the amount of refrigerant coming into the UK in illegal disposable cylinders. The EA said it monitored online marketplaces, such as eBay and Amazon, on a daily basis and chases up the platforms to get suspicious activity removed, but Mr Fox believes it must go further. “Real sanctions with meaningful financial penalties are needed to deter this activity,” said Mr Fox, who said Refcom and its members are trying to help by acting as the EA’s eyes and ears “but the lack of follow-up action is seriously discouraging”. Andy Brewer, chair of the BESA Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pump group welcomed the measures that the Government has put in place in recent months to help industry fulfil its obligations under F Gas – particularly the introduction of civil penalties. However, there are still a significant number of non-compliant companies operating under the radar,” he said. “We urge the government to work more closely with the certifying bodies to address the issues and make an example of those who seek to undermine all the hard work of the responsible majority.”
www.refcom.org.uk
he government has been urged to stop ignoring the industry’s nervousness about how the F Gas regulations will be enforced after Brexit. The
Danfoss Icon™
Simple or advanced Matches every preference
Designed to blend in with any interior, The stylish Danfoss Icon™ room thermostats are available in three different versions - dial, display and programmable - each ranging from basic to advanced features.
As an added benefit, our already popular range of hydronic heating controls now include Wireless and App control options with the new 24 volt version and features intelligent heating control with adaptive learning - offering even greater energy savings for the end user.
www.heatingandventilating.net
heating.danfoss.co.uk
ukheating@danfoss.com @Danfoss_UK
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