PHAM NEWS | JULY/AUGUST 2025 6 News Review Double win for North East installer


Craig Gilhomen from Prudhoe in Northumberland has been named Best Heating Installer 2025 at this year’s Heating Installer Awards. Having won the title of Best Heating Installer in the North East earlier in the year, Craig went on to beat finalists from all other regions in the UK, and took home the coveted award.


In addition to the national title,


Craig also brought home the winner’s trophy for Best HVAC Installer 2025, celebrating installers who have delivered a system to customers that not only heats but also cools their homes, improving air quality and ventilation. Loughton’s Shaun Bone of Blue


Flame MK Ltd, who was awarded Best Installer in the South East earlier in the year, was presented with the award for the UK’s Best Sustainable Installer. Meanwhile Jessica Rose from Herefordshire was crowned the industry’s 2025 Rising Star, and Joshua Bond from Cornwall was awarded the Heating Installer Awards 2025 National Runner Up trophy. The trophies were presented


to this year’s victors by previous winners at a ceremony staged at the InstallerSHOW (25th June) held at the NEC in Birmingham. Commenting on his win, Craig


said: “I’ve seen how winning this award can change the future for an


Petition gains support


installer, and I’m just so humbled to win. The people I’ve been up against are some of the biggest names in the trade today. I knew I’d done a great job on a really challenging project, and I’m so happy that the work I put in has been recognised.” The national awards scheme,


now in its tenth year, recognises the achievements of plumbers and heating installers across the country who deliver excellent customer service on a daily basis. All winners enter a project they have completed for a homeowner, followed by a technical challenge set by an industry-leading installer, to demonstrate their expertise, and an open vote.


Daikin boosts the perks


Installers are being offered greater rewards and incentives to register with Daikin’s Sustainable Home Network, designed to support the professional trades on their renewables journey. The upgraded programme offers immediate rewards and benefits from the moment installers join – with new members receiving a major discount on their first order through a Sustainable Home Centre, providing cost savings from day one. Installers earn bonuses through the Business Rewards Fund by registering installation warranties via Daikin’s Stand By Me system. Perks include free training, technical support, marketing tools and access to leads. Progression to Sustainable Home Expert status unlocks further rewards. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/725/05


ATAG Heating Technology is urging both tradespeople and the public to sign a petition to MPs, calling for legislation that would restrict boiler sales exclusively to Gas Safe registered operatives. It follows the company’s recent


survey of certified gas installers that found that more than 82% are forced to rectify unsafe installations by unregistered fitters at least once every quarter, with almost half warning that the faulty work poses a serious risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. One in five installers say illegal


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gas work is directly harming their business, from lost contracts and reputational damage to time and money spent rectifying botched jobs. The survey also highlights concerns not just about customer safety, but about cost, with a third of installers saying customers typically pay over £400 to repair these dangerous installations. The figures suggest that a major


source of this problem is the lack of oversight, as nearly half (45%) of illegal work is promoted via social media advertisements. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/725/06


the beginning of July 2025 until the end of April 2026 – will give participating installers the chance to be one of 100 selected for the trip in October 2026. Installers can earn a place by


Loyal installer customers of Worcester Bosch are being offered the chance to win a place on an exclusive trip to Stuttgart. The company’s PowerUp Supercharged promotion – which runs from


registering their interest and hitting individual targets, and to help them reach their targets Worcester is offering extra rewards during the promotion period. All loyalty members can earn up to £1,500 by installing more gas boilers, oil boilers and heat pumps (excluding the Greenstar 1000 range) based on the same period 2024-2025. The rewards include the choice of


loyalty points, Amazon gift cards or Love2Shop e-gift cards.


◼ phamnews.co.uk/725/07 NEWS IN BRIEF


◼ Trade body the Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA) has rebranded as the ‘Bathroom Association’. The announcement was made at the association’s Future of Water stage at the InstallerSHOW by chief executive Tom Reynolds and association president Craig Baker.


◼ The DELABIE Group has acquired KWC Professional, formerly known as Franke Water Systems, in a move that significantly strengthens its position in sanitary equipment for public and commercial buildings across Europe.


◼ Leeds-based Arctic Hayes has been acquired by DiversiTech, a North American manufacturer and supplier of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration products, enabling the company to introduce new products and better support its merchant partners.


◼ Stelrad Radiators has received its updated certification of Zero Waste to Landfill from environmental solutions experts Valpak. It received its original certification in 2024 but has recently been reassessed and its certification level has improved.


◼ Ideal has just been officially recognised by Investor in Customers (IIC) as A Company That Cares, receiving a top-tier ‘Excellent’ rating across all key performance areas.


◼ LG Electronics (LG) has signed an agreement to acquire a 100% stake in OSO, one of Europe’s leading providers of water heating solutions. The strategic acquisition will fortify LG’s comprehensive heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) portfolio, a core growth engine of its B2B business.


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