PHAM NEWS | MAY 2026 8 News Review


Cast your vote in the Heating Installer Awards


The Heating Installer Awards have announced the shortlist for 2026, recognising outstanding installers across the UK, alongside finalists in three key categories: Rising Star, Best Renewables Installer and Best HVAC Installer. This year’s selection process was carried out by a panel of industry experts, professional bodies and experienced installers, who convened at Samsung’s Manchester


Finalists will take part in a technical challenge later in the year as part of the judging process, helping to determine who progresses to national recognition. This year’s awards will mark


the 11th national winner, who will be announced at InstallerSHOW 2026 at the NEC in June, joining previous industry


leaders


recognised at the event. All the category winners, will be revealed alongside the winners of sister awards, The Plumber Awards. For the full list of shortlisted


training centre in March. The awards include a public voting element, allowing customers and members of the public to support their preferred installers.


First Affinity prize winners


The first of winners in Vokèra’s Affinity 20 monthly prize draw have been revealed. Marking the 20th anniversary of the company’s Affinity Installer Loyalty Programme. Each winner receives a pre-loaded digital Mastercard, with the top prize worth £1,000. The first monthly draw winners include AGV Plumbing and Heating, B Robb & Son, Bradbury Gas Plumbing and Heating Services, Butlers Plumbing, Gas Select Technical Services Ltd, Harttrup Smith Plumbing and Heating, JJ Central Heating & Plumbing, KP Gas & Heating, Lanarkshire Gas Services Limited, Menai Heating Limited, Ohmns Renewables UK, R.E.S, Safe Home Heating Limited, Smartflow Gas Services Limited, Total Engineering Services (North East) Ltd and Trade Complete Ltd.


Heat pump advice book


A Norfolk-based heating engineer has published Warm Wisdom, a guide aimed at tackling “confusion and fear” around heat pumps. Louise Howlett, who runs a Norwich-based heat pump installation firm with her husband, has seen enquiries rise by 70% in recent weeks as higher oil and gas prices push more homeowners to consider alternatives to traditional heating. Now, Louise has written a guide,


Warm Wisdom, to help those thinking about using the technology in their own home. “This book is for heat-pump-curious people,” Louise says. “There’s so much


Reaching the next generation


Copper tube and fittings manufacturer, Lawton Tubes, is appealing to businesses in the industry to join its movement to bridge the growing skills gap between younger and older generations of traders. The company has launched its ‘Lawton Next Gen’ initiative to help reverse the trend of low numbers of young people entering a construction trade, and larger numbers retiring. It comes as the construction


misinformation, confusion and fear surrounding them. I want people to feel more comfortable and find the right type of heat pump installer for them with their eyes open.” ◼ phamnews.co.uk/526/06


sector faces a significant workforce shortfall in the coming years, with major demand for new entrants highlighted across plumbing and wider trade industries. Lawton Next Gen will involve


the roll-out of short-form videos aimed at plumbers and air


conditioning engineers, sharing practical installation tips, from pipe preparation to bending and jointing techniques. The initiative will also include attendance at school careers fairs and partnerships with industry organisations to promote trade careers. Explaining the thinking behind the initiative, director Robert Lawton says: “Youth unemployment is at its worst for a decade. Those aged 16 to 24 are our future, and so this presents a golden opportunity for us to step up and engage with these people to help narrow that gap between those entering and retiring from a trade – and that is what Lawton Next Gen is aiming to achieve.” ◼ phamnews.co.uk/526/07


Votes can be cast via the official Heating Installer Awards website, and contribute to the overall scoring used to determine category and national winners.


installers and to cast your vote, visit the official Heating Installer Awards website using the reader link below. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/526/05


NEWS IN BRIEF


◼ Baxi has made further progress on the comapny’s road to net zero by eliminating diesel as its standard HGV fuel and switching to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), reducing HGV fuel emissions by ~99%.


◼ The Building Engineering Services Competent Assess- ment Ltd (BESCA), part of the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) Group, has successfully achieved UKAS re-accreditation for its Competent Person Scheme (CPS) against ISO 17065, following a rigorous audit by UKAS.


◼ NAPIT is now live with its MCS Redeveloped Installer Scheme and is accepting new applicants. The scheme aims to strengthen quality and consumer protection while streamlining certification and reducing administrative barriers for installers.


◼ West College Scotland has been chosen by the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing


Employers’


Federation (SNIPEF) to host the 51st annual Scottish Plumbing Apprentice of the Year (SPAY) competition at its Paisley campus on 12 June, 2026.


◼ Wiltshire-based renewables specialist Genous has acquired Cotswold Energy, in what has been described as a landmark deal for the


renewable


installation industry. Founded in 2022, is a full service retroffing firm working on residential projects nationwide.


◼ Vaillant Group Service has achieved the ServiceMark accreditation which recog- nises an organisation’s commitment to delivering high standards of customer service. As part of


the


assessment, Vaillant achieved a Business Benchmarking score of 87.3, compared to a sector average of 74.1


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