July has been an incredibly busy month for the UK. We have a new Labour government, led by Sir Keir Starmer, alongside all the new ministerial appointments. This includes government departments that HETAS works closely with, such as Steve Reed the new Secretary of State for Defra, and Angela Rayner being appointed as the Secretary of State for the newly renamed MHCLG (formerly DLUHC). For more information on these new appointments and how they relate to our industry, see this informative article we have written. 

We took the time earlier this month, following the general election results, to examine the Labour party’s manifesto, investigating what the UK’s new government has said – and did not say – regarding the environment, air quality, and sustainability. Many promises were made and there were some notable omissions that we hope will be acted upon, in line with the Environment Act’s targets and aspirations. 

There are many possibilities that lie ahead with Keir Starmer’s government. We will keep you updated on how any changes will affect you. Labour’s manifesto did not directly comment on our industry, but it was made clear that action was going to be taken to continue to minimise the UK’s emissions and hit targets. For HETAS and Woodsure, our position has not changed. We will continue working with all UK governments and their departments, providing trusted, expert advice and informing future policies. We are committed to working towards a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable environment and we look forward to continuing our work with the newly appointed Cabinet Ministers and their departments. 

I was interviewed last week on BBC Radio Leeds after a local authority enforcement of Environmental Regulations, where a householder was fined £175 because they emitted smoke from a stove in a smoke control area. This was due to irresponsible burning habits, and despite written and verbal communications. It is positive to see action being taken to deter irresponsible burning behaviours that harm the environment and damage the reputation of burning. I hope the deterrent of a fixed penalty notice discourages other consumers from burning irresponsibly. Careful burning using the right appliances and fuels is so much cleaner than using poor burning practices and poor quality fuel.  Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds (from 1:13:15) or have a read of our article explaining the fine. 

You may have seen a recent communication from us, providing information regarding recent phishing attempts on a number of registrants. I want to reiterate some key facts and top tips to help you stay safe. The recent emails were not a result of our systems being compromised. HETAS was simply another target in the ongoing rise of phishing attempts that organisations around the world have been facing in recent years. Phishing attempts are a widespread concern for businesses across the globe, and it is important that we all stay watchful for any potential threats. The recent attempt that some HETAS registrants received was from an email with ‘.ru’ at the end (a Russian top-level domain). This is becoming more common as attempts to steal money and data from people through deception has been on the rise from groups based in Russia and Iran. When you receive an email that looks suspicious, double-check who sent it. Stay vigilant and refresh your knowledge by re-reading our recent email and, if in doubt, contact the team at HETAS. 

We announced our new partnership with Fleetmaxx Solutions earlier this month, enabling you to save on fuel, tracking, and EV charging costs. This is an exciting new partnership that brings a host of benefits to you, allowing you to save on a range of services to keep your operations running smoothly. Find out more and apply for your exclusive discounts through our page on the Fleetmaxx Solutions website. 

For this month’s manufacturer spotlight, we have looked at Ironwood Stoves. Take a look at July’s manufacturer spotlight here, where you will also find links to Ironwood’s socials and Cleaner Choice approved appliances. It is great to see the Cleaner Choice scheme continuing to grow and an increasing number of manufacturers committing to reducing their emissions. 

This month also saw the first installer forum, hosted by Cain from the HETAS Technical team. This first meeting was a success and a brilliant start – many thanks to Cain for organising. It was extremely insightful to hear thoughts directly from our registrants and listen to feedback. We value our registrants’ opinions – they help us improve, grow, and continue delivering the best services possible. I look forward to more forums in the future and actioning points raised within these meetings. Get in touch with Cain via [email protected] if you are interested in attending one of these forums and sharing your thoughts or ideas. We are looking to keep membership fresh, letting everyone who wishes to voice their opinion do so, so the attendees will be regularly rotated. 

We are hard at work on this quarter’s Technical Bulletin, with the installer forum providing us another avenue with which to receive suggestions on how to keep you informed. We are optimistic that these forums will help us improve, allow for clear communication, and capture concerns installers are facing, allowing the team to put their heads together and provide you with the answers you need in our Technical Bulletins. 

The Climate Change Committee released their annual progress report on the UK Government’s progress in reducing emissions, providing insights and suggestions across a multitude of sectors. Our industry is not mentioned throughout this report and, whilst government is commended for meeting all targets thus far, more is required for the UK’s 2030 targets to be hit. Expect an in-depth article soon and find the full progress report here.  

Thank you for your continued support. As the UK faces changes, we will continue to lead industry and work together towards a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable environment.