10,000 Construction Jobs On The Line

More than 10,000 UK building and insulation jobs could be lost if the government cuts so-called green levies on energy bills, a campaign group has warned.

The UK Green Building Council has claimed that construction firms installing energy efficiency measures through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and manufacturers that make products such as solid wall insulation fear more than 10,000 jobs could be lost if ECO is scrapped or scaled back.

They expressed caution after prime minister David Cameron signalled his desire to roll back green levies following the public debate on the cost they add to household energy bills.

The chancellor George Osborne was expected to announce an easing of the taxes which were designed to encourage investment in and production of sustainable energy and efficiency while penalising dirty fossil fuels.

But Paul King, chief executive of the UK Green Building Council, said the government's proposal could lose thousands of jobs.

"The prime minister needs to realise that going after ECO in a bid to cut household energy bills could end up costing 10,000 construction and insulation jobs," said King.

"That will decimate the very industry that is helping people - including some of the most vulnerable in society - reduce their bills in the long-term."

The Association of the Conservation of Energy estimated that up to 33,000 people are employed delivering ECO and the Green Deal.

This should have risen to 60,000 jobs in 2015, according to government's own projections.

Rob Lambe, managing director of Willmott Dixon Energy Services, added: "We have invested heavily in establishing a business to respond to the projected market opportunities of energy efficiency under ECO.

"Over the next year we anticipated employing more than 400 tradesmen installing insulation to solid walled properties.

"But if ECO funding is cut, this work will simply come to a grinding halt and these jobs will be lost, with thousands more at risk in the wider industry."

The government is expected to announce its intentions in the autumn statement in December.

Sourced from http://www.ibtimes.co.uk

Industrial Trade - Todays Climate

Industrial Trade - Today's Climate

It has been hard times for many small industrial businesses over the last 4-5 years due to the economic downturn of the double dip recession in the UK, so is the struggle over? As the government  predicts a triple dip recession it looked as though we were not out of the woods just yet, however released figures show that we have managed to avoid falling into yet another recession after recording a faster-than-expected growth in the first three months of 2013 and national statistics showed an increase of 0.6% compared to the first three months of 2012. It's an encouraging sign and I'm sure it's been music to small business owners ears throughout the UK.

SIAD Ltd Industrial Roofing & Construction

So how is the industrial tradesman holding out in this fragile and uncertain climate? Well, it seems that small business owners in the industrial trade have seen a slight increase (those who have managed to fight their way through the recessions). I remember reading an article last year;

'One in three companies now make a loss in the roofing and cladding industry'

It was reported that as the economic conditions continued to take their toll, many company owners were burying their heads in the sand. As many as 391 companies made a loss last year within the roofing and cladding industry and I'm sure there are more that have been reported since reading this. For those who have seen it through and pulled budgets back to the bare minimum, 2013 looks to be a bit more promising. Companies are slowly starting to spend money, invest it back into the company to (fingers-crossed) see a return for their efforts. 

I will be keeping a close eye on the impact this year will have on small business owners as we have been promised economic growth, I'm yet to feel 100% certain that this will be the case. 

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The Importance of Company Accreditations

It is essential us as customers to know we can trust our traders. When it comes to money we want to be certain we are spending it in the right place and what we pay for is what we get, it's highly distressing to know that there are so many rouge traders out there willing to do what they can to con us into thinking that small amounts of work costs a small mortgage or trick you into believing that the works contracted for needs more and more money, most of the time these rouge tradesman disappear from site halfway through a job without a care for what mess they have left a family or elderly lady in. Its things like that can potential rip peoples lives apart and even become life threatening if (for example) structural work has had major corners cut.

Trust is placed in the products and services on offer and often without a second thought by the customer which is why dishonest people have seized the opportunity to abuse such a trust making it ever more important for those companies who are trying hard to make an honest living prove they shout about the quality of their products and services. One way which has become increasingly popular is to sign up to different companies specializing in different areas of a business such as health and safety, quality and most importantly TRUST. Both big and small companies can buy these assurance badges only if they stay within the regulations guidelines that each accreditation provides. More and more people are turning to not the cheapest tradesman on the market but the accredited, trusted trader who can ensure quality products and quality services. As rouge traders become repeatedly exposed by TV, news articles and radio chat shows the knowledge of the customer grows and cheap, is not always best!

Now all this is not to say that if a company doesn't have an accreditation they are instantly a rouge trader, a lot of small companies just can't afford to pay the prices of ongoing inspections from the accreditations auditors, it's a pricey process to go through but it certainly helps for a company to market the fact that they carry such bodies.

Always look into the company you wish to use. remember just because they are cheap doesn't mean they're the best. Ask for quotes on the particular job(s) you wish to have done by at least 3 companies, it always pays to do the research and if they carry accreditation badges they will have no problem in showing you policy statements or answering any questions you may have. Accreditation are a powerful tool to attract customers, it's a 'badge of honor' if you will but most importantly it equals a company you can trust.

www.siadltd.com