Knowledge: Training
Get them to the green
Installers can get all the qualifications they want, but resources put into training
and business development will be wasted unless customers can be convinced to
go green, explains Plumb Center’s head of sustainability, Tim Pollard
nstallers have
heard plenty of
reasons why it
makes sense for
them to incorporate
renewables and energy
efficient technologies into
their businesses. From training
schemes to government
incentives, there are lots of
reasons to make the switch. The
hard part however, is persuading
their customers to trade-up ‘old
faithful’, the carbon emitting
appliance, to one of the new-
fangled and often expensive
renewable alternatives out there.
What’s in it for customers?
How can installers get them to go
green?
I
Ease them in
For homeowners, changing
something as central to the
comfort of their house as their
heating system can seem pretty
daunting.
It’s important to remember
that most customers aren’t as
clued up as their installers, so
discussing what’s best for them
is vital. A good starting point for
clients who are sceptical about
making the switch is a hybrid
system.
On their most basic level
hybrid systems will operate using
renewable technology, such as
an air source heat pump, until the
temperature drops below a fixed
level, at which point the boiler
will kick in – ensuring warmth
all year round. This system not
only assesses the surrounding
temperature, but also the
12 | www.renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk
efficiency of the heating sources
at the time – it essentially ensures
that the system only ever works
as hard as it needs to, and always
selects the appliance that will
save the most money.
Hybrids are a great
introduction for customers to
renewable and energy efficient
technology, with the safety net of
their old friend the boiler.
You’re the expert
The installer is the expert, and
they are best placed to educate
their customers on what’s
right for them. For example, a
client that lives in an off grid
area doesn’t have access to the
current cheapest fuels, oil and
gas – a clued in installer would
be able to suggest that they
switch to a more viable option – a
biomass boiler.
It’s not just about getting the
customer to make the switch to
renewables however. An installer
that proves their knowledge of
the technologies well enough
can ensure that they have repeat
business – after all, all heating
systems need servicing on a
regular basis.
Money, money, money
Many customers could be
forgiven for thinking that
renewables are a rich man’s
game. There are hundreds of
photos in magazines and online
of the futuristic looking houses
of the rich and famous, clad
in solar panels and the like.
The financial outlay on moving
onto renewables can seem
Halfway house: With the leap from conventional heating to renewables
often a daunting one, offering a hybrid solution could be an easier sell to
sceptical customers, says Plumb Center’s Tim Pollard
like Hollywood prices, but the
rewards that can be reaped can
make the move a blockbuster.
The domestic RHI has been
well documented by now, but the
benefits for customers cannot be
underestimated. Installers that
are MCS accredited can help
their clients get the most out of
their renewable systems. Plumb
and Parts Center run low cost,
high-quality courses which are
accredited by leading bodies
such as BPEC and HETAS, and
are available in eight training
academies across the UK, run
in association with its training
partners.
The incentives homeowners
will receive for producing their
own energy under the RHI can
help towards the cost of installing
the system in the first place – and
afterwards make a nice little pay
packet. Combine this with more
manageable heating bills, and
customers are laughing.
At the end of the day, the
financial impact will have the
biggest influence over whether or
not a client is keen to go green,
and installers can show them
that the rewards far outweigh the
costs.