Renewable Energy Installer November 2015 | Page 14

Opinion
Female installer calls for more
women in heating
HETAS approved installer Jane van Dijk has a
gained such a great sense of achievement and job
satisfaction through training to become a qualified
installer, she feels the benefits for females working in
the male-dominated heating industry should be more
widely known
ane, the company Director of
Bury St Edmunds-based retailer
Opulence, became a fully
qualified installer in 2006. Prior
to gaining her qualification, Jane sold fires and
fireplaces then decided to become a HETAS
qualified installer as the demand for wood
burning stoves grew.
J
It should be widely
known that women can
forge a great career in the
heating industry
She says: “I sat my exam with SureFire
at their Peak District offices and completed a
H003 refresher course at Specflue in Sudbury,
Suffolk. I’ve found having the HETAS
accreditation to be invaluable. Now, when I
am advising customers about an installation
I know exactly what is involved. I was
surprised at how few women there are who
are installers and feel it should be widely
known that women can forge a great career
in the heating industry as there are plenty of
opportunities for them. Although you don’t
necessarily get preferential support because
you’re a female, I think it definitely helps you
14 | www.renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk
to stand out if you doing a good job.”
Opulence Stoves were first established
in 2004 and specialise in the supply and
installation of stoves.
Jane adds: “We provide a supply only
service or the complete service with stove
installation including building work. With the
complete service you can expect to receive a
free home survey, which I usually carry out,
to assess whether you will need to make any
alterations and what size and type of stove
you will require. These are important factors
which need to be considered before you select
a stove. Following this, our HETAS qualified
installers will then install the stove you select;
thus, providing the complete service from
start to finish.”
At present Jane has four teams of
installers installing multifuel and wood
burning stoves throughout East Anglia,
concentrating on Bury St Edmunds,
Cambridge, Newmarket, Diss, Beccles and
all outlying areas in between. Apart from the
general running of the business, Jane likes
to carry out home surveys to give advice on
stove size, flue requirements and building
work that may be required to install a stove.
“Our main aim as HETAS registered
wood burner stove installers is to provide
The moment when the
customer sees their
vision become reality is
something quite special
top quality service which puts safety first
and gives each customer a personalised and
professional service,” says Jane.
“I love meeting the customers and
surveying their house as each house
is different and comes with its own
requirements. We sell a mixture of traditional,
contemporary and tall cylindrical stoves
which are becoming more popular. It is
interesting for me to see how each region
appears to have its own preference for a
style of stove as each house is different and
comes with its own requirements depending
on whether it’s a modern home or a more
traditional cottage. There is no such thing as
a typical customer, it seems everyone wants
to fit a wood burning stove and fortunately we
can help as we have options for all budgets. I
love seeing an installation through from start
to finish. The moment when the customer
sees their vision become reality is something
quite special.”
For more information on becoming a
HETAS qualified installer, contact HETAS on
01684 278170 or visit hetas.co.uk