Episódios

  • In this episode of The Vaillant Podcast, we’re celebrating the plumbing and heating industry with some amazing installer stories.

    Mike Lacey is joined in the studio by Todd Glister, co-host of the Heating & Plumbing Show on Fix Radio – sponsored by Vaillant – for a chinwag about some weird and wonderful tales from installers and colleagues.

    The pair spill the beans about embarrassing rookie mistakes, youthful mishaps and getting up to mischief on the job.

    Plus, there’s amusing animal encounters and a tribute to those customers who go the extra mile.

    Produced by Ed Adams, First Touch

    Want to know more?

    Follow Todd on Instagram, X (Twitter) and Facebook

    For industry hot topics, stories and more about how Vaillant is proudly supporting installers, please visit our In The Know installer hub

    Got a plumbing story you’d like to share? Get in touch on X (Twitter), Instagram or Facebook, or email us at [email protected]

    Check out our YouTube channel

    About The Vaillant Podcast

    The Vaillant Podcast is a heating industry podcast designed to support installers with every aspect of their working lives. From mental health to marketing, and from fitness to finances, installers can tune in to learn how to enhance their earnings, learning and wellbeing.

    Listen to more episodes of The Vaillant Podcast

    Tell us what you think about The Vaillant Podcast on our socials or email us at [email protected]

  • It’s a new year and a new start – so in this episode of The Vaillant Podcast, we’re talking about business planning.

    How can installer businesses get organised and put plans in place to help them take on 2024 in the best possible shape?

    Joining host Mark Wilkins is Lee Tilbury of Hampshire-based Neater Heat, who brings some brilliant business planning advice to the show.

    They chat about managing increased workloads during the winter months, how using technology helps Lee to keep on top of tax, and look ahead to new legislation that’s affecting the industry this year and beyond.

    Plus, Lee explains why it’s vital to get out to trade shows and reveals his favourite Vaillant products.

    Produced by Ed Adams, First Touch

    Want to know more?

    We always recommend talking to your accountant for financial advice about the tax issues discussed in this episode.

    Find out more about MCS, the Future Homes Standard and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme

    Check out the trade shows coming up in 2024: PHEX, Homebuilding & Renovating Show, Fully Charged Live and InstallerSHOW

    Discover the aroTHERM plus heat pump and the ecoFIT pure combi boiler

    For industry hot topics, stories and more about how Vaillant is proudly supporting installers, please visit our In The Know installer hub

    Follow Vaillant on X (Twitter), Instagram or Facebook

    Check out our YouTube channel

    About The Vaillant Podcast

    The Vaillant Podcast is a heating industry podcast designed to support installers with every aspect of their working lives. From mental health to marketing, and from fitness to finances, installers can tune in to learn how to enhance their earnings, learning and wellbeing.

    Listen to more episodes of The Vaillant Podcast

    Tell us what you think about The Vaillant Podcast on our socials or email us at [email protected]

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  • The festive season is also the heating season – and for many installers, working at Christmas is just part of the job.

    In this episode of The Vaillant Podcast, we’re donning our Santa hats and pulling crackers for a Christmas special.

    Joining ho-ho-host Mark Wilkins are three wise men: Essex-based gas engineer (and qualified pilot) Shoaib Awan of The Gas Expert Ltd, and Luke Sheppard and Simon Murray of Surrey-based Optimus Heating – a winner of Vaillant’s Heat Pump Challenge.

    They discuss working on Christmas Day, navigating the busiest period for heating and plumbing installers, and maintaining a good work-life balance over the party season.

    Plus, there’s chat about favourite festive memories, top Yuletide tunes and the best thing about a Christmas dinner.

    Produced by Ed Adams, First Touch

    Want to know more?

    Follow The Gas Expert Ltd and Optimus Heating on Instagram

    For industry hot topics, stories and more about how Vaillant is proudly supporting installers, please visit our In The Know installer hub

    Follow Vaillant on X (Twitter), Instagram or Facebook

    Check out our YouTube channel

    About The Vaillant Podcast

    The Vaillant Podcast is a heating industry podcast designed to support installers with every aspect of their working lives. From mental health to marketing, and from fitness to finances, installers can tune in to learn how to enhance their earnings, learning and wellbeing.

    Listen to more episodes of The Vaillant Podcast

    Tell us what you think about The Vaillant Podcast on our socials or email us at [email protected]

  • In this episode of The Vaillant Podcast, Mike Lacey is at the helm for the first time. He’s joined by Essex-based installer and social media star Ian Briggs of IRB Heating, who gives us his thoughts about the brand new ecoTEC plus boiler.

    Ian tells us what it’s like to install and set up, how it improves on the previous ecoTEC plus range, and what feature he likes the most.

    Also in the studio is Vaillant Technical Development Officer Piers Cooper, who’s been involved in training Vaillant’s army of service engineers on the new ecoTEC plus, as well as helping with installer training. 

    He explains more about what our engineers like about the new boiler and the features that make servicing easier.

    Plus, there’s chat about connectivity, getting active on social media, and Ian’s Vaillant-branded socks.

    Our new ecoTEC plus is our first product range, incorporating new technology, which has been independently certified to operate with up to 20% hydrogen and other blended gas mixtures, preparing the product should the UK Government decide that these fuels have a role to play in our future energy mix.

    Produced by Ed Adams, First Touch

    

    Want to know more?

    Learn more about the remastered ecoTEC plus boiler

    Discover the myVAILLANT connect internet gateway

    Find out about the sensoROOM wireless thermostat

    Monitor your customers’ heating systems with myVAILLANT Pro

    Sign up for online and in-person training with The Vaillant Academy

    Login to your Advance account to grab yourself some Vaillant merchandise from our catalogue

    Follow Ian on Instagram, X (Twitter) and Facebook

    For industry hot topics, stories and more about how Vaillant is proudly supporting installers, please visit our In The Know installer hub

    Follow us on X (Twitter), Instagram or Facebook, and check out our YouTube channel

    About The Vaillant Podcast

    The Vaillant Podcast is a heating industry podcast designed to support installers with every aspect of their working lives. From mental health to marketing, and from fitness to finances, installers can tune in to learn how to enhance their earnings, learning and wellbeing.

  • In this episode of The Vaillant Podcast, Mark Wilkins is joined by Paul Honeyman, Vaillant’s Head of Product Management in the UK, and Mike Lacey, Vaillant’s Head of Digital Technology, to take a deep dive into the brand new ecoTEC plus boiler, which launched in June.

    Our new ecoTEC plus is our first product range, incorporating new technology, which has been independently certified to operate with up to 20% hydrogen and other blended gas mixtures, preparing the product should the UK Government decide that these fuels have a role to play in our future energy mix.Paul talks about the extensive research and development that went into the new boiler and explains what’s changed compared with the original and why. 

    He also reveals some of the hidden functions and features that you may not be aware of, and tackles a few technical installation queries.

    And Mike goes into more detail about the connectivity aspect of the ecoTEC plus and Vaillant’s new internet-enabled products. 

    He discusses why it’s simpler than ever to set up a connected Vaillant heating system, why data is key, and what the future holds for smart home heating.

    Produced by Ed Adams, First Touch

    Want to know more?

    Learn more about the remastered ecoTEC plus boiler

    See the technical specifications and installation manuals for the new ecoTEC plus models

    Discover the myVAILLANT connect internet gateway

    Solving connectivity issues with myVAILLANT connect

    Find out about the sensoROOM wireless thermostat

    Monitor your customers’ heating systems with myVAILLANT Pro

    For industry hot topics, stories and more about how Vaillant is proudly supporting installers, please visit our In The Know installer hub

    Follow us on X (Twitter), Instagram or Facebook , and check out our YouTube channel

    About The Vaillant Podcast

    The Vaillant Podcast is a heating industry podcast designed to support installers with every aspect of their working lives. From mental health to marketing, and from fitness to finances, installers can tune in to learn how to enhance their earnings, learning and wellbeing.

    Listen to more episodes of The Vaillant Podcast

  • In this episode of The Vaillant Podcast, we’re focusing on how Vaillant is leading the way in tackling the heat pump skills gap with Aspire – a brand new training journey that’s designed to give gas installers the knowledge they need to make the transition to low carbon heating. 

    Host Mark Wilkins is joined by Laura Needham, Vaillant’s Head of Training, to reveal what’s covered in the learning pathway, the online and hands-on training options available and the rewards awaiting installers who complete the programme.

    And co-host Simon Whysall pops in to recap the key takeaways from the first three episodes of our mini-series.

    Produced by Ed Adams, First Touch

    

    Want to know more about heat pump training?

    Learn more about Aspire

    See more about our survey of installers’ attitudes to heat pump training

    Read more about the Heat Training Grant (England only)

    Find out more about Vaillant’s industry-leading online and in-person training options

    Discover Vaillant’s range of heat pumps

    For industry hot topics, stories and more about how Vaillant is proudly supporting installers, please visit our In The Know installer hub and follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook

    About The Vaillant Podcast

    The Vaillant Podcast is a heating industry podcast designed to support installers with every aspect of their working lives. From mental health to marketing, and from fitness to finances, installers can tune in to learn how to enhance their earnings, learning and wellbeing.

    Listen to more episodes of The Vaillant Podcast

  • In this episode of The Vaillant Podcast, we’re taking a dive into the world of connectivity and smart heating. 

    To demystify the concept, Simon Whysall caught up with Mike Lacey, Vaillant’s Head of Digital Technology, for a live chat in front of an installer audience on our stand at InstallerSHOW in Birmingham in June. 

    Simon and Mike explain how smart home technology has lots of benefits for installers and homeowners. They talk about how Vaillant is putting connectivity at the heart of our heating systems with the remastered ecoTEC plus boiler and the new myVAILLANT connect gateway. And they field a few audience questions, too.

    Produced by Ed Adams, First Touch

    

    Want to know more?

    Discover Vaillant’s range of smart home-ready products:

    The remastered ecoTEC plus boiler

    The new myVAILLANT connect internet gateway

    The new sensoROOM wireless thermostat

    Monitor your customers’ heating systems with myVAILLANT Pro

    For industry hot topics, stories and more about how Vaillant is proudly supporting installers, please visit our In The Know installer hub and follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook

    About The Vaillant Podcast

    The Vaillant Podcast is a heating industry podcast designed to support installers with every aspect of their working lives. From mental health to marketing, and from fitness to finances, installers can tune in to learn how to enhance their earnings, learning and wellbeing.

    Listen to more episodes of The Vaillant Podcast

  • In this episode of The Vaillant Podcast, we’re continuing our conversation about the heat pump skills gap and what we’re doing as a manufacturer to support installers who want to retrain and diversify into low carbon heating.

    Joining host Mark Wilkins is Victoria Matthews, Vaillant’s External Affairs and Policy Manager, to discuss the results of our recent survey, which revealed what our loyal installers really think about upskilling in heat pumps.

    How many gas installers are interested in taking up heat pump training, and why? What are the barriers stopping them from doing so? And what support do they need?

    Produced by Ed Adams, First Touch

    Want to know more?

    See more about our survey and read the full report

    Read more about the Heat Training Grant (England only)

    Learn more about Aspire, our brand-new heat pump training pathway

    Find out more about Vaillant’s industry-leading online and in-person training options

    Discover Vaillant’s range of heat pumps

    For industry hot topics, stories and more about how Vaillant is proudly supporting installers, please visit our In The Know installer hub and follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook

    About The Vaillant Podcast

    The Vaillant Podcast is a heating industry podcast designed to support installers with every aspect of their working lives. From mental health to marketing, and from fitness to finances, installers can tune in to learn how to enhance their earnings, learning and wellbeing.

    Listen to more episodes of The Vaillant Podcast

  • The Vaillant Podcast is a heating industry podcast designed to support installers with every aspect of their working lives. From mental health to marketing, and from fitness to finances, installers can tune in to learn how to enhance their earnings, learning and wellbeing.

    In the first episode of a four-part series about the heat pump skills gap, we’re discussing why the UK urgently needs to train more heat pump installers and what we’re doing as a manufacturer to support installers who want to diversify.

    The UK government has set a target of 600,000 heat pump installations a year by 2028 as part of the drive to decarbonise home heating, so training the nation’s gas installers in low carbon technologies is a top priority for the industry.

    Vaillant estimates that we need to upskill 100,000 installers to hit the government’s target. But with only 1,500 accredited heat pump installers in the UK right now, how do we bridge this skills gap within the next five years?

    In this episode, host Simon Whysall is joined by Mark Wilkins, Vaillant’s Technology and Training Director, to look at the reasons why we have so few heat pump installers, how to boost the take-up of low carbon technologies among homeowners, and the roles of the government and the heating industry in supporting installers to retrain in renewables.

    Produced by Ed Adams, First Touch

    Want to know more?

    Read more about the Heat Training Grant 

    Learn more about the Boiler Upgrade Scheme  

    Find out more about Vaillant's industry-leading online and in-person training options

    Discover Vaillant’s range of heat pumps

    For industry hot topics, stories and more about how Vaillant is proudly supporting installers, please visit our In The Know installer hub and follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook

    Listen to more episodes of The Vaillant Podcast

  • Future Talent: A conversation with Mark Wilkins, Neil Jones, Emma Bohan, and Sean Davidson

    The Vaillant Podcast is a heating industry podcast designed to support installers with every aspect of their working lives: from mental health to marketing, fitness to finances; installers can tune in to learn how to enhance their earnings, learning and wellbeing. 

    Having enough trained heating engineers is essential to the long-term success of the plumbing and heating industry and will play a huge part in achieving the Government’s target to decarbonise the nation’s homes. But how can we attract future talent and ensure the industry in on track to achieve targets of 600k heat pump installs per year? 

    The skills gap is much talked about, so what does the journey for new talent keen to join the industry look like? This episode will look at what apprenticeships can offer those starting out; how they work, and how have apprenticeships evolved to include low carbon technologies? We’ll also look at what installers thinking of taking on an apprentice need to consider and what support is available.  

    Joining host Mark Wilkins on this episode of The Vaillant Podcast are Neil Jones, Emma Bohan and Sean Davidson.

    Neil Jones is the Senior Product Manager at the Institute for Apprentices and Technical Education, an employer led organisation that supports technical education and apprenticeships in the United Kingdom.

    Emma Bohan is the General Manager at IMS Heat Pumps, a company with over 25 years’ experience and one of the leading Ground & Air Source Heat Pump installation experts in the UK. 

    And finally, Sean Davidson, one of seven apprentices currently employed by IMS.

    Episode links and resources

    For more information and courses from the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education (IFATE), visit: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/

    For advice on the online and in-person training options from Vaillant, visit: https://www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/training/

    For employers looking to hire an apprentice or, for people looking to become an apprentice, visit: https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/#

    To find an apprenticeship, visit: https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship

    To listen to other episodes of both The Vaillant Podcast and the Technical Series visit: www.buzzsprout.com/840097

    For more information on how Vaillant is proudly supporting installers, please visit www.vaillant.co.uk/businesssupport and follow us on Twitter, Instagram...

  • The Vaillant Podcast is a heating industry podcast designed to support installers with every aspect of their working lives: from mental health to marketing, fitness to finances; installers can tune in to learn how to enhance their earnings, learning and wellbeing. 

    As homeowners look to the ways they can decarbonise their home heating and reduce their impact on the planet, in this this episode of The Vaillant Podcast, we’ll be looking at some of the considerations homeowners may have when making the switch to heat pumps.

    We’ll cover some of the practicalities relating to the every-day running for a homeowner, whilst also discussing servicing tips and how installers can effectively sell the technology to customers.

    Joining host Simon Whysall on The Vaillant Podcast are Chris Rose and Alastair Macewan. 

    Having previously been a member of GreenPeace, Chris Rose is the Director of Campaign Strategy Ltd, a communications consultancy working for public sector, NGO, and private sector clients. Over the past two decades, Chris, together with his wife, have worked to renovate his home in Norfolk, which included installing a Vaillant heat pump in 2020.

    Alastair Macewan is the owner of Ecoplumb, a coastal heating and plumbing company, specialising in renewables, gas and oil for domestic, leisure and marine. Starting the company in 2004, it was born after Alastair saw the need for a move towards a more sustainable future.

    Episode links and resources

    For more information on how Vaillant is proudly supporting installers with diversifying into renewable solutions, please visit www.vaillant.co.uk/businesssupport and follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

    For more information on BUS (Boiler Upgrade Scheme): https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-and-social-schemes/boiler-upgrade-scheme-bus

    Learn more about our award-winning aroTHERM plus here:

    https://www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/products/arotherm-plus-71424.html

    For installers keen to learn more about the MCS certification scheme, visit https://mcscertified.com/

    Renewable technology training courses available from Vaillant can be found at: https://www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/training/online-training/ 

    To listen to other episodes of both The Vaillant Podcast and the Technical Series visit:

  • The Vaillant Podcast is a heating industry podcast designed to support installers with every aspect of their working lives: from mental health to marketing, fitness to finances; installers can tune in to learn how to enhance their earnings, learning and wellbeing.

    In this episode, we’ll be covering the topic of light commercial heating systems and how they differ from their domestic counterparts, before going on to address some of the misconceptions domestic installers may have when it comes to light commercial installations.

    Joining host Simon Whysall in this episode of The Vaillant Podcast are Vaillant’s Regional Business Manager for Commercial Systems, Mike Branson and installer, Shaun Cooney from Banstead Boilers, who regular installs light commercial boilers and has worked in the industry for more than 25 years.

    Episode links and resources

    For more information on how Vaillant is proudly supporting installers, please visit www.vaillant.co.uk/businesssupport and follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

    For more information on Vaillant’s portfolio of light commercial boilers, visit: https://www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/products/larger-output-boilers/

    For more information on Vaillant’s commercial systems and accessories, including low loss headers and plate exchangers visit: https://www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/products/larger-output-boilers/system-accessories/

    For more information on Vaillant’s range of controls: https://www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/products/controls-and-thermostats/

    For advice on the online and in-centre training options from Vaillant, visit: https://www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/training/

    For more information on Vaillant’s Advance scheme visit: https://www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/advance-loyalty-scheme/

    To listen to other episodes of both The Vaillant Podcast and the Technical Series visit: www.buzzsprout.com/840097

  • The Vaillant Podcast is a heating industry podcast designed to support installers with every aspect of their working lives: from mental health to marketing, fitness to finances; installers can tune in to learn how to enhance their earnings, learning and wellbeing. 

    In this episode, we’ll be covering the topic of women in heating and chatting to a couple of guests to ask about what inspired them to consider a career in plumbing and heating, any misconceptions they have had to deal with, and what can be done to encourage more women into the industry.

    Joining host Simon Whysall on The Vaillant Podcast are Heather Clark and Clare King.

    Heather Clark has been in the industry around 14 years. She completed a four-year apprenticeship and went on to start her own company, Clark Gas Ltd. Heather is also a Vaillant service agent, and she is located in Nottingham.

    Clare King runs her own business, Pink Lady Plumbing and Heating, providing excellent service to those in Northampton and surrounding areas. She specialises in power flushing, boiler installations and repairs, as well as under floor heating installations. 

    To listen to other episodes of both The Vaillant Podcast and the Technical Series visit: www.buzzsprout.com/840097

    For more information on how Vaillant is proudly supporting installers, please visit www.vaillant.co.uk/businesssupport and follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

    For more information from Pink Lady Plumbing, please visit https://www.pinkladyplumbing.co.uk/ and follow on Facebook.

     

  •  Low Temperature Systems Part 2 with Mark Wilkins, Martin Butcher, Simon Melbourne, and Christian Ford

     The Vaillant Podcast is a heating industry podcast designed to support installers with every aspect of their working lives. From mental health to marketing, fitness to finances; installers can tune in to learn how to enhance their earnings, learning and wellbeing. 

    On the second part of this podcast, we’ll be looking at what installers need to know when it comes to having conversations with homeowners around low temperature heating systems and their benefits, together with the changes installers should be aware of when it comes to servicing low temperature systems.

    As with the first part of this episode, Mark Wilkins is again joined by Martin Butcher, Technical Quality Manager at Vaillant, Simon Melbourne, System Sales and Design Manager at Vaillant and Christian ford from Indigo Renewables.

    Christian Ford is a director at Indigo Renewables in Leicestershire. Established over 13 years ago, its team has over 30 years’ experience in the heating and renewable sector, providing specialist installation of air and ground source heat pumps along with biomass and solar thermal systems across the whole of the midlands region.

     Want to find out more about low temperature heating systems?

    You can find part one of this podcast here: LINK once ep is live

    To find out more about Vaillant’s low temperature heating systems, please visit: https://www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/

    Looking for information on the training courses Vaillant offers, please visit: https://www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/training/

    Finally, to listen to other episodes of both The Vaillant Podcast and the Technical Series visit: www.buzzsprout.com/840097

    For more information on how Vaillant is proudly supporting installers, please visit www.vaillant.co.uk/businesssupport and follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

    For more information from Indigo Renewables, please visit https://indigorenewables.co.uk/ and follow on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

  • Low Temperature Systems Part 1 with Mark Wilkins, Martin Butcher, Simon Melbourne, and Christian Ford

     The Vaillant Podcast is a heating industry podcast designed to support installers with every aspect of their working lives. From mental health to marketing, fitness to finances; installers can tune in to learn how to enhance their earnings, learning and wellbeing. 

    In part 1 of this episode of The Vaillant Podcast we’ll be covering the recent changes to Part L, which came into play from June 2022 and how heating systems fitted in new build properties must now be designed to run at a lower flow temperature of 55 degrees and the importance of system design in overall efficiency.

    Joining host Mark Wilkins on The Vaillant Podcast is Martin Butcher, Technical Quality Manager at Vaillant, Simon Melbourne, System Sales and Design Manager at Vaillant and Christian ford from Indigo Renewables.

    Christian Ford is a director at Indigo Renewables in Leicestershire. Established over 13 years ago, its team has over 30 years’ experience in the heating and renewable sector, providing specialist installation of air and ground source heat pumps along with biomass and solar thermal systems across the whole of the midlands region.

     Want to find out more about low temperature heating systems?

    To find out more about Vaillant’s low temperature heating systems, please visit: https://www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/

    Looking for information on the training courses Vaillant offers, please visit: https://www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/training/

    Finally, to listen to other episodes of both The Vaillant Podcast and the Technical Series visit: www.buzzsprout.com/840097

    For more information on how Vaillant is proudly supporting installers, please visit www.vaillant.co.uk/businesssupport and follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

    For more information from Indigo Renewables, please visit https://indigorenewables.co.uk/ and follow on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

     

  • The Vaillant Podcast is a heating industry podcast designed to support installers with every aspect of their working lives. From mental health to marketing, fitness to finances; installers can tune in to learn how to enhance their earnings, learning and wellbeing. 

    In this episode of The Vaillant Podcast we asked installers on social media what they wanted to know about the heating industry’s low carbon future. From questions on MCS accreditation, to homeowner incentives such as the recently launched Boiler Upgrade Scheme and having those initial conversations with homeowner, this podcast covers the questions that matter the most to you.

    Joining host Mark Wilkins on this episode of The Vaillant Podcast is Ian Rippin CEO at MCS and Peter Carruthers, owner of PA Carruthers Ltd.

    As CEO at MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme), Ian is responsible for leading the charge when it comes to the growth of the installation of renewables in homes and small businesses. The Microgeneration Certification Scheme has certified over a million installations since it was launched in 2007 and has nearly 2,000 installers currently registered.

    Meanwhile, Peter, is the owner of PA Carruthers Ltd, which has been established since 1994. Predominantly working in off-mains gas areas, PA Carruthers Ltd provides a range of heating and plumbing services across west Wales.  MCS Certified, Peter and his team have a strong reputation for installing renewable and low carbon technologies in both domestic and commercial markets.

    Looking at the low carbon landscape, both Ian and Peter offer their first-hand support and expertise on how installers can successfully navigate a low carbon future.

     Want to find out more about going green?

    To learn more about Part L visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/conservation-of-fuel-and-power-approved-document-l 

    You can find out more about the MCS and how you start your journey to certification here: https://mcscertified.com/installers-manufacturers/becoming-certified/ 

    To learn more about the UK Government’s commitment to a net zero future, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/net-zero-strategy 

    For more information on the Low Temperature Heating Systems training course, visit: XX

    More information on Vaillant’s training, including blended learning courses, which are designed to take you from heat pump zero to hero, can be found here: https://www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/training/course-information/ 

    Details on the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and how installers / homeowners can access this can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-may-be-eligible-for-the-boiler-upgrade-scheme-from-april-2022 

    Low carbon technology training courses available from Vaillant can be found at https://www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/training/online-training/ 

    Finally, to listen to other episodes...

  • The Vaillant Podcast is a heating industry podcast designed to support installers with every aspect of their working lives. From mental health to marketing, fitness to finances; installers can tune in to learn how to enhance their earnings, learning and wellbeing. 

    In this episode of The Vaillant Podcast we tackle the topic of the Internet of Things (IOT), how we can define it, and how the IOT and connected devices are enabling installers to work smarter not harder.

    In this episode, host Simon Whysall is joined by guests Grant Gundelfinger and Karen Matthews from the Mayfly Group Ltd, together with Kenny Virdee, IOT partnership manager at Vaillant, to explore the ways in which connected devices are becoming increasingly popular within the home and how those working in the plumbing and heating industry can utilise this technology to introduce new business services and models.

    Since joining Vaillant more than 20 years ago as a service engineer, Kenny Virdee is now responsible for the successful implementation and delivery of Vaillant’s own IOT strategy. Working with a skilled team Kenny manages the integration of Vaillant’s own technology to support the day-to-day lives of installers.

    Heating Installer of the Year 2021 winner, Grant Gundelfinger is a co-founder and director at the Mayfly Group Ltd, which is based in Leeds. With more than 15 years experience, Grant is familiar with the role connected devices can have on the way he runs his business.

    Since starting her career in the industry in 2008, Karen Matthews, who is Grant’s business partner, and director & co-founder at the Mayfly Group Ltd, has championed the way she and her business can utilise technology to deliver the very best in service for customers.

     Want to find out more?

    To learn more about MyVAILLANT Pro, and how it can allow installers to offer customers extra levels of service, visit: www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/business-support/support-tools/myvaillant-pro/ 

    For Vaillant Advance installers interested in signing up to the current free trial of myVAILLANT Pro, which runs until April 2022, visit: www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/advance-loyalty-scheme/ 

    For more on the vSMART control and Vaillant’s existing range of smart heating controls, visit: www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/products/controls-and-thermostats/smart-controls/

    For information on the training courses from Vaillant on its portfolio of smart controls, visit www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/training/

    Finally, to listen to other episodes of both The Vaillant Podcast and the Technical Series visit: www.buzzsprout.com/840097

    For more information on how Vaillant is proudly supporting installers, please visit

  • The Vaillant Podcast is a heating industry podcast designed to support installers with every aspect of their working lives. From mental health to marketing, fitness to finances; installers can tune in to learn how to enhance their earnings, learning and wellbeing. 

    In this episode of The Vaillant Podcast installers will learn more about how ‘going green’ can have a positive impact on both the planet and their business.

    Joining host Simon Whysall on The Vaillant Podcast is Martin McTague from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and James Lacey owner of JLN Plumbing and Heating.

    Martin is the chair of policy and advocacy at the FSB which represent more than 150,000 small businesses across the UK. The FSB works closely with the government to provide the best possible environment for these businesses to thrive in. 

    Meanwhile, James started off as a one-man-band and grew his company, JLN Plumbing, to a limited business with more than 14 employees. In this episode, James offers his own first-hand insight on some of the ways in which his business has been able to successfully adopt greener ways of working which have also helped improve business efficiencies too. 

     Want to find out more about going green?

    To calculate your business’ carbon footprint visit: https://www.fsb.org.uk/resources-page/how-to-calculate-your-carbon-footprint-as-a-small-business.html 

    To learn more about the UK Government’s commitment to a net zero future, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/net-zero-strategy 

    Information on Green bonds, and other financing options currently available to businesses exploring sustainable options can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-government-green-financing 

    To read the research report from the FSB exploring the attitudes and challenges faced by small businesses in relation to sustainability, head on over to: https://www.fsb.org.uk/resource-report/accelerating-progress.html 

    If you’d like to find out more about MyVAILLANT Pro, or sign up to the free trial, which runs until April 2022, visit: https://www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/business-support/support-tools/myvaillant-pro/ 

    Training to help SME business leaders increase productivity via the Government’s Help to Grow scheme can be accessed at https://www.gov.uk/business-finance-support/help-to-grow-management-uk 

    Commusoft is a scalable job management software for field service engineers, learn more about the platform here https://www.gov.uk/business-finance-support/help-to-grow-management-uk 

    Discover how you and your...

  • The Vaillant Podcast is a heating industry podcast designed to support installers with every aspect of their working lives: from mental health to marketing, fitness to finances; installers can tune in to learn how to enhance their earnings, learning and wellbeing. 

    Revisiting the topic of the very first episode of The Vaillant Podcast, in this episode, Simon Whysall chats with Dr Luke Sullivan and Oliver Stark to learn more about mental health and how we can open up and have those all-important conversations with our employers.

    Dr Luke Sullivan is a clinical psychologist within the NHS and on top of this is also the founder of Men’s Minds Matter, a not-for-profit organisation that was created in 2009. The charity is dedicated to the prevention of male suicide by building psychological resilience and emotional strength.

    Oliver Stark is a heating engineer at Plumbgas based in Stafford. Having worked within the industry for more than a decade Oliver was previously self-employed before joining Plumbgas in 2020 and is a strong advocate for mental health issues.

     

     For further support on mental health visit:

    To learn more about the support offered by Dr Luke Sullivan and the team at Men’s Minds Matter visit: https://www.mensmindsmatter.org/ 

    NHS resources for stress, anxiety and depression: www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/

    MIND, the mental health charity

    www.mind.org.uk

    You can listen to the first episode in The Vaillant Podcast series on mental health here https://www.buzzsprout.com/840097/episodes/2588905 

    For more information on how Vaillant is proudly supporting installers, please visit www.vaillant.co.uk/businesssupport and follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

     

  • Hydrogen for installers with Mark Wilkins, Spencer Clark, Steve Keeton and Mark Danter

    The Vaillant Podcast is a heating industry podcast designed to support installers with every aspect of their working lives. From mental health to marketing, fitness to finances; installers can tune in to learn how to enhance their earnings, learning and wellbeing. 

    In this episode of The Vaillant Podcast takes installers on a journey to understand what hydrogen is and its place within a low carbon heating future.

     

     In addition, the episode also aims to demystify some of the common misconceptions surrounding hydrogen, including its roll out, required infrastructure and applications, before finally exploring at the practicalities for installers looking to make a move into low carbon heating solutions.

    Spencer Clark is Commercial Director at Vaillant for the UK and Ireland and has been with the business for over 17 years and has worked in the plumbing and heating industry for over 30 years.  Spencer’s role includes looking after the specification and commercial side of the business.

    Steve Keeton is Director of External Affairs and Future Portfolio at Vaillant and has been with Vaillant for 30 years. Steve is responsible for looking at relationships with both government ministers and officials and trade associations to try and understand what the future looks like in terms of legislation and regulations. 

    Mark Danter, Senior Strategy Manager at Northern Gas. Mark has worked for various consultancies over the years but has been working for Northern Gas since 2012. Over the last four years, Mark has been leading the work on hydrogen and is also chair of the ‘network safety and impacts board’ which is led by a government body, part of base.

    Mark Wilkins is Technologies and Training Director at Vaillant. As someone who has been working in the industry for almost forty years, Mark has a wealth of expertise and knowledge across all aspects of domestic and light commercial heating.  Having held a variety of roles across many markets, including the UK, Ireland, Germany and Turkey, Mark has a unique view of the industry including the development of boilers and an in-depth knowledge of sustainable heating solutions, such as heat pumps. 

     Want to find out more about the world of hydrogen?

    What is hydrogen and where does it come from? More info can be found here: https://www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/business-support/industry-drivers-and-legislation/hydrogen/

    Hydrogen and the Role of Green Gas in Decarbonising Heat courses available from Vaillant can be found at https://www.vaillant.co.uk/for-installers/training/training/online-training/#table_3 

    Finally, to listen to other episodes of The Vaillant Podcast : www.buzzsprout.com/840097

    For more information on how Vaillant is proudly supporting installers, please visit www.vaillant.co.uk/businesssupport and follow us on