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Private sector leading growth in the construction industry

gazza — Fri, 24 Jan 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Private sector leading growth in the construction industry

gazza Fri, 24/01/2014

Trade Skills 4 U, Britain's premier electrical training company have published an interesting article on the expected growth forecast within the electrical industry through 2014.
This year looks set to be the strongest year for construction growth since 2009, with renewed optimism that things are picking up post recession. Businesses are now putting planned expansion into action with small retail premises, hotels and leisure units and offices leading the way in the planned growth at 7%, 13% and 8% respectively.
The Winners
Retail has seen the biggest surprise growth for this year after suffering a dip of 24% during 2013. The driver of this growth is smaller retail unit refurbishments rather than large out of town developments.
The majority of the growth is centred around large projects in London and the Midlands in particular offices and the creation of shopping 'experiences' designed to centre shopping around a day out rather than a routine activity. The growth is expected to move away from the capital towards the end of the year with the focus moving to other major towns and cities throughout the UK. Early forecasts indicate that 2015 growth will be centred around these developments as sites are sought to build upon.
The loser
The only loser this year is social housing, with projects being 23% down on a year ago. Current activity still remains 48% higher than in 2007, but is not expected to last due to continued public sector cuts.
Prognosis
Overall growth figures are now well on the up with many more projects now coming to fruition rather than dying out in the planning stages. Now the construction industry is picking up, many believe the worst is now over and we can look forward to renewed growth and vibrancy within our industry.
You can read the original article on the Trade Skills 4 U website here: http://www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/posts/2014-private-sector-growth

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Review of the Megger Business in a Box

gazza — Thu, 02 May 2013 23:00:00 +0000

Review of the Megger Business in a Box

gazza Fri, 03/05/2013

PAT testing is an increasingly lucrative service that can be offered in addition to electrical services or on its own entirely. It is a very is a popular option for those who are new to the electrical industry. Any business that uses electrical equipment needs to have a PAT test carried out on each item of electrical equipment to confirm that it is safe for use by employees. Such equipment would include computers, extension lead, kettles, microwaves and even radios that might be found in an office.
Some householders also choose to have PAT testing carried out although this is not compulsory, so the main market if you are thinking of becoming a PAT tester will be businesses. So having qualified as a PAT Tester, the world is now your oyster right?
Well of course, becoming a PAT Tester should have opened up your options somewhat, but if you are new to the electrical industry, one of the first challenges you will face is how to find business. This is where the Megger Business in a box comes in.
This ingenious product contains everything you need to start your own business as a PAT Tester and naturally, as this is Megger it includes the Tester! Available in two versions the PAT320 is the manual version and the PAT420 is the computerised version. Included with the tester is everything you need to diversify the direction of your business and boost your income. In a nutshell, this is your business, you have the freedom to run it well without the worry of where to gain customers from.
The business in a box comprises of a tough PAT tester that will give years of service – this will get your business off to a great start without the worry of inferior equipment. All the leads and adaptors needed to carry out PAT testing successfully are all supplied.
If you are buying the manual version, you will receive a duplicate test report book to enable results to be certified and a copy can then be issued to your customer. The computerised PAT business in a box comes with the renowned Megger Power suite Contractor PAT certification software which manages both your customers and assets including arranging appointments, diary management and billing, automatic testing, printing certificates and repairs estimates.
Each business in a box comes with a roll of 1000 pass labels which is a great start for your new business plus a guide to PAT testing containing clear step by step instructions on how to do it.
Whilst this is useful, it is important to remember that is only a guide. At Trade Skills 4 U we recommend taking a PAT Testing course even if you are an electrician already in order to gain a PAT testing qualification as well as to understand what it is about. This is an important step in gaining customer confidence.
The guide helps identify who your customers are going be and how to sell your PAT testing services to them. The guide includes:
* Where to find and how to approach clients – this is essential knowledge if this is your own business.
* Details of who, and why they need to be testing their electrical assets – again this is an essential component in selling your services successfully.
* Guidelines on what to charge – It is important to price competitively, but not so low as you lose motivation and not so high that you price yourself out of the market.
* Pre-designed advert and brochure for you to customise – this can save you a lot of money on paying for someone to design this for you especially if you are not creative enough to do this yourself, or lack the time.
* Pre-written press releases for you to generate interest – again these can be distributed as editorials in local publications or even newspapers in your local area, perhaps there are websites these can be utilised on, including your own. The great thing about the press releases is that they're written by the experts – the people who have designed the business in a box so you know its going to be written professionally.
* Pre-written letters for you to send to your potential customers – again if you lack the time to compile business stationery and advertising, the letters can easily be sent out to clients without you spending large amounts of time composing letters at a computer – we're sure you can use your time more effectively!
At Trade Skills 4 U we feel the computerised version of the business in a box has the edge as this is going to produce the professional looking results that customers are looking for nowadays. The computer generated certificates look more professional than a hand written document. However the price tag of around £500 extra to purchase the computerised version has to be considered.
The great thing though about both versions is that everything is contained in the box to set up a successful PAT testing business. The only optional extras for both packs are a bar code reader and bar code printer.
So whether you are considering a move into the electrical industry or are thinking of offering PAT testing to compliment your services, the Megger Business in a box will get you off to a great start.

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Electricians Classed As New Affluent Workers

gazza — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 23:00:00 +0000

Electricians Classed As New Affluent Workers

gazza Mon, 29/04/2013

It would appear that the UK is still dominated by class – and we don't mean schools on this occasion. The culture of upper, middle and working class families may well conjure up images of Victorian life where the fascination of those belonging to a certain class according to their occupation or upbringing was rife.
According to a recent BBC survey of 160,000 people, it would appear that the class system is still very much around albeit in a very fragmented format. Upon looking at the results it would seem to us that the whole system is really rather pointless and serves more as a novelty value for those who are interested in hanging on to Britain’s colourful past.
For all the tradespeople out there who have long wondered what the perception of the trade is from a non-tradespersons point of view may be pleased to know that electricians and plumbers have been defined as 'new affluent workers' who make up 15% of the population. Yes new affluent workers are part of a handful of new classes that now make up Britain’s new class system!
So what has happened to the traditional upper, middle and working class? Well they're still around, although unsurprisingly the upper class has re-named itself as the 'elite' which makes up just 6% of the population. The traditional working class makes up 14% of the population, the average age of a person in the working class is 66 and are based in pre-industrial towns and although defined as the same class as before, it has been described as a throw back to a by gone era. The 'precariat' class, which is described as deprived has broken away from working class.
The middle class has been broken up into fragments which mainly describe the occupation and age of the people within it. Only a quarter of the population fits into the 'established middle class' which is made up of people within traditional occupations such as teachers, town planners and engineers.
In addition to the affluent middle class, there are various other fragments with equally interesting names.
* Emergent service sector – a group dominated by young graduates working in occupations such as HR and call centres. - 1 in 5 of the population work in occupations such as these.
* Technical middle class – made up of IT specialists and scientists described as well paid and highly skilled are also described as culturally disengaged and socially isolated, more likely to enjoy video games over opera.
There is such fragmentation of the middle class that there is constant blurring and of course its highly unlikely that anyone has really noticed they have been defined into one of these fragments.
Mind you, we at Trade Skills 4 U quite like the term new affluent workers, it sounds quite favourable especially as we've long since being dubbed as scruffy white van types!
You can check out more blogs from TradeSkills4U here: http://www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/pages/tradeskills4u-blog

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What is the purpose of an EICR? (Electrical Installation Condition Report)

gazza — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

What is the purpose of an EICR? (Electrical Installation Condition Report)

gazza Tue, 19/03/2013

An EICR is an Electrical Installation Condition Report. It is a formal document that is produced following an assessment of the electrical installation within a property. It must be carried out by a Part P Registered Electrician who has a good working knowledge and experience of electrical installations.
There are many reasons why a householder might request an EICR and indeed they are highly recommended where proof may be required to show an electrical installation is safe. One of the more common reasons an EICR is requested is in rented accommodation where an EICR is the most straightforward and least time consuming method of proving an electrical installation is safe.
An EICR is also recommended in all domestic homes every 10 years to check the condition of the electrical installation and ensure there is no deterioration, however there may be reasons why an EICR would need to be done more often. Typical reasons include:
* Age of the installation (the older the installation the more often an EICR should be carried out)
* Type of property. For example, if the property has a swimming pool, the recommended interval between an EICR is 1 year, however only the parts of the installation relating to the swimming pool would need to be assessed.
* Environmental Conditions
* Misuse of the installation such as vandalism
* Change in usage of the domestic premises. This could be change of occupancy in rental properties, or a property is being prepared to be sold, or the property is being purchased. It is highly recommended that an EICR is carried out with each change of occupancy in rental properties to ensure the property remains electrically safe. Equally, requesting an EICR on a property that is being purchased is the best way to find out if work needs to be carried out on the electrical system.
* Any concerns the householder has about the condition of their electrical installation.
Whilst there is no legal requirement to have an EICR carried out in any situation, an EICR provides peace of mind that a home is electrically safe and they are not expensive to carry out. In the same way as a boiler would be serviced every year, consider having an EICR carried out at the recommended intervals, the yearly cost of an EICR is extremely low when compared to the cost of an annual car service or annual boiler service but yet could save a sizeable sum of money as an EICR would pick up on a potential problem before it became a serious, costly issue.
During an EICR, an electrician may make a number of electrical observations and will give each one a recommendation code. The observations describe a defect or omission within the electrical installation. The electricians will code each observation according to the level of severity. The observations will be written in a clear way and are not in any way a sales tool. The customer would then be able to source competitive quotes for the works recommended should they wish to do so.
For an EICR to work most effectively, Trade Skills 4U recommend having an EICR at the recommended intervals as described by a 17th edition electrician or domestic installer and have the work carried out as recommended for the property to remain electrically safe.

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Construction Materials now turning Eco with Recovinyl

gazza — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Construction Materials now turning Eco with Recovinyl

gazza Fri, 08/03/2013

Mentioning the word Eco to most people and you are likely to find their ears pricking. Eco products and the depleting of the worlds resources are hot topics at the moment.
When planning home improvements, selecting Eco products has always been at huge expense in the past. PVC-U windows may have been a poor environmental choice, the same with guttering and fascias but is this still the case? At Trade Skills 4U we wonder how many construction industry workers such as electricians, double glaziers, plumbers and builders are aware of Recovinyl?
Recovinyl is an initiative of the European PVC industry. Set up in 2003, as the Vinyl 2010 Voluntary Commitment, its aim is to stimulate and encourage the use of recycled PVC. Vinyl 2010 was a huge success with Europe now recycling over 240,000 tonnes of PVC every year.
In 2011, Recovinyl became Recovinyl Plus and redefined its role to ensure that not only is more PVC recycled each year, but also a new focus initiated to build relationships between the recyclers and converters to ensure that products made using the recyclate will serve an Eco friendly market. A certification scheme was launched which reassures customers that the Eco friendly product they are buying contains the right amount of recyclate.
Converters who are part of the Recovinyl Plus scheme will carry a unique ID number on their products where customers can find out the percentage of recyclate used in the product and what sources were used.
To date, in excess of 48,000 tonnes of PVC-U has been recycled in the UK including over 1 million window frames. This has been made into cladding, roof line products and doors.
Is Recrovinyl more than just PVC?
Following on from the huge success of PVC recycling, the great news is that other regulated waste streams will now be included in the scheme. Products from the automotive, electric and electronic plus their packaging are all included. This is a great idea and is encouraging demand for recycled goods within the construction industry which in turn feeds the growing customer demand for Eco friendly goods which won't cost the earth (quite literally!)
This is great news for parts of the construction industry who have already made huge progress by effectively dealing with PVC-U waste. It is now a chance for the whole construction industry to become involved by creating a more sustainable environment and potentially seeing all products partly or wholly made from recycled materials.
You can find more blog's from TradeSkills4U here: http://www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/pages/tradeskills4u-blog

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Finally Connected to Mains Electricity after a 30 year wait!

gazza — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Finally Connected to Mains Electricity after a 30 year wait!

gazza Fri, 01/03/2013

A pensioner from County Derry has mains electricity in his home after finally being connected to the National Grid.
The pensioner cannot believe how amazing just flicking a switch can be! Anyone would think this would be a news archive dated from many years previously but no, this was a brand new news item in December 2012!
Having his electricity cables installed at his home last year marked the end of a 30 year wait to connect to the National Grid. The pensioner described the experience as 'a miracle'.
Although his home is in a beautiful setting, his living conditions have been the exact opposite with living standards reminiscent of a war time home, using candles as means of light.
With temperatures dropping to as low as -4C, The pensioner had relied on primitive heat sources up until last year by lighting 2 coal fires wearing layers to bed and humping a large gas bottle around to obtain his only forms of heat. He also sat in the car to catch up with essential reading after dark fell.
His home was finally connected to the grid after a long campaign fraught with legalities. Talking from his home in Northern Ireland he cheerfully tells news reporters that Christmas will finally mean something other than another sun rise and sunset.
This takes Energy Efficiency to a whole new level!
- See more at: http://www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/pages/tradeskills4u-blog#sthash.fOF85OLV....

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The Complete Megger On Site Kit MFT1730 Review

gazza — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The Complete Megger On Site Kit MFT1730 Review

gazza Tue, 19/02/2013

The latest top of the range offering from Megger is their complete on-site testing kit known as the MFT1730 On-site kit. Megger is the best known name in electrical test equipment.
Electricians up and down the country and beyond will recognise Megger as being the best and most innovative supplier of testing equipment. The Megger MFT1730 contains everything you need to carry out electrical installation testing on site. There is no additional software to purchase as this is all incorporated and the MFT1730 also includes the 3 pole earth resistance testing kit making it the best value electrical training package on the market. One of the many great things about Megger is its ability to stand up to the job. The multi function tester is site tough and can cope with harsh demanding environments. This doesn’t mean it should live out its life at the top of a tool box though, it comes with a hard carry case which ensures your multi function tester will stay pristine for many years to come. Even this carry case has been rethought, there is also room for a certificate pad, wire cutters and a handful of screwdrivers too. The MFT1730 is surprisingly small which is great news, its not at all bulky and this is reflected in the compact size box it comes in. It is an 'all in one' testing package offering many time saving options for certificate filling. For example, current test results can be sent to a storage device, smart phone, PDA, notebook or laptop immediately or the MFT1730 can store the results of the test to download to a computer off site. There are no additional leads needed for sending the results to another device as the MFT1730 uses Blue-tooth technology to communicate quickly and effectively. With Megger you truly pay for what you get and the MFT1730 is certainly a tough cookie. It won't go bang when connected across phases it get dropped used in the rain or dusty environments accidentally testing live circuits selecting the wrong test range The Megger MFT1730 is known as the ultimate installation testing package with everything you need in one tough easy to use kit. Included with the multi function tester is £954 worth of accessories which gives you all you need - 2 and 3 wire non-trip loop testing, RCD testing, insulation and continuity testing with resistance measurement. The MFT1730 adds True rms voltage measurement, frequency indication and phase rotation. It even includes 3 pole earth testing to make the kit complete. Due to popular demand from electricians, the multi function tester itself is a rechargeable instrument with downloading, rechargeable cells it also has an excellent enhanced viewing angle with intelligent back light. For convenience, test buttons are located at each end of the tester or you can use the new CAT IV probe with test button if you prefer. There has been a lot of thought put into the MFT 1730 by Megger who have really listened to what electricians want from a product. The commitment of Megger to industry is reflected in its technical leadership and in being the first to design and introduce many key products.

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