Clearview National February 2015 - Issue 159 | Page 28

INDUSTRYNEWS Heading for the Highlands »»The GGF raised its profile at the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood, Edinburgh in the first week of December last year, with three jam packed days that included a GGF exhibition, meetings with over 20 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), input at the Scottish Cross Party Group Meeting on Fuel Poverty in Traditional Buildings and an exclusive GGF Members lunch and tour in the Garden Lobby of the Parliament Buildings. Alex Gray, Chairman of GGF Scotland commented, “It’s been an amazing week and it’s so important for the profile of the GGF to be raised in Scotland’s political arena. Sincere thanks to Margaret McCulloch MSP and Nigel Don MSP who helped facilitate the GGF’s Exhibition and arranged the lunch and tour of The Scottish Parliament buildings for our Members.” Representing the GGF at the Exhibition, James Lee, Head of Group Marketing and Communications commented, “This has been an outstanding week for the GGF at the Scottish Parliament. We have made direct contact and held good discussions with over 20 MSPs, who have taken a genuine interest in the GGF, our campaigns and our industry.” Alex Gray, Chairman of GGF Scotland summed up the week saying, “It was clear that Members enjoyed themselves at the Scottish Parliament and the related GGF events with good networking and topical discussions throughout. Thanks to all the Members for attending and also thank you also to the GGF staff for their tremendous efforts in making this a week to remember for GGF Scotland.” To find out more about GGF Scotland or if you would like to attend the next meeting, please contact the GGF [email protected]. uk or call 020 7939 9101. Failing to address inefficient double glazing »»The Government is extending ECO (Energy Company Obligation), introducing a new obligation period from April 2015 to March 2017, termed ‘ECO2’. The Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) Order 2014 (the ‘ECO2 Order’) sets out the requirements for ECO2. ‘replacement windows were not included as a discussion topic in the workshops’ As administrator of the scheme, Ofgem will publish guidance for energy companies, and is consulting on changes to the scheme where they are exercising their discretion in administering new legislative provisions, or where they are making further improvements to their current ECO policies. As part of the stakeholder engagement for this consultation, Ofgem held a number of workshops that ran during the first two 28 » F EB 2015 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M weeks in January 2015. Each session featured an introductory presentation on the full list of changes. The workshops took place in Cardiff, Glasgow and London and included the following discussion topics: • Pre-existing roof-insulation requirements • Cavities which cannot be insulated: • Calculating the lifetime for multi-fuel upgrades of existing DHS connections • Qualifying electric storage heaters • Qualifying boilers: not functioning efficiently • Virgin loft insulation: new requirements • Technical monitoring process: revisions Nigel Rees commented on the extension plans: “Though the extension is welcome, it is quite unbelievable that replacement windows were not included as a discussion topic in the workshops and are clearly not in the plans for change within the scheme. This is more frustrating for our industry because currently under ECO the only windows that qualify for the scheme are single glazed. How can fuel poverty be properly addressed when those suffering the effects are unable to upgrade their inefficient double glazing which may be decades old? The GGF will be contacting Ofgem, demanding answers as to why glazing is not part of the ECO2 plans.” For further information go to: www.ggf.org.uk