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Kier Places chose Simply for PAS 2030

NATIONAL HOUSING & FACILITIES MANAGEMENT PROVIDER

Kier Places is part of Kier Group and provides a full range of property management services to clients in and around homes and workplaces across the UK. Clients include local authorities, social housing providers and blue light organisations.

SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

Kier Places engaged Simply Certification to support with their PAS 2030 certification and Trustmark registration.

PAS 2030 is recognised energy efficiency installation standard for residential homes, ensuring that all energy efficiency measures such as insulation, heating controls and electric storage heating are compliant.

Trustmark, which can be certified at the same time, is the government-recognised quality standard of installation, giving residents peace of mind that the installation is of high-quality and is backed by quality assurances.

THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS

The certification process required a full assessment which included Kier Places demonstrating that all installers were trained and qualified, that they had a good understanding of the PAS 2030 standard and there were procedures and processes in place to meet that standard.

In addition to the initial assessment, Kier Places will be re-assessed continually on a percentage of their installations.

TIMELINE

The timeline for certification is on average 4-6 weeks for most organisations.

From the date of the first head office inspection, Kier Places were certified within six days.

This was due a well-planned and smooth assessment programme as Kier had all the relevant documentation and competencies in place.

BENEFITS TO KIER PLACES

  • Accessing work: the Government and the larger energy providers are working towards an objective to ensure all existing properties are energy efficient by 2030.
  • Future-proofing: contracts and funding schemes around the retrofit of energy efficiency measures in buildings are starting to stipulate that installers need to work to PAS 2030 certification.
  • Commitment to sustainability: Kier Places was able to further consolidate its position as a sustainability-focused and quality installer to the residential market.
  • Quality standards: the certification ensures that all installations are carried out to the same standards by any Kier Places representative and that ultimately, the installation reduces carbon.
  • Environmental impact: the installations reduce carbon, meaning lower environmental impact and warmer residents

 

“Because Simply Certification offer both PAS 2030 certification and Trustmark registration at the same time, we were able to streamline the certification process, saving time and ultimately resource. These certifications increase our ability to bid for work and in turn they facilitate the installation of energy efficiency measures which contribute to carbon reduction across the country.

Certification proves that we have the competence and internal skills to deliver these measures and ensures that anyone who works for us in retrofit, energy efficiency or carbon reduction within our residential team will be trained to an exceptional standard.

The Team at Simply Certification were excellent. They were really responsive and helpful, ensuring that we were fully prepared, making for a smooth assessment process. The team have exceeded our expectations and because of that, we are working with them to ensure our whole supply chain is compliant.”

David Rowe, Technical Director at Kier Places

The Great British Insulation Scheme

What is The Great British Insulation Scheme?

Designed to be complementary to the current ECO scheme, which is known as ECO4, The Great British Insulation Scheme (previously known as ECO Plus) has an anticipated spend of £1 Billion and improve 300,000 homes.

It is designed to deliver improvements to the least energy-efficient dwellings in Great Britain to tackle fuel poverty and help reduce energy bills.

This scheme will mostly deliver single insulation measures.

Which areas does it cover?

The scheme will operated across Great Britain.

Which standards and measures will The Great British Insulation Scheme cover?

The Government have decided that all measures must be delivered under PAS 2035 (meaning installers will need PAS 2030) including the simpler measures:

  • B1 Cavity wall insulation (including party walls)
  • B4 and B8 Solid wall insulation (both external and internal)
  • B5 Flat roof insulation
  • B6 Under floor insulation/Solid floor insulation
  • B9 Loft insulation
  • B10 Pitched roof insulation
  • B12 Room-in-roof insulation
  • B13 Park home insulation

When will it run?

The scheme will launch by Summer 2023 and run until March 2026.

What are the benefits to households?

The government believe the scheme will save households around £310 a year.

Who will qualify?

As well as supporting low-income and vulnerable households, it will also be available to those living in homes with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D-G, and within Council Tax bands A-D in England and A-E in Scotland and Wales.

How do I gain the right certification so I can operate under this scheme?

As an installer you will need to install under PAS 2035 – which means you will need PAS 2030. Contact our team today to find out more.

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Valley Group gain PAS 2030 and TrustMark

SCOTTISH BUILDING COMPLIANCE & FACILITIES MANAGEMENT PROVIDER

Valley Group are a building compliance and facilities management company headquartered in Glasgow, with 6 divisions including a specialist energy-efficiency arm dedicated to warmer homes.

As the business has grown across Scotland, there has been a need to ensure that the quality of installation standards remains high, which is why they engaged Simply Certification to gain PAS2030 certification.

SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

Valley Group engaged Simply Certification to support with their PAS2030 certification and Trustmark registration as a high percentage of their work comes through public sector housing schemes and has to be Trustmark registered.

Valley Group is dedicated to its own sustainability initiatives and is committed to training and developing its people as a way to future-proof its business. The business places huge emphasis on training and keeping people safe, which is why PAS 2030 was such an important business strategy for them.

Valley Group recognise that safe operating procedures and efficient installations reduce waste and ensure consistency of service, increasing client and end-user satisfaction and saving everyone time and money.

THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS

Valley Group had worked with Simply Certification previously, but the relationship was continued with a new contact in the business.

The certification process included a head office assessment which was focused around checking that processes and procedures were meeting the standard. This was followed by multiple technical inspections to ensure that the processes and procedures were being met in a live environment.

BENEFITS TO VALLEY GROUP

  • Business development: the certifications allow Valley Group to compete for public sector contracts.
  • Training and development: the next generation of operatives are all trained to the quality standards set out by PAS 2030 and Trustmark.
  • Recruitment and talent attraction: holding the certification ensures that Valley Group attract, train and retain people who have pride in what they do and work to a high standard.
  • Reputation: the standards that Valley Group work to ensure that clients and their end users are happy.

 

“Simply Certification really offered me peace of mind. I have over 20 accreditations and memberships to uphold and Simply got that – everything was communicated well. It’s important to me to pick up the phone and be able to achieve something, not just get passed around or having to repeat myself.

Having one point of contact at Simply really meant I could get things done and keep the business moving. This was a new standard to me and the team were supportive- they understood my business and its stakeholders.

This certification is not just about continuous improvement, it helps us secure grants, work with energy providers and build relationships that we simply couldn’t without it.”

Frazer Lowrie, HSQE Manager at Valley Group

Six mighty good reasons to gain MCS, PAS 2030 and TrustMark

The need for more PAS 2030 certified and TrustMark registered contractors is growing rapidly.

With a target for the UK to reach Net Zero by 2050 one of the key requirements is to address the issue of poor energy efficiency performance in homes.

The link to soaring energy prices, unhealthy homes due to damp and mould and a cost of living crisis is also driving more landlords and home owners to invest into the retrofit of their properties with insulation measures and renewable technologies.

24 Million Homes and Six Funding Schemes

There is an estimated 24 million domestic properties and currently six funding schemes that need contractors that have the relevant certification and proven competency.

So the opportunity is HUGE.

What are the funding schemes?

  1. Green Rewards – Brand new initiatives have been launched and there is likely to be more. This is non-government funding, aimed at the able to pay market; banks and building societies are releasing loans and cash back rewards to encourage home owners to retrofit their homes from TrustMark registered businesses.
  2. Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund – We have established relationships with primary contractors who have been successful in securing funding for SHDF. They have asked Simply Certification to introduce our clients once certified, as they are extending their supply chains to deliver larger schemes.
  3. ECO4 – Currently under the fourth wave The Energy Company Obligation is aimed at lower income homes that need multiple energy efficiency measures installed to help combat fuel poverty.
  4. ECO Plus – Get ready for the complementary scheme to ECO4 which is currently under consultation and due to start in the Spring.
  5. Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) – The HUG scheme is designed for the improvement of energy performance and heating systems for off gas grid homes in England.
  6. Local Authority Delivery (LAD) – Currently under the third phase LAD schemes are managed by local authorities to target low income homes in their area.

To qualify to deliver under these you will need to be a TrustMark registered business and hold the relevant certification for the measures or technologies that you install.

The future

We know the wider importance to stop homes damaging the planet.

We also know that homeowners and tenants are trying to reduce their spend on energy costs.

We know that properties that are poorly ventilated are causing damage to the health of the occupiers.

All of these reasons are forcing a serious and committed drive for change and a significant increase in the UK supply chain of certified installers.

If you are a contractor that delivers home improvements, then being part of this supply chain will not only future proof your business and open up opportunities but you will also be supporting a cause that will protect the most vulnerable as well as helping to achieve Net-Zero and protect our environment.

More information?

Contact our friendly team who will take you through the various options:

T: 0191 323 3960

E: hello@simplycertification.co.uk

 

 

Gain TrustMark Licence Plus with Simply

Simply Certification, providers of certification across the Lifecycle of the Built Environment are excited to announce that we now offer TrustMark Licence Plus.

Current schemes such as ECO4, LADs, HUG and SHDF require PAS 2030/35 certification and TrustMark registration; Licence Plus is designed for future schemes and the able to pay market which may not need the PAS 2035 element that PAS 2030 certification requires.

To operate within the Licence Plus scheme, Licence Plus contractors will need to be a TrustMark registered business and undergo assessments to ensure high quality installations that protect the customer.

Alex Gates, Simply Certification’s Managing Director explains;

“We’re excited to be one of the first certification bodies to offer this, as one of our key priorities is to help extend the supply chain to help meet the UK’s net-zero targets.”

“We’ve been working closely with a number of primary contractors and TrustMark on various initiatives to help drive up the numbers within the UK supply chain and are already starting to see an increase of new contractors into this sector, which is an amazing achievement.”

“Improving Energy Efficiency through quality retrofitting”

Simon Ayers, CEO, TrustMark explains,

“We are facing one of the biggest challenges around reducing energy consumption and making homes in the UK warmer, more comfortable and healthier to live in at a time when we have a cost of living crisis, coupled with a shortage of skilled trades. Improving energy efficiency through quality retrofitting is key to helping reduce this burden but it must be done by competent tradespeople working to measurable standards to ensure the result fits the need.

The demand for businesses has never been higher and will only continue to increase. This demand, coupled with the current skills shortage, means we have to look for broader solutions. We believe that the Licence Plus Scheme can be part of that solution, so it’s great to have Simply Certification on board, offering Licence Plus registration to their businesses.”

Certification across the Built Environment Lifecycle

Simply Certification who were launched in August 2020 are quickly becoming the certification body of choice for organisations who operate across the lifecycle of the built environment which includes 4 key stages:

  1. Pre Construction and Design
  2. Construction
  3. Operations, Facilities Management and Retrofit
  4. End of Use

“We ensure a great assessment experience that adds real value”

Alex concludes;

“Our offering is extremely attractive to organisations who operate within any one of the stages of the Built Environment Lifecycle.

“Particularly those who are aligned with net-zero strategies. We have a strong focus on supporting organisations in their quality, environment and health and safety certifications. We have aligned our service to meet these needs which includes delivering assessments and certification for ISO and SSIP as well as TrustMark, PAS 2030, PAS 2038, Licence Plus and soon MCS.

Our unique offering is that we can coordinate assessment plans that keep disruption to a minimum and ensure great value by having a collaborative approach.

We ensure a great assessment experience that adds real value and aids ongoing business improvement with plans that are integrated where possible – a great offering for a sector that requires to demonstrate such high degrees of compliance and certification”

For more information about TrustMark and Licence Plus, contact our team today:
0191 3233960
hello@simplycertification.co.uk

Saviour Energy PAS 2030 Case Study

PAS 2030 Case Study

The Need

Saviour Energy Solutions launched in 2014 and have been delivering the retrofit of energy efficiency measures under various funding schemes to help drive down fuel poverty.

Having gained PAS 2030:2017 around 5 years ago, Saviour continued on with their existing certification body.

As the business began to grow, they started to attract opportunities from a number of local authorities which required evidence of compliance to ISO 9001.

The Pain

After searching for an alternative certification body, they found Simply Certification who offered both PAS 2030 and ISO 9001.

Khawar Aziz , Saviour’s Director states;

“We were finding the lack of communication we were receiving from our provider at the time increasingly frustrating.

From the moment we got in touch with Simply we realised that this was a certification body that was much more in line with what we needed.

Not only did they offer management system certification they also offered PAS 2030.”

Khawar goes onto say;

“We were feeling let down with our other provider due to lack of responsiveness and compliance is vital to us so felt that we would also enlist the services of Simply for PAS 2030.”

The Outcome

“We have gained certification with Simply for PAS 2030 and the process was such a different experience to what we have had previously.

It was a nice experience working with Simply. Especially, Lyndsey whom I called and interacted during this whole process. She was always ready to help.

Communication is so important when providing a service such as certification and I felt that Simply excelled at this.

The assessments were invaluable to us by supporting with our continuous improvement and compliance.

We’re really looking forward to a continued relationship with Simply.”

TrustMark welcomes latest Scheme Provider, Simply Certification

TrustMark Scheme Provider

Press Release from TrustMark 16 February 2022

The latest UK certification organisation to receive UKAS accreditation has joined TrustMark as a new Scheme Provider.

Simply Certification provides UKAS certification for a variety of organisations who operate within the Construction supply chain including the Eco and Decarbonisation sector for new and existing buildings.

Certifications include PAS 2030 (Eco efficient installer), ISO 9001 (Quality Management), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), ISO 45001 (Health and Safety) and ISO 19650 (Building Information Modelling).

Simply Certification was launched in August 2020 by its founder members, all of whom come from the certification industry. Their aim is to simplify the certification process where possible and ensure that the assessment experience is not unnecessarily overcomplicated.

Alongside assessing certifications for domestic retrofit installations, they also recently launched a service around PAS 2038 (Assessment and Design of the Retrofit of Energy Efficiency Measures for Commercial Building Stock) and are working with some large national contractors to help them and their supply chain become compliant.

Now that Simply Certification is a TrustMark Scheme Provider, their customers will be able to gain both certifications for PAS 2030 and become a TrustMark Registered Business as part of the services offered.

Simon Ayers, CEO TrustMark said,

“Simply Certification is a welcome addition to TrustMark. Their focus on quality and compliance aligns with our own and further strengthens the drive for improvement. The team’s emphasis on working collaboratively with their businesses and supporting them through a robust but straightforward approach to achieving certification helps to achieve continual improvement as well as the end goal. As retrofitting our homes increases in importance, services offered by organisations like Simply Certification to the construction industry are integral in achieving the quality and standards required in this vital area. We look forward to working with them.”

Austin Gibbons, Managing Director at Simply Certification added,

“Having worked within compliance for a number of years supporting organisation to gain certification, I have first-hand experience of the frustrations of trying to gain and maintain certification. We’re very excited to be able to provide a certification service that installers and contractors feel is of great value. It’s so important that our customers feel like customers and have a positive experience with us.

“We are seeing the growing need for PAS 2030 certification and TrustMark Registration within the construction sector as it is becoming recognised that meeting these requirements demonstrates high quality for retrofit installation. We’re excited to become a TrustMark Scheme Provider and to be able to offer another level of quality to our customers.”

PAS 2035 – How it relates to PAS 2030:2019

PAS 2035

PAS 2035 is a standard, not a certification

We get many enquiries asking how to gain certification for PAS 2035.

That’s the first main misunderstanding. PAS 2035 is a standard, however it is not a certification.

The reason behind PAS 2030:2019 and PAS 2035

Existing properties in the UK are the least energy efficient dwellings in Europe. With more than 50% of existing properties being built before 1965, the Government and large energy providers recognised that funding would be required to encourage home owners to make their properties more energy efficient.

This ‘Retrofit’ scheme needed to be created to ensure that funding would only be used on high quality installations, therefore PAS 2030 was introduced.

What is PAS 2030?

PAS 2030:2019 is the latest standard that was released in July 2019, with only a small number of certification bodies, including Simply, offering certification.

The standard sets out a range of requirements that need to be met to gain certification. Having this certification then allows installers to register onto the Green Deal Orb. Only if you are listed on the Green Deal Orb can your customers benefit from the Green Home Efficiency Scheme, which a property owner can get up to £5,000 of funding towards the cost of a new installation.

What is PAS 2035? 

In a nutshell it is the specification and guidance to the retrofitting of dwellings for improved energy efficiency. Every installer, to gain PAS 2030:2019 needs to demonstrate their ability to have a ‘whole house approach’ i.e. be able to plan an installation that considers the whole of the house; there is no point in getting a brand new boiler if the windows are performing poor.

For more information on PAS 2035 or PAS 2030:2019 contact our team today.

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