The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 32: Aug/Sept 2017 | Page 38
Landlords: Are you prepared for the new
minimum energy efficiency standards?
The energy efficiency regulations in the private rented sector
for England and Wales are changing from April 2018, making it
unlawful to let residential or commercial properties with an Energy
Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of ‘F’ or ‘G’- the two lowest
grades of energy efficiency.
The new rules will have very
significant implications for landlords
and for occupiers who wish to assign
or sublet space, as properties will
become unmarketable if they are
not upgraded to meet the minimum
standards. Landlords are being urged
to take action now to avoid penalties
and protect the value of their assets.
Regional insurance company PIB
is helping commercial landlords get
ready for the new legal changes
and has created an innovative
package to support them, ensuring
energy efficiency whilst keeping the
investment as low as possible.
Rupert Dixon, director of
Renewable Energy at PIB said: “We
have a unique insurance package
for energy efficiency which covers
the shortfall of any anticipated
savings from installation of these
interventions. We work with a number
of funders and specialist contractors
who audit properties on our client’s
behalf, proposing a range of new
measures to improve a property’s EPC
rating. Where funding is required,
the energy savings can be used to
payback the loan (subject to sufficient
savings available and funder’s
approval), whilst still delivering an
overall saving. This is then ‘wrapped’
into an insurance package to protect
the asset and maintain the anticipated
level of savings.
“My best advise would be to act
now and get expert advice, ensuring
your property investment is energy
efficient, whilst making sure you are
compliant.”
Rupert is a member of the Energy
Managers Association (EMA),
Investor Confidence Project (ICP),
Energy Efficiency Finance Initiative
Group (EEFIG) (Brussels) and the
Energy Services Trade Association
(ESTA). He works with owners,
funders and developers across the
Renewable Energy sector including,
wind, solar photovoltaics, Waste
to Energy, anaerobic digestion and
tidal, providing comprehensive
risk management solutions for all
installation and operational phases.
Rupert Dickson
For more info:
www.pib-insurance.com
0117 926 9937
[email protected]
MEET THE TIGER PLANT TEAM
Stuart Morgan and Andy Rohrer are the founders of a new
machinery hire business based in Swindon, Tiger Plant.
Just a few months in and Tiger Plant is growing rapidly offering
machinery for small building projects (domestic and commercial)
right through to major commercial developments.
Andy and Stuart, who also own a property development
company together, decided to set up Tiger Plant when they
realised one of their own challenges on their building sites
was getting the right plant to the right place at the right
time.
Andy said: “We wasted, so much time trying to source
plant for our own projects we realised other businesses
must be in a similar position. We’ve invested in high quality
plant and can also supply people to operate the machines
in a safe and efficient manner. The business idea emerged
gradually but it’s rapidly grown.”
Tiger Plant has another goal – to provide excellent
customer service alongside well maintained plant to
maximise output and efficiency.
“Often when we hired in machinery it was poorly
maintained and not in good order,” Andy said. “This meant
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THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2017
we were paying to hire plant and then had to endure down
time in the project to get the machinery working properly
or wait for someone to fix it.”
Stuart said: “Our business customers vary enormously.
We hire kit to other building companies and sometimes
other hire companies which need extra capacity. We do
this because we firmly believe in collaboration. We also
support a lot of companies involved in projects around
the environment such as those who are dealing with
contaminated land, removal of diesel tankers, removal
or installing underground equipment, and containers
or those involved in digging trial pits for contamination
assessments.”
The range of plant on offer includes micro diggers,
a selection of midi diggers and larger diggers up to 20
tonnes. Also available for hire are tele handlers, masted
forklifts for moving pallets and other goods suitable for
both inside and outside a business premises, dumper
trucks, bowsers and compactors. Additionally machine
operators can also be hired in so that the machinery comes
with its own operator.
Andy said: “Our ambition is to grow Tiger Plant and
roll it out across the South West over the next year. The
demand is there, and we are growing our team in order to
meet that demand.”
For more info:
www.tigerplant.co.uk
01793 886444