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Heat in buildings – joint statement on the government’s future framework

Guy Pulham, FPS (left) and Paul Rose (OFTEC) Below, the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS) chief executive, Guy Pulham and OFTEC CEO Paul Rose comment: “A wide range of responses to government’s call for evidence were received but the conclusions drawn in the document highlighted BEIS’ continued focus on the electrification of heat using heat pumps.  “We believe this approach will not provide a complete solution and does not consider several recent developments in Europe which highlight how liquid fuels, whether that is a bio fuel or an efuel, can be part of the solution. There is aneed for a mix of low-emission energy sources and technologies to be deployed to meet the requirements of different buildings, dependent on their potential thermal efficiency. “The Call for Evidence ended in June 2018 and since then the FPS has, in partnership with OFTEC and other trade associations in the UK and Europe, been working together to promote the introduction of a renewable, low carbon liquid fuel for off grid households, which would not require a complete change of infrastructure. “We believe this should play a major role in meeting the future heating needs of off grid homes and it is a mistake to focus so much on electric solutions which offer high cost/low efficiency solutions for the 1.5m households off grid households currently using oil in the UK.  Several demonstration projects with heating systems running on partly renewable liquid fuels are already in place across Europe, achieving substantial levels of emissions reduction. So, it is disappointing that this potential is not more positively promoted in the government’s response. “The social implications for an over dependence on one technology are also important and should not be understated.  Government’s response was published just after the publication of the Committee on Fuel Poverty’s (CFP) Third Annual Report which showed the number of fuel poor households in England alone has risen by 210,000 to 2.55 million. “The report highlighted how financial assistance would be needed by the 116,000 fuel poor households who use heating oil in England, if government focuses on heat pumps or electricity as the preferred solutions to meeting future heating needs. “Importantly, the CFP said in its report that on a pence-per-kilowatt-hour basis, it needs to be recognised that oil heating is significantly lower cost than heating by electricity. This is supported by recent figures released by Sutherland Tables, a recognised independent source of comparative domestic heating prices, which show the average annual cost of heating a three-bedroom home in Great Britain with heating oil is £1178 per year – nearly half the cost of electric storage heaters at £2069 per annum. Oil is also far cheaper than any renewable heating options; including air source heat pumps (with radiators) at £1,805 per year or with underfloor heating at £1380, and biomass (wood pellets) at £1,548 per annum. “We were particularly concerned by the statement made in the response by government which said most off-grid homes are suitable for heat pump deployment, quoting their own study undertaken by Delta Energy and Environment (Delta EE) which estimates “that around 15% of off gas grid dwellings are currently not suitable for electric heating”. “Unfortunately, the study is based on a tiny number of homes and appears at odds with a statement made by BEIS minister Claire Perry in the House of Commons in October 2018, in which she stated only 3% of oil-heated homes in Great Britain were in EPC band A-C which in previous studies has shown is the rating compatible with heat pumps. “Furthermore, Delta EE also says “Heating for rural off-gas grid dwellings tends to rely on higher carbon and higher cost fossil fuel sources such as oil ….” Both the CFP and Sutherland Tables clearly show that oil heating is cheaper than electric and renewable forms such as heat pumps and has been for more than five years. Again, it is concerning that misleading statements and studies such as Delta EE’s are being used by BEIS to formulate future policy and strategy around decarbonisation of rural off-gas grid dwellings. “In its response, BEIS stated they are implementing various studies into viable solutions and we urge BEIS to work closely with the liquid fuels industry to develop a roadmap to carbon reduction with a bio/efuel transition as part of the overall picture for off grid households. “FPS actively supports the Industry Contact Group set up by OFTEC and BEIS and will continue to contribute to this discussion group. We believe the group can play an important part in helping BEIS shape strategy by bringing together the whole of the supply chain including the UK petroleum industry association (UKPIA) and the Tank Storage Association (TSA), whilst achieving the carbon reduction goals of 2050 and protect the cost (and choice) of heating systems available to the consumer. “We will be looking to government for policies that unlock further development into a liquid bio or efuel. It is at least reassuring that, so far, nothing has been ruled out and that BEIS is seeking more evidence before making any decisions. It is also pleasing that BEIS has agreed with three key principles that were identified by respondents in respect to any future regulation:
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Certas Energy refuels on Anglesey

Staff from both Certas Energy and Roadking will be in attendance at the official opening On Thursday 31st January, Certas Energy will be holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the official opening of its new bunker refuelling site at Holyhead in North Wales. The bunker site, which is the island of Anglesey’s only dedicated HGV refuelling facility, is located alongside the existing RoadKing truck stop. “We’re delighted the site is now open, and we’re looking forward to meeting customers at the launch event,” said Andrew Goodwin, Certas Energy’s national bunker manager. “The Holyhead site has been designed to meet the needs of the 400,000 lorries and trailers that pass through the port each year. The location of the refuelling bunker ensures that hauliers will no longer need to plan a detour to refuel before making their onward journeys.”
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Labour’s lorry tax hike would damage UK economy 

The Labour Party’s plans to impose a £12,096 a year lorry tax per truck would penalise British business, says The Freight Transport Association (FTA). The plans were mooted by Clive Lewis, a member of the Shadow Treasury team, last week and, according to FTA, are based on inaccurate information. In his comments, Clive Lewis quotes research that claims HGVs currently only pay 11 per cent of their UK road infrastructure costs. But if you look closer at the figures, this is inaccurate. Christopher Snelling, Head of UK Policy at FTA, which represents more than 17,000 logistics businesses nationwide, explained: “FTA is appalled at this short-sighted policy and calls on Clive Lewis to reconsider any potential changes to lorry taxation. The claim that HGVs only pay 11 per cent of their UK road infrastructure costs is false –  between the highest fuel duty of any major economy in the world, the HGV Road User Levy, VED and road tolls, HGVs in fact currently pay enough tax and charges to cover over 90% of the UK’s entire road maintenance budget.” Total UK spending by all authorities on highway maintenance (including bridges, footpaths etc) was £4.7bn in the financial year 2015-16; tax take from HGVs alone covered almost 94 per cent of this cost.  Snelling continued: “Britain needs HGVs to deliver nearly four million tonnes of goods every day in order to function. Everything that makes operating a lorry more expensive makes Britain a less competitive place to do business and increases the cost of goods in the shops.” He concluded: “There are smart ways to work to reduce the environmental footprint of HGVs and make logistics more efficient, that could benefit us all. Blunt tax hikes are the opposite of that and would change nothing while hurting the economy.” Efficient logistics is vital to keep Britain trading, directly having an impact on more than seven million people employed in the making, selling and moving of goods. With Brexit, new technology and other disruptive forces driving change in the way goods move across borders and through the supply chain, logistics has never been more important to UK plc. A champion and challenger, FTA speaks to Government with one voice on behalf of the whole sector, with members from the road, rail, sea and air industries, as well as the buyers of freight services such as retailers and manufacturers. https://fta.co.uk
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Essar – new roadside development

“This is another milestone in the development of Essar’s UK retail network,” said Ramsay Macdonald, head of retail at Essar Essar has confirmed the first opening of a Morrisons Daily at one of its branded retail outlets at Moulsford in Oxfordshire, with several more planned to follow suit in 2019.  The station is one of 12 MPK sites recently unveiled under the Essar marque, following an agreement reached in November with the top independent garage group.  Essar entered the UK retail market with the opening of its first branded forecourt in November 2015 at Coalville in Leicestershire, and now has a network of 67 sites. “This is another milestone in the development of Essar’s UK retail network,” said Ramsay Macdonald, head of retail at Essar. “With a vibrant modern and fresh brand, we believe we are ideally placed to showcase best in class ‘Roadside Retail’ and Morrisons Daily is certainly in that category.   MPK are transforming their business and this is a huge vote of confidence that Essar can assist their development as a major convenience led business. The fantastic range of fresh and chilled foods to go means our customers can do a daily shop, or pick something up on their journey, while filling up at a competitive price.” “Morrisons Daily operates across the UK, offering a wide range of fresh food and grocery items to our customers,” said Wayne Harrand, head of retail, MPK Garages. “The new store will provide the local community with all of their daily shopping needs in one convenient location, coupled with the clean and fresh new Essar branding.  We can see the Moulsford site going from strength to strength in the future.”https://www.essaroil.co.uk/
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Suspected illicit fuel seized

Earlier this month more than 80,000 litres of suspected illicit fuel was seized following a three-day operation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Officers temporarily closed four petrol stations in Leeds, Motherwell, Cowdenbeath and Hillington for three days after discovering about 73,000 litres of fuel thought to be illegal. Two vehicles were also seized in Loanhead, Midlothian, along with a further 7,000 litres of suspected illicit fuel. The estimated duty loss of all the seized fuel is about £56,000. A 30-year-old man from the Crossmaglen area of County Armagh was arrested in Leeds and brought to Scotland for interview. He has been released pending further investigation. The seizures and arrests follow a suspected fuel laundering plant in Northern Ireland which has been dismantled by HMRC officers. Two men were arrested and the plant is thought to have the potential to produce more than 10 million litres of illicit fuel every year. Joe Hendry, assistant director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “Fuel laundering is unregulated and dangerous. Illicit fuel is sold at reduced prices and motorists may think they are getting a good deal because it is cheaper. I would caution them to think again as the true cost is far from a bargain. HMRC declined to identify the four sites where the fuel was seized. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs
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Seeking the best drivers in the UK & Ireland  

The 2019 OAMPS Hazardous Industries sponsored Driver of the Year and The QBE Insurance sponsored Depot of the Year competitions celebrate the best in the industry – last year’s driver of the year was Clifford Tappin of Lovell Fuels As part of their annual awards celebrations, the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS) has started its search for the best tanker driver and fuel distribution depot.   To enter for the Driver and Depot of the Year awards your company must be an FPS member. For the Driver of the Year Award, judges are looking for that driver who not only has an outstanding safety record but has gone that ‘extra mile’ for customers.  Whilst, the winner of the coveted Depot of the Year prize will have to show that they are the leaders in their field, setting the highest of standards or making the biggest improvements in health and safety and other operating procedures.
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Everything that a manager of people needs

Over several years, Robbie Rouse, a qualified teacher, trainer and HR professional, has been designing, developing and refining Evalu-8. His innovative new cloud-based software package measures competence, identifies training needs and supports every aspect of a company’s human resources (HR) demands. For companies still using a manual process and spreadsheets to record employee matters, Evalu-8 offers an easier way to measure and monitor an employee’s skills, knowledge and behavior. It also facilitates the setting of targets and KPIs to measure both qualitative and quantitative information and makes it possible to identify areas of strength and weakness more objectively. Robbie has a strong background in fuel oil distribution, having latterly spent over four years as talent and HR director at Craggs Energy, where he launched a sales academy and helped hone the performance of the company’s sales team. Robbie has also held roles at Certas Energy, GB Oils and Company Fuel Cards where he was instrumental in recruiting, training and managing a new fuel card business. “I’ve developed an HR suite where everything can be done via an electronic portal including storage of contracts, CVs, company handbook etc, with each employee able to access their own dashboard. Every aspect of the software is configurable and being cloud-based, information can be accessed anytime, and from anywhere.” Evalu-8, which costs £1.75 per month per employee, is currently being trialled by fuel distributors keen to monitor sales and/or driver performance. Those using have found that it helps identify employees who are underperforming which in turn leads to more constructive feedback and better coaching. The system, which records sickness, absence and lateness, also works out commission and bonuses and enables employees to book in their holidays within the parameters set by their company. “Producing a series of reports ensures that managers can better analyse the reasons why some perform well whilst others underperform. Being fully objective makes it easier to deliver feedback and to see if improvements have been made once feedback has been given. “With not all drivers being IT literate, some may need assistance in using the software but that’s been the only issue reported to date,” said Robbie. Evalu-8’s launch has not only attracted the attention of those focusing on sales and telemarketing in fuel distribution; but has also sparked interest from diverse sectors including schools looking for a system that allows parents to see how their child is performing in class. “We’re still in the early stages but so far so good,” said Robbie who plans to exhibit at FPS EXPO 2019 next May. “During my time in the fuel industry, it became clear that technology and the need to make quality sales calls were fast becoming the real drivers. Since then I’ve spent much time thinking about the creation of a tool which would help people better manage their teams.” Talking to managers and directors, Robbie discovered there was a real need for an employee management tool. When asked to sum up his new product and what it does, Robbie said: “The short answer is it does everything that a manager of people needs it to do!” For more information email robbie@evalu-8.com or contact via the https://evalu-8.com website to arrange an online demonstration
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