As far as I can see, it is all good news from Capita.
At last the new Gas Safe Register is ready to go and as far as I am concerned it seems to do what it says on the tin.

Further more, the new yellow and black are safety colours. And it is holding the cost of registration which is very good news for installers.

There also seems to be a move towards web-based activity, where installers can add new employees or delete and pay by credit or debit card, which is nice and easy for the poor old installer. Further, Capita seems to be spending lots of money to push its new brand.

However, there is a payback for this. The Health and Safety Executive originally wanted to offer the franchise for five years only but Capita argued, rightly I feel, that if it were to push this new Gas Safe Register brand with enough money to meet its key performance indicators (which are quite steep) on brand recognition, then it will need longer than five years to spend and claw-back the money it feels it should be spending.

Nevertheless, the HSE will carry out a review after five years and if Capita falls woefully below what is expected then it will have some difficult questions to answer.

Anyway, what the HSE will have at the end of the period is a well-publicised Gas Safe Register brand which it owns.

I spoke to Bob Towse, the head of technical and safety at the HVCA, and he says the HVCA has had a number of discussions with Capita and he is especially pleased with the outcome. Capita has listened to the HVCA and taken its ideas on board.

He and I are glad that Capita will be constrained to support the gas safety scheme only. For the HVCA, the only bone of contention is the money in the CORGI Trust.

Towse says the money came from the installers and CORGI says it is for use on gas safety projects. He reckons there would be nothing better for gas safety than to use this money to help on transitional arrangements with the promotion of the new brand.

That aside, I look forward to seeing how Capita is going to promote the new brand and wish the company well with its endeavours.

Gas safety is something we all need to be aware of, whether we are installers or consumers.

Paul Braithwaite

Editor of Heating and Ventilating Review