Plumb Center has joined forces with key heating and plumbing manufacturers to help installers understand the new EU regulations, which take effect in September.

On 26 September this year a new Energy related Product (ErP) directive from the EU comes into force. This regulation is for ecodesign and energy labelling of space and water heaters, and will be mandatory for all 28 countries in the EU. The new regulations are designed to help the EU achieve its target to reduce energy use by 20% and increase the share of renewable energies by 20% by 2020.

Many heating products will be affected, including boilers, cylinders, heat pumps and solar thermal cylinders. Manufacturers will be responsible for ensuring their products are prepared for the new legislation change, including incorporating modulating pumps.

In addition, manufacturers will have to make sure that their products have compliant energy labels, which must be clearly visible at the point of sale. In addition, each product must include a fiche of energy efficiency information documents.

There will also be a requirement for providing energy labelling for any package of heating products such as a space heater and a temperature control device.

In order to help installers get to grips with ErP, Plumb Center, along with major manufacturers Ideal Boilers, Baxi, Vaillant, Worcester Bosch, Heatrae Sadia, Kingspan, Honeywell, Danfoss, Fernox, Adey and Grundfos, has launched a nationwide information roadshow.

Starting in late April and continuing until the end of June, the roadshow will visit 40 convenient locations across the UK, from Inverness to Plymouth, Belfast, and Swansea to Ipswich. 

Information on where and when the roadshows will be and how installers can register for the roadshows will be available soon at www.plumbcenter.co.uk