We’ve heard from customers that British Gas may be pulling away from the commercial gas engineering market. We’d like to encourage any Business Care cover customers with British Gas to contact them to see if they will be affected. Don’t worry if you are – at GOS, we offer services and cover for all commercial gas & electrical needs.

To see what we can do for you, contact our Business Manager – Mick Heap: mick.heap@gosheating.co.uk or call on 07540768995.
Alternatively, you can get through to our main office: 01772 734 966 and email: info@gosheating.co.uk.

Hiring & Expanding

GOS Heating urgently needs your help!

We have seen an all-time high in workload this past year and we urgently need to partner with high-quality sub-contractors in the following trades:

Please contact Business Manager: Mick Heap | mick.heap@gosheating.co.uk
alternatively, direct message on our socials here.

Working with GOS

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What To Consider When Opening a New Business Premises

When you are opening new business premises there is so much to consider, from the location and size of the premises to the fundamentals like electricals and heating. This article will look at some of the fundamental things to consider when it comes to setting up a new business.

Fire Protection

Whether you are moving into completely new premises or refurbished premises, one of the first things you should consider is the Fire Protection at the property. Keep your employees and yourself safe with fully functioning and correct fire protection appliances. When it comes to fire protection there’s a whole host of different ways to protect your property including:

Fire Doors
Fire Dampers
Air Sealing
Fire Rated Walls and Ceilings

New properties are likely to have up to date building regulations, however, should you have any concerns it is always worth having a fire risk assessment carried out at the premises.

Plumbing and Heating

You should identify any plumbing and heating requirements at the premises, particularly if you are setting up an office. You should make sure the boiler is functioning correctly, this will benefit you and your employees. Before you move into the premises a boiler service should be carried out to ensure that there are no issues present with the boiler, and if any issues do show they should be fixed.

You will also want to ensure that the plumbing at the premises is adequate, is there enough toilets? Do the radiators work?

Communication Requirements

Communication methods are essential for businesses, when you are looking to set up new business premises you should make sure that the broadband you can have at the property is suitable for the use, phones lines will need to be installed and you will need internet access points. You may find yourself need Wi-Fi boosters too so rooms further away from the router can pick up the internet.

Furniture

You should identify your furniture needs, you will need to consider the number of employees you have and the number of desks and chairs you will need. Storing and filing should be considered too, will you need filing cabinets or do you run everything digitally? If you are business premises that will have visitors you will also require seating for your visitors and a reception area.

Security Requirements

When you are investing in a new business premise you will want to make sure that it is protected at all times. Some surefire ways of making sure that your business is protected when you are on and off the premises include CCTV, intruder alarms, shutters, additional locks on windows and doors to name a few. You should also consider data security, as it is the law that personal information relating to your customers is stored safely and securely.

Decorate

Adding simple decorations and colourful pictures can make even the plainest offices and premises somewhere nice for your employees to work, and the better the environment the better the productivity. Let’s face it no one is motivated to work if they are sitting in a bland and darkroom. Simple things like adequate lighting and posters can make a world of difference.

Inform Customers

To reduce the risk of losing business, you should inform current customers of your new address and contact details if they change. You can use social media, your website and digital marketing, flyers and leafleting campaigns, and business cards to ensure that new and existing customers are aware of the new premises.

Opening New Business Premises

When you are planning to open new business premises, there’s a whole range of different things to consider, however by following these simple steps your new premises will be and running in no time at all.

Energy Efficient Heating in Care Homes

Energy-efficient heating is essential in every home. But, in care homes, it can be a matter of life and death.

Well-being vs Cost

Care home operators face a difficult task. They continually have to make decisions that affect the health, safety, and well-being of their residents. At the same time, they’re resisting financial pressures. Opportunities to improve the residents’ standards of living often go directly against desires to reduce spending. Heating is no exception. But, favouring one over the other will result in either a poor reputation for the care home and a lack of quality in the care they provide to residents or severe budgeting problems.

But, if you had the chance to save on costs while improving the well-being of residents, why wouldn’t you?

Vulnerability

As we age, our ability to control our body temperature declines. So does our ability to feel the cold. This leaves older people at a higher risk of hypothermia during cold weather. The Guardian reported that during the UK’s winter, one older person dies every seven minutes from cold-related illnesses. This rate is significantly higher than other countries in Europe with much colder climates. So why is this happening in the UK?

Heating efficiency

The Office for National Statistics states that countries with milder winters, like the UK, are less prepared for the cold and tend to have lower thermal efficiency in their homes. When cold weather strikes, their homes are not equipped to keep the cold out. This is also true for care homes, which leaves many older people at risk.

However, cold-related deaths may have more to do with the increasing cost of energy. It’s becoming more and more expensive, leaving many older adults in fuel poverty.

The cost of heating

Going without heating is not an option for care homes as it endangers the lives of many of the older people who live there. Particularly those who are also living with other illnesses who are at further risk. Keeping these people safe requires the constant use of effective central heating. The 24/7 operation of care homes means heating adds up to be one of the most significant expenditures, leading to the temptation to cut down on its use.

This is not the answer. The answer lies in more efficient heating and effective service cover.

Improving efficiency

Heating efficiency in care homes is the most crucial factor in protecting the residents while staying within budget. Installing energy-efficient boilers, effective wall and roof insulation where possible, and double glazing, will all help keep the heat in. You could also consider including green energy from solar panels. This means less heat is wasted to the environment while saving you money in the long run. But, most importantly for your care home heating, it is an affordable, effective service cover for your boiler.

Service cover

Boiler breakdowns are all too frequent in the UK. In an environment such as a care home, they can cause serious health issues. As a result, it is imperative that you prevent boiler breakdowns. This is done with regular servicing. Boiler service cover from a reliable heating company allows you to have regular boiler check-ups and ensure there are no breakdowns insight. It also gives you access to immediate, emergency servicing should your boiler breakdown. Some companies will even be able to install greener, more efficient, and cheaper heating systems to make sure your costs stay low while the heating stays high.

GOS Heating is one of these companies. We provide the best, affordable service cover for care homes, commercial buildings, and residences so that you can relax, never having to worry about the heating again. Our extensive knowledge of energy efficiency will also save you money so don’t hesitate to take a look at our service cover options, or get in touch on 01772 734 966.

DIY: How to relocate a radiator correctly

When things go wrong with your heating system at home, call the professionals as quickly as possible. There isn’t time to make mistakes. But there are some jobs perfect for the plumbing savvy which can save you money. In 2018, the number of homeowners turning to DIY for home improvements increased five-fold to 15%, up from just 3%.

When redecorating your home, a radiator can get in the way of the new furniture layout, and sometimes you may find it would be more effective in another area. The good news is, moving it is possible and you can do it yourself at home with these simple tips.

Follow the basic steps of plumbing

Moving a radiator isn’t the ideal first project. This DIY task is more suited to people who have a sound knowledge of heating systems and plumbing. If you don’t, you could damage the heating system, the pipework, and even leak dirty water into your room. So make sure you’re competent and do your research before starting this task.

Measure the radiator

The first step is to measure the radiator and ensure it fits in its new location. This will save you a lot of time and regret knowing that when you move it, you have a viable place to put it. It’s also important to measure the distance between the bottom of the radiator and the floor to make room for the pipework below it. But if you’re not sure on how much pipework you’ll need, your best option is to consult a professional plumber who can advise you and minimise error.

Drain the heating system

Before you go to town ripping radiators off the wall, you must drain the heating system of water to avoid messy and expensive accidents. Make sure you turn off the boiler, isolate the electricity supply, then drain the system. If you leave the electricity supply on, your boiler could backfire, leading to overheating and burning out.

Capping the pipework

Once you have an empty system, it’s time to cap the pipework and prepare to move the radiator. You can use push-fit caps or the soldering method to cap off existing pipework.

Moving and installing your radiator

You’ve already made the required measurements. All that’s left to do is install the radiator using the existing wall fixtures from the original radiator. If you buy a new set, you may find that the screws don’t fit. Do a check over to ensure the pipes are fitted correctly, before refilling the system.

Switch the boiler on

Refilling the system and returning it to full working order requires a basic knowledge of plumbing. If you don’t know how to do this, contact an experienced plumber who can do this for you, ensuring you don’t cause any expensive damage.

It’s as simple as that! Even if all you have is some basic knowledge, it should be enough to get you through the project. But if at any point you don’t feel confident in your skills, contact a professional and have them do it instead.

The plumbers at GOS Heating are experienced and offer excellent value for money. As plumbing experts, we can take care of all your heating needs. Just call us on 01772 734 966 to get started.