This means that any business operating outside of these sectors must use fuel that is taxed at the standard rate for white diesel. The change in legislation is needed to encourage red diesel users to ditch the diesel, as essentially, the higher the price, the higher the likelihood that businesses will opt for cleaner fuels.

Current red diesel duty

Red diesel, also known as gas oil, makes up around 15% of diesel use in the UK due to its low duty rate and is currently accountable for approximately 14 million tonnes of CO2 emissions every year.

At time of writing, red diesel has a duty rate of 11.14 pence per litre which is comparably less than the 57.95 ppl for white diesel. This rate has been in place since 2010, due to a 10-year freeze on fuel duty so it’s expected to come as a big adjustment for many businesses.

As its name implies, red diesel contains a red dye which is designed to leave behind traces in engines and pipelines so HMRC and environmental agencies can identify prohibited use. For example, when drivers have illegally used red diesel in road-going vehicles in place of white diesel to profit from the 81% discount that red diesel currently benefits from.

This means that when those who will lose their red diesel entitlement switch over to white diesel, the dye residue would be left behind. Situations such as this could potentially mislead authorities to believe that anyone who has legally bought white diesel has illegitimately used red diesel in the past.
Nonetheless, the government is not asking businesses to empty or replace their tanks ahead of the ban, due to the high costs incurred. To help combat the issue, suppliers are being asked to replace or flush out fuel tanks and pumps in anticipation of the tax changes, to help avoid red diesel remnants lingering in tanks when delivering white diesel.

However, heater suppliers are being asked to replace fuel tanks or flush out tanks and pumps before the red diesel tax changes to ensure no trace of red diesel remains when supplying white diesel. Suppliers will also be required to monitor the use of red diesel going forward and ensure that all fuel supplied to a sector that will lose entitlement uses all red diesel before this date.

The government has acknowledged that the change in red diesel eligibility will cause financial difficulties for a number of sectors so it launched a consultation period that ran between July 2020 and 1 October 2020 to give users the chance to submit their opinions on the proposed new legislation.

Responses are being evaluated and any sectors that ought to retain their entitlement will be considered, with HMRC set to publish draft legislation for consultation in 2021.

Even though this is a long way off business should be prepared for the extra costs of heating their premises will be and either change to a greener type fuel or a more efficient heating system.

If you have any questions about red diesel then contact Air Plants Heating and Cooling on 0116 2838300 or email heating@airplants.co.uk

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We are currently operating within Covid secure guidelines and will continue to do so, placing the health of our customers, employees and the public at the highest priority.

Please contact us if we can assist in any way during this difficult period.

The post COVID-19 Update appeared first on Air Plants Heating & Cooling.

Key things that you will need to do:

Heating

• Ensure all systems have had a full service, ensuring key components are checked and replaced if necessary to avoid breakdown in winter months
• If off-grid, ensure fuel supplies are full – either propane tanks or oil tanks
• Ensure programmers or time clocks are set up right

Biomass Systems

• On biomass systems with an external heat dump, ensure the correct the level of antifreeze is installed
• On water heaters inside factories, ensure coils are clear and stats are set correctly
• Ensure water side pumps are set up correctly
• Make sure there are no leaks in the system
• Have a full service check before winter

Evaporative Coolers

• Ensure all water-based coolers are drained
• Ensure coolers are wrapped and winter-proofed
• Ensure electrics are disconnected to avoid accidental use

Any of the above can be carried out by Air Plants Heating and Cooling, so for total peace of mind please contact us on 0116 2838300 or email heating@airplants.co.uk

The post Prepare Your Heating and Cooling Systems for Autumn appeared first on Air Plants Heating & Cooling.

Environmental factors can in some cases cause major issues to certain workers. But, this is most probably a very rare circumstance and this is why more often than not, issues like these are not addressed correctly.
There are a few factors that affect thermal comfort in the workplace:

• Air temperature
• Radiant temperature
• Air velocity and humidity
• Personal factors e.g. clothing insulation and metabolic heat.

Although temperature is closely related to physical working environments such as bakeries, office managers should be aware of the effect that temperature has.

If the temperature of an office is not regulated often then workers will begin to suffer from heat stress and as a result, the productivity within the office will begin to decline.

An artificially heated room still needs to be properly ventilated as the office space can become stuffy and of course if left unregulated this can result in bad odour and a significant drop in the productivity of employees.

It’s not only the rise in temperature that can affect a workplace. During the colder months, the optimum temperature for workers who spend the majority of the day in the office should be between 21 and 22 ºc. If the temperature goes above or below this optimum temperature then productivity and concentration is said to drop.

Of course it’s important to note that everyone is different, people perform differently depending on environmental factors. It’s a good idea to experiment and find the optimum working temperatures that works best for you and your employees.

Air PLants Heating & Cooling know that creating the right temperature is essential and this is why we offer cost-effective heating and cooling devices ideal for offices and retail. For more information on the services we provide, feel free to contact our team on 0116 283 8300 or fill in our contact form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

The post How Can Temperature Affect an Office Space? appeared first on Air Plants Heating & Cooling.

There are many different kinds of heating systems and it’s not entirely unusual to get overwhelmed by the choices that are presented to you.

A forced-air heating system is a heating system that moves heat throughout a building using air.

In this system, heated or cooled air is pushed through a series of ducts and is expelled from vents into the rooms to maintain a certain temperature.

The temperature corresponds to whatever has been set on the thermostat, and once it achieves this temperature, it will close down until the temperature drops or heightens again.

Different Kinds of Forced Air Heating Systems

The biggest differentiator between different types of forced air heating systems is the kind of equipment that heats the air. For example, you might have a gas or electric furnace, a heat pump or a hydronic coil. All of these are capable of heating air, and when put to work with a fan, blower or air handler it is capable of moving heated air throughout a building.

Forced air systems are generally constructed to incorporate air-con systems and can effectively keep your building comfortable year-round. This is ideal when heat pumps are being utilised as they are able to both heat and cool and are actually very energy efficient.

Is Forced Air for Me?

If you have ductwork already installed or you are building a system from scratch, then it can often make sense to opt for forced-air heating. However, if you’re in the market to replace your current system within a building that doesn’t already have ductwork in place, then you will be required to have these installed and may add a lot to the overall installation costs. The benefits of this, however, often overrule the cost as forced air systems are the only installation that can marry heating and cooling.

Overall your heating and cooling needs depend specifically on your situation. At Air Plants Heating we’re here to advise you on the best ways to manage your heating needs. Our location means that we’re ideally placed to service clients up and down the country. Contact us today!

The post Forced Air Heating: What You Need to Know appeared first on Air Plants Heating & Cooling.