The importance of testing fire valves
The importance of regular fire valve testing.
Atlantis Tanks announces big savings with its January sale
Get 20% off in the Atlantis Tanks’ January sale.
New Kingspan Titan low-profile domestic oil tank
The latest addition to Kingspan’s EcoSafe bunded oil tank range is specially designed for small spaces.
Safety first with oil tanks – using fire protection barriers
The advantages of using fire protection barriers.
Ensuring tanks are fit for the future
Good tank maintenance is key to a successful transition from kerosene to renewable liquid fuel
Why oil tanks are still a brilliant solution for new builds
Rural living often means no local gas grid, so housing plots need alternative heating solutions.
Keeping out the coal’d at Churnet Valley Railway
Churnet Valley Railway runs on the former North Staffordshire Railway line which, during the late 19th and early 20th Century, brought thousands of visitors to local attractions including the Earl of Shrewsbury’s gardens (now Alton Towers) and Uttoxeter Racecourse. It’s now a preserved heritage railway with steam trains taking passengers on a 21-mile trip back in time through Staffordshire’s “Little Switzerland”. The Kingsley & Froghall Station was originally opened in 1849 and has never been connected to the gas grid. When firemen, volunteers and enthusiasts aren’t stoking coal into the engine’s firebox, they were occupied in the engineering workshop or relaxing in the canteen. However, Victorian buildings aren’t known for high EPC rating and the electric heaters used in were costly and ineffective at heating the buildings. With COVID-19 forcing the company to reassess its outgoings they decided to have an oil-fired boiler and oil tank installed. Churnet Valley Railway’s John Peake was already well-acquainted with oil-fired heating as the station already uses a Tuffa tank to help heat its changing room and toilet blocks. For the new tank John picked the company’s 2,500-litre plastic bunded oil tank which he calculated would be enough storage to heat the canteen and workshop for around a three- month interval before requiring a refill. He commented: “It’s great to be able to use such a local company and the 2500L oil tank is perfect for our requirements – it’s the right size, we have the added reassurance that the bund protects the site from any leaks and swapping from electric to oil heating will help reduce our monthly bills. “The communication from the sales staff and those on-site when we collected our tank was excellent and we would have no hesitation in using Tuffa Tanks again in the future should we need another tank.” “It’s always great to work with Staffordshire companies like Churnet Valley Railway and hear how our tanks are being used,” says Andrew Dobson, Tuffa’s digital marketing co-ordinator. “
Technicians reduce local pollution risk
You may have seen an article in the Summer 2021 edition where we introduced an exciting trial we have been involved in across Hampshire and West Sussex with the Environment Agency (EA) and Portsmouth Water. This campaign has been working with OFTEC registered technicians to urge householders to check and replace failing tanks. Messaging targeted customers’ motivations of continued warmth, security of supply, and avoiding the risk of potentially large financial losses, rather than previous messages which appealed to a need to protect the environment. As an incentive, Portsmouth Water subsidises a free inspection and 50% grant towards replacement works in priority locations. The trial element of the campaign has now ended, but many of the most successful tactics are now being taken up longer term by Portsmouth Water. What did they do? They identified over 500 households most likely to be on domestic heating oil using www.nongasmap.org.uk. All these properties were in ‘source protection zones’ situated over valuable naturally occurring groundwater abstracted for drinking water. The trial compared two approaches for engaging customers. They split the 500 households into two equal groups; one received a yearly mailshot with a cover letter and leaflet. The other group received the same leaflet, plus face-to-face advice through their OFTEC registered technician as part of their annual boiler service. Articles were also run in the parish magazines of both groups. Both tactics urged householders to contact Portsmouth Water for a free inspection and/or 50% off a replacement tank should the inspection recommend it. What were the results? Face-to-face contact from technicians was the most successful intervention. Customer response rate to the campaign was three times higher when technicians took the householder through the campaign messages; 9% (25 households) compared with only 2.4% (6 households) receiving the mailshot only. And of those customer enquiries, 92% (23 households) receiving the technician visit went on to have a free inspection, compared with 83% (5 households) receiving the mailshot only. 17 households replaced their tanks due to a technician visit, and only four due to the mailshot. Put that together with enquiries resulting from parish council magazines and word of mouth and that resulted in an impressive 25 tanks, at least 25,000 litres less oil, less likely to pollute the local water environment because of this trial. It’s simple to get involved Portsmouth Water is still recruiting! Portsmouth Water has decided to continue with the most successful tactics longer term. So far, they have recruited 11 technicians through the OFTEC newsletter and this magazine. But they need more to meet customer demand. It’s simple to get involved. If you work in Hampshire and West Sussex, contact Beth Fairley on 07872 108992 or Bethany.Fairley@portsmouthwater.co.uk. It’s an easy way of reaching new customers. You can find out more at www.portsmouthwater.co.uk/about-us/water-quality/heating-oil/. You will be asked to complete a simple registration and contract. Then, when on routine inspections, simply tell the customer about the scheme and hand them the leaflet. Give Beth at Portsmouth Water a ring to check eligibility. Once that’s confirmed, the customer chooses their technician (generally the original technician but they can choose any technician on the scheme). Once the works are complete, you simply invoice the customer and Portsmouth Water for the respective contributions, and Portsmouth Water pays within the 30 days agreed. G. RIXON LTD., a small family run business, is already signed up to the campaign: “The scheme has been a mutually beneficial arrangement and we have been able to include numerous existing customers within the scheme which has significantly increased our sales.” Urge your customers to check their oil tanks What if you don’t work in the campaign area? If you work elsewhere in the country, please urge your customers to check their oil tanks for leaks to protect the environment and their pocket. Simon Deacon, catchment and environment manager at Portsmouth Water is part of the campaign: “I would encourage all technicians, wherever they work, to visit our campaign website. Even though the campaign materials are for Hampshire and West Sussex many of the messages are universal.” Dawn O’Neill, Environment Agency groundwater technical specialist, also part of the trial, adds: “Oil pollution is one of the most common incidents I deal with. Please encourage your customers to take these 3 easy steps: OFTEC, the Environment Agency and Portsmouth Water would like to thank all the technicians for their involvement in this trial.