000689 - Heat and Light Intro 25/9/08 16:51 Page 1
MARKET REPORT
HEATING & LIGHTING
Weather window
Kicking off our Heating & Lighting Market Report, EHN considers how hirers can
benefit from the changes to our climate.
Hirers of climate control equipment could be forgiven for thinking that are planning to create a ‘wholesale heat for hire’ type operation.
weather patterns are conspiring against them. Met Office statistics This would enable companies to crosshire equipment from our
have confirmed that this summer has been the wettest and dullest in comprehensive, specialist ranges, and compete more effectively,
Britain since records were first kept back in 1914. This has led to particularly for business on larger projects. This is relevant to other
similarly industries, such as construction, and we have recently invested in
unimpressive new skid mounted Scudo site heaters. We will be promoting our
demand range at the Showman’s Show in Newbury on 23 and 24 October.”
for air
conditioning
Environmentally friendly lighting
equipment. Regardless of changes in climate, the nights still get longer in
Experts also autumn and winter, and tradesmen need to hire equipment that
expect our avoids any shortening of their working day. HSC’s Gary McWilliam
winters to reports that demand this year has already been steady in the run-up
become to autumn, perhaps being driven by interest in new, environmentally
warmer and friendly products. “There is considerable interest in work lights using
wetter, as low-energy fluorescent lamps rather than tungsten halogen bulbs that
has been the can get extremely hot. Being cooler, fluorescent lights are also safer
case in and give a better working environment in confined spaces.
Climate Hire & Sales has recently added Scudo site heaters to its range.
recent years. Again, pro-active hirers can promote these benefits.”
However, they also suggest that sudden cold snaps will be a feature
of the weather, which hirers (and suppliers) hope will create demand Similarly, Speedy Hire has added GenSet’s Solar Powered Tower
for heating products. Light to its fleet, to enable customers to achieve significant savings
on fuel costs, as well as a reduction of energy emissions on-site.
“Climate change means that demand for heaters is very difficult to Powered by a combination of solar panels and batteries, it can run for
predict,” says Gary McWilliam, Managing Director of The Hire Supply approximately six days on a single charge, and has a lighting
Company (HSC). “This means that few hirers order these products in coverage of approximately 50m
2
.
advance, but as soon as the cold weather bites, then they need a
responsive supplier who can get equipment to them quickly. Andy Connor,
Hirers can also promote the safety features of the latest machines, Speedy’s Senior
such as tilt switches on electric heaters that cut off the power if the Supply Chain
unit should fall over.” Manager, says
“Our customers are
Hirers can also profit by exploring new markets, according to Dave increasingly keen to
Matthews, Director of the Climate Hire and Sales Division of Hire learn of any new
Station, which in April absorbed the Arcotherm (UK) hire and sales solutions to the
business. “Event hire, for example, is a segment that is less market that offer
vulnerable to fluctuations in the weather. People organising a safety benefits,
wedding reception or a similar function in a marquee will generally cost-savings or are
realise they need to include adequate heating. They want the more energy
occasion to be remembered for the right reasons, not the cold efficient. This year
conditions guests had to endure. has seen a
significant rise in the
“It is difficult for smaller independents to stock larger heaters that are demand for energy
Speedy reports increased demand for environmentally friendly
not in constant demand by their mainstream customer base, so we efficient lighting.”
•
lighting products.
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