UK News

UK: Ben Hancock, former southern divisional manager at Kooltech, has been appointed sales director at TF Solutions, the refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump wholesalers.…

UK: Star Refrigeration created a stir today, April 1, with the announcement of the launch of StarCore, the world’s first AI-powered robot maintenance engineer. 

UK: REFCOM, the F-gas certification body, has launched a new partnership with Welplan to help members with employee recruitment and retention.

UK: Haier HVAC Solutions is to sponsor Warwickshire County Cricket Club, the air conditioning and heat pump manufacturer becoming the club’s lead partner from the 2026 season. 

UK: Linda McVittie, technical applications manager for J & E Hall, retires today after nearly 40 years in the refrigeration industry.

UK: The IOR Northern Region’s annual dinner returns to the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead in September. 

UK: Star Refrigeration was named Supplier of the Year 2026 at last week’s Cold Chain Sustainability Awards, recognising its work across the temperature-controlled logistics sector.

UK: The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has described the UK government’s decision to ban retentions in construction contracts as a “landmark and long-awaited victory” for specialist contractors.

UK: The government has opened a consultation on its plans to merge construction and engineering boards to simplify the skills system and strengthen industry leadership.

UK: The Cold Chain Federation has launched the UK’s first transport refrigeration unit census to evidence sector progress on decarbonisation.

UK: British businesses are advised to engage proactively with suppliers and stay informed of availability in the face of rising refrigerant price rises and supply issues.

UK: Bookings are now being taken for the Institute of Refrigeration Scottish Dinner 2026, which returns to the Crowne Plaza Glasgow on Thursday 5 November.

UK: Eco-tech company Hive has announced a new partnership with Daikin through its Works With Hive programme, significantly expanding smart control compatibility with air-source heat pumps.

UK: Carrier has made a strategic investment in Heat Geek, the UK-based technology platform and network of heat pump engineers.

UK: The Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) has appointed Jen Vickers of Crown House Technologies as its new president.

UK: British Gas has been rapped by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for using unsubstantiated energy-saving heat pump claims in an advert.

UK: With entries open for this year’s WorldSkills, the Building Engineering Services Association claims this year’s competition will be more important than ever in attracting young talent to the industry.

UK: Carrier is to continue its sponsorship of Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport for the 2026 British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season.

UK: Latest government figures show that the 3,264 applications to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in January was down 11% on January 2025.

UK: MPs have launched an inquiry into the environmental impacts of data centres in the UK, with energy secretary Ed Miliband claiming that their future energy demand “remains inherently uncertain”.

UK: Glasgow-based refrigeration supplier Foodservice Equipment Marketing is to offer Gram Professional in the UK.