EWS | DIGEST Ukraine war adds to supply chain issues The UK faces continuing supply challenges for boilers and other HVAC products amid uncertainty about the impact of the war in Ukraine, says the Construction Leadership Council (CLC). In a statement issued jointly by the CLCs Product Availability Working Group and the Builders Merchants Federation, it noted supply chain issues and delayed lead times for products including boilers, cable trays and trunking. It also highlighted problems with the supply of electrical products, particularly those using semiconductors and microchips. However, the CLC statement identified price inflation, driven by factors such as a shortage of raw materials and rising costs, as a greater concern to projects than product availability currently. It said: Price increases of 5% to 10% have been announced by many manufacturers so far this year, and energy-intensive products have increased by as much as 20%. Chancellor offers zero VAT boost for energy retrots Rishi Sunak Heat pumps, solar panels and insulation among energy-saving materials affected Chancellor Rishi Sunak has reduced VAT to zero for heat pumps, solar panels, insulation and other domestic energy-saving materials. In his spring statement, the Chancellor said the zero rate would last for ve years. The tax savings for installing PVs on a typical home would be worth around 1,000, he added, saving 300 in annual energy bills. The Chancellor also announced that green technology, including solar panels and heat pumps, would be exempt from business rates from this month. This is expected to be worth around 170m over the next ve years. While welcoming support for domestic renewables, the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology said more technologies could have been included as energy-saving materials, such as batteries. Mike Thornton, chief executive of Energy Saving Trust, warned that more action was still needed: Tackling the cost-of-living and energy crises must go hand in hand with meeting net zero ambitions and reducing costs in the long-term. Instead of cutting fuel duty, the UK government could be investing more in its existing energy efciency programmes. This valve has been fully functionally tested. Just like all our others. Every single Elite Prime PICV & Hook-Up is meticulously tested, in accordance with BSRIA BTS 01. These tests include verification of flow performance across the valves differential pressure range to ensure low hysteresis. So, when you need the complete valve solution none of the others will do. Find out more at hattersley.com/justlike Marc, Team Leader 21400_HATTERSLEY_FUNCTION_TEST_AD_133X186.indd 1 14/02/2022 13:27 8 April 2022 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Apr 22 pp08 News.indd 8 25/03/2022 14:25