Plumbing Trade Supplies and City Plumbing Supplies are playing a key role in the government's Energy Company Obligation initiative by launching schemes with assessment provider Toriga and boiler manufacturers Ideal Heating and Vaillant.

ECO will see the major UK utility companies spend £325 milion over the next two years. The funding will pay for energy-efficiency improvements within vulnerable households, where residents receive benefits and currently spend more than 10% of their income on fuel.

The PTS team has been busy recruiting 100 specially selected installers who will fit the new Ideal Heating high-efficiency boilers into eligible households, at no charge to the homeowner. CPS has simultaneously been working with its chosen installers to fit Vaillant boilers across the UK.

The installers, who are all PAS 2030 accredited, will be marketing ECO in their local areas with PTS and CPS branches supplying the boilers and paying for their time. Energy efficiency assessments will also be conducted by Toriga, the official assessment and Green Deal provider of the Travis Perkins Group.

Maxine Frost, ECO director for PTS and CPS, said: “We believe that ECO can make a major contribution towards helping those deemed to be fuel-poor and vulnerable. We have recruited an army of installers who will be ready to go out into their local communities and actively market the funding that is available.

“Rising fuel prices are an ongoing issue for consumers with more and more households classed as fuel-poor every year. As a merchant, it’s fantastic to be able to offer a solution while also supporting installers from across the country.”