The economy's downward spiral has led to businesses cutting as many corners as they can with regards to costs. Companies are desperate to save as much money as they can get away with and that sometimes includes the hiring of engineers who have not yet been fully trained or gotten their professional certifications as they cost less to employ. Such approach may lead to dire results in the long run as well as the short and medium runs.

There are a number of reasons that a heating and plumbing company should make sure that all of its engineers are professionally trained and certified.

1. Plumbing and Heating Engineers are required to have specific certifications in order to carry out their work. These certifications guarantee that the engineer understands all of the current codes and laws that they must work within. These certifications include the Part P electrical, the Unvented system training and assessment, CORGI certification (for gas work), BPEC and the prevailing Building Regulations.

2. Plumbing and Heating Engineers that have obtained all of the training and proper certifications are able to charge more for their services either as individuals or as part of a company. Many companies base the starting wages upon the number and degree of qualifications an engineer has when they are hired.

3. Heating and Plumbing Engineers who take the time to ensure that all of their certifications and training are up to date have proven to be more reliable professionally than those who learn the work "in the field." Their work is often of a better quality which reflects their understanding of the technical and legal requirements. These engineers provide a better investment to the company that hires them than someone who has not yet bothered to finish their training and certifications.

Many companies choose to hire plumbing and heating engineers when they are just starting out because they prefer their engineers to be trained in certain ways. For companies who choose to do this, there are several governmental programs available to help fund the certification process. The CPS (Competent Person Scheme) is one such program, being used by several players in the plumbing and heating sector.

It is important that plumbing and heating engineers stay informed about the up and coming "green" methods that are being developed. The world is turning towards environmentally friendly practices and, in order for a company to be competitive in a modern market, the engineers hired should be as well versed about the newer technologies as they are about the traditional ones. Such new technologies include solar thermal panels, underfloor heating and ground source heat pumps.

With the economy as unpredictable as it is, plumbing and heating engineers need to make sure that they are fully certified. When customers are given the choice between hiring someone completely qualified and saving a few pounds on someone who hasn't gotten all of their certifications, we believe customers will choose to spend more on a professional and certified engineer.