npower’s A1-Boilers is celebrating after winning H&V News Awards’ ‘Partnering Initiative of the Year at a prestigious heating industry event held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.

The Partnering Award recognises the unique relationships that make A1-Boilers successful. npower, Plumb Center, managing agents Sustain and the manufacturers work together with a wide base of installers to fit energy efficient and
renewable technologies into
people’s homes.

Bob Jackson of npower said ‘Forming strong partnerships between all involved in the initiative has been pivotal to the success of A1-Boilers. As the project has grown, so have the relationships. It’s through this that A1-Boilers has been able to offer such an innovative scheme to the heating industry.’

Simon Gait of Sustain, managing agents of A1-Boilers, commented ‘We are confident that with such a strong foundation A1-Boilers will continue to provide the heating industry with a pioneering scheme that will deliver energy efficient and renewable products to the market.’

A1-Boilers has seen several key developments since its launch in 2003. After winning the H&V News award for Environmental Initiative of the Year in 2004 the scheme extended the range of boilers, by welcoming other leading manufacturers. Fuel switch funding was introduced in April 2005 when the project moved into the second phase of the energy efficiency commitment. Through continuing manufacturer innovation, microgeneration systems have recently been made available.

“Wolseley UK is proud to be a key strategic partner of Sustain and npower.  The A1 scheme has delivered high efficiency and renewable products to market at very affordable prices.  The breadth of product is growing and so are the overall numbers of installers registered to the scheme and we see many years of continued growth” Grant Richardson, Wolseley UK.

A1-Boilers is continuing to develop relationships with new and existing partners, to keep the initiative innovative and highly professional in the service it offers to heating installers. Judges commented that, in its category, A1-Boilers was “way ahead of the others” and predicted “it will go from strength to strength”.