EU legislation that comes into force from January 2015 could cause business owners to have unexpected bills when it comes to the air conditioning of their premises.
From January, a refrigerant, commonly known as R22, will become illegal as part of environmental regulations handed down by the European Commission. R22 is part of the CFC family of chemicals, many of which were outlawed in the 1990s.
But the ban has far reaching implications for business owners who air condition their premises. It means that from January it is illegal to refill, stockpile R22 or repair equipment that uses the refrigerant. Darren Webb, from Glenfield Group who specialise in maintaining and installing air conditioning for commercial and domestic use, commented “I think many businesses will be caught out by the legislation. Anyone who has older air conditioning systems or units will be faced with a big bill when their equipment inevitable breaks down or needs refilling, which normally happens during the hottest part of the year. At that point, it will be illegal to repair or top-up systems, and any companies that are reliant on refrigeration to operate will have no choice but to buy a whole new system or potentially lose thousands in operating costs. ”
Darren advises business owners to have a consultation before it is too late “Many people won’t even know how old their air con units are and will be unaware of the legislation. So we would recommend having a consultation now so that any necessary spend can be built into next year’s budget.”
Glenfield Group provide air conditioning to both commercial and domestic premises, with an emphasis on stylish/ invisible systems. Refcom accredited, The Glenfield Group can provide an official R22 Phase Out consultation. For more information visit www.glenfieldgroup.com or call 0800 011 2923.