5 tips to prepare your installation company for the new heating installation standard of 2026

What does the new cabinet standard for central heating boilers mean?

The Dutch cabinet announced on 17 May 2022 that from 2026 the hybrid heat pump will become the standard for heating homes. As soon as a central heating system has to be replaced, people are obliged to switch to a more sustainable alternative. In most cases, this will be a hybrid heat pump, but a fully electric heat pump or a connection to the heat network is also possible. The cabinet has decided this because the urgency of sustainability is excellent, and the pace must be increased. It is also ultimately better for everyone’s wallet if we use less natural gas.

1. Provide insight into the installed type of heating system

In recent years, sustainable alternatives for heating installations have come on the market, resulting in installation companies dealing with several types of installations. Regardless of whether or not you work with heat pumps, you can no longer ignore them due to the new cabinet standard. It becomes even more critical for you to know which heating installation is installed at the customer because every type of heating requires different maintenance. You will work inefficiently if you do not know which heating system is installed. You first have to find out from the customer before any repair or maintenance request. It goes one step further if the technician is sent to the customer without this knowledge and only finds out on location.

2. Keep a grip on your material flows

Because your installation company has to deal with multiple types of installations, it also means that your material flows are becoming more complex. After all, numerous types of installations result in more different components. Therefore you have to always stay up-to-date on your current stock and delivery times. Unfortunately, in today’s time with long delivery times, our professionals regularly see installation companies that get into trouble because they are not in control of their material flows and stock management. As a result, installation companies run out of stock of certain parts, so they cannot carry out assignments and sometimes even, temporarily or otherwise, become without work.

3. Map out the authorizations per technician

We already discussed in the first tip that every type of heating installation requires a different form of maintenance, but this also applies to the installation. Another form of installation and maintenance also requires other knowledge from your technicians. According to the new Dutch Gas Boiler Act, only technicians with a CO certification can tinker with central heating boilers. Therefore, it is crucial that you map out the authorizations of each technician so that the technician with the correct permissions is scheduled for an assignment. After all, you want to prevent a technician from arriving at a job at all times, finding out that he is not authorized, and then having to leave without having done anything.

4. Know which materials are present in the service bus

We already mentioned that multiple types of installations provide for more different parts. This affects your material flows and the components present in the service bus. Therefore, know which parts are present in the service buses. It costs unnecessary time if technicians on-site find out that they do not have the correct parts to carry out installation or maintenance and therefore have to come back at another time.

5. Digitize and optimize your work processes

The overall conclusion is that, as an installer, you have to start digitizing and optimizing your work processes at the right time to ensure that the support organization does not get out of hand. It is a fact that work preparation is becoming increasingly complex due to several types of heating installations. To combat this, it is crucial that you choose ERP software for installation companies that supports your work processes and grows with you if necessary.