Research from Wesleyan Bank has shown that UK SMEs are feeling positive about their future, with nearly two-thirds expecting growth of up to 40 per cent over the next couple of years. With this in mind, it’s becoming increasingly likely for businesses to upgrade to bigger and better premises – meaning more opportunities for specifiers are on the horizon. Alan Clarke, technical support manager at Heatrae Sadia, discusses finding the right water heating solution for larger-sized SMEs.
According to the official government definition, an SME is ‘any business with fewer than 250 employees’. However, given that there were a recorded 5.7 million private sector SMEs active in the UK at the beginning of 2017, with staff ranging between 1-250 people, this leaves a very wide spectrum of business sizes.
This is important, as it means a given business may be much larger than initially expected. Organisations such as these will require much greater resources than those on the smaller side, but not quite the level of industrial operations – so what’s the middle ground? For situations such as this, unvented hot water cylinders are often the best option.
Drawing directly from the cold water mains, these cylinders are able to provide hot water at mains pressure. As a result, unlike vented systems, there is no reliance on a cold water tank, and therefore no drop in pressure if multiple outlets run simultaneously. As a further bonus, unvented hot water cylinders can be sited flexibly, as they do not rely on gravity to move hot water around a building.
Therefore, for a larger SME such as a reasonably sized catering business, or a larger office space, an unvented hot water cylinder such as the Megaflo Eco Plus Flexistor from Heatrae Sadia, is the perfect fit.
This product is available in many capacities, ranging from 400 litres to 1000, making it ideal for larger commercial applications.It also provides 100mm of CFC / HCFC-free injected foam for optimum heat retention and energy efficiency, and offers an external expansion vessel.
With opportunities set to increase from the high-performing light commercial market, this presents a new revenue stream that specifiers will be able to take advantage of.
That said, it is important that the correct product be selected for the right environment. By ensuring the appropriate unit is in place, specifiers can keep the UK’s growing SMEs flourishing.
For more information please visit www.heatraesadia.co.uk.
