GGF Debates The Work Of The Glass & Glazing Federation

Author: Conservatory Outlet Team  |  Leave a Comment >>

Many People Believe That Trade Associations Are Bodies That Are Self Serving And Unresponsive To The Real Interests Of The Sectors They Claim To Serve. Prove Otherwise.

As a representative body, the GGF been around for hundreds of years, serving the interests of its members. If our members had, at any time, thought that the GGF was ‘self-serving and unresponsive to the real interests of the sectors they claim to serve’, they would simply leave. It is insulting to suggest that they would be happy to fatten an incompetent cash cow.

Now into its fourth century the GGF continues to evolve. In the last year, we have sought external communications advice, and, together with the move to new offices, are now presenting the work of the GGF openly to ensure that our members and indeed, anyone involved with flat glass and glazing, fully understands the role of the GGF and of course, the manifold changes that the industry.

In terms of proving that we are responding to the interests of our sector, then nothing gets bigger than FENSA. The Fenestration Self-Assessment scheme was set up by the GGF in 2002 to help the industry meet the requirements of Part L of the Building Regulations. FENSA was designed so that companies could register their installations economically and effectively. Today, more than seven million homeowner certificates have been sent out, and 28% of households have used a FENSA- registered installer.

Underpinning the GGF’s relationship with the homeowner is the Federation’s ‘Code of Good Practice’, which protects the consumer by guaranteeing that Member companies will behave honestly and fairly. The Code of Good Practice puts the consumer’s mind at rest of a number of issues, including:

• honest sales procedure
• deposit protection (underwritten by the GGF)
• an open structural survey
• products manufactured in accordance will all the relevant standards
• installation in accordance with all the relevant standards
• fully insured installers
• guaranteed products and installation.

Furthermore, if the consumer has any complaints that cannot be settled satisfactorily by the Member company, the GGF can provide a free correspondence-based conciliation service.

Also making waves is the BFRC (British Fenestration Rating Council), which was set up to help discuss the future impact of the Building Regulations in the glazing industry, and is fully owned by the GGF. The Window Energy Rating scheme (WERs), that was established to simplify the concept of energy efficient windows, has been adopted by the government to prove compliance with the Building Regulations. The BFRC also has a consumer-facing element, employing a celebrity to help promote positive messages about energy efficient windows.

The BFRC has helped the industry further (not just GGF members!) by producing the Energy Saving Calculator, which sales teams can uses when educating homeowners about the benefits of energy efficient windows.

These messages will be the theme of a roadshow that will be touring the country this year, and we will also be exhibiting at Grand Designs, Glassex@Interbuild, Ecobuild, and the National Homebuild and Renovating Show. At the last two, the GGF is also chairing and taking part in high profile seminars.

Elsewhere, the GGF developed the security test in the early 90s, which helped develop current Security Standards and allowed the UK to be part of the European harmonisation debate. Furthermore, the GGF developed and paid for the early security test rigs for window and door security.

The GGF developed the Conservatory Technical Standards, which contributed to the Conservatory Good Practice Guide, and helped to give the industry credibility when discussing Building Regulations with CLG.

In fact, the GGF enjoys a close relationship with government, lobbying ministers on a range of issues. Current hot topics include: the possible introduction of a window scrappage scheme, similar to the recent boiler scrappage scheme; the pitfalls of wrongly classifying self-employed window installers as ‘employed’; and advising on climate change.

One thing that has always struck me about the GGF, is that non-members benefit far more than companies in other industries that don’t belong to a trade association. We certainly endeavour to provide our members with a competitive advantage – marketing support, technical advice, access to meditation services etc – but we also aim to improve the industry as whole, including homeowners and businesses who buy from GGF Members. We just need to work harder at telling people about it.

Source: GGF Website