Title: ARMA Energy Now Powering The Same Number of Homes as a City the Size of Newcastle

Description:

The ARMA Energy portfolio continues to grow and now powers the same number of homes as a city the size of Newcastle. 

The network is now at 268gWh pa in consumption, equivalent to the electricity consumption of a city with a population of 268,000 people.

ARMA Energy - Reducing Workload and Risk

ARMA Energy was launched in 2017 in conjunction with Full Power Utilities (FPU). ARMA Energy combines energy buying power and reduces workload while retaining independence and de-risking for members.

With ARMA Energy, if a meter for which FPU is responsible falls onto default rates, then FPU indemnifies the client for the difference between the new contract rate and the default rate. This gives you real confidence with your clients.

FPU is bringing its experience as a 20-year established, respected broker with direct access to every UK supplier to aid ARMA members by organising a group deal or a ‘basket’ pricing facility for ARMA members. Unlike other similar deals, ARMA Energy will give you the best possible unit price, no matter what your usage is. 

Benefits ARMA Energy customers will receive include:

• Competitive Rates - On pricing the member’s portfolio into the ‘basket’, Full Power will simultaneously price the individual member’s own portfolio across the entire market to ensure that the ‘basket’ price is the best at that time. The best of both worlds.
• Broker Provision – ARMA Energy provides a broker service to members who do not currently use a broker.
• No Hidden Costs – Full Power’s fees are recovered through the supplier from the Client, not from the Managing Agent.
• Peace of Mind - If a meter for which Full Power is responsible falls onto default rates, then Full Power indemnifies the client for the difference between the new contract rate that is eventually struck by Full Power and the deemed/default rate for the period that the client is on the deemed rate. As a managing agent, this gives your client security and confidence.
• Efficiency - Reduces workload and admin. Full Power takes a member’s portfolio, organises it, takes it to market, aims for a portfolio co-terminus end date, implements the selected deal and manages it for you.
• De-risks Your Work - Total end to end support by Full Power means a professionally managed portfolio. It will perform a full market search of rates which members have little time to do, avoid out of contract rates, check the VAT, etc.
• Independence - Members maintain their own terms of buying, e.g. BACS, periods of billing, etc.

New Services

As a result of listening to the needs of members, ARMA Energy has introduced a raft of new services within the initiative. These include:

• ARMA Energy Buying Basket & Guarantee - Member access to a unique ARMA ‘basket’ which has grown since 2017 with exclusive competitive pricing for members.
• Utility Management Portal (UMP) - Allows property managers and managing agents to view all their utility related information in one location, which can be accessed anywhere, anytime.
• Tenant Re-charging - Provides a billing solution to suit your project and requirements, a fully inclusive billing package, a pre-payment billing option, AMR network communications and more.
• Complete EV Charging Solution – Includes installation of EV charging infrastructure by Full Power and the ability for residents to manage charging via a handy mobile app and RFID card.

Who are Full Power Utilities Ltd?

• A respected independent consultancy, established in 1997, with DIRECT access to every UK supplier.
• High level personal service.
• Already has one third of all ARMA members as clients.
• Fully familiar with Section 20, VAT, query handling, etc.

For more information about ARMA Energy, including how you can join, click here.

To download the current ARMA Energy brochure, click here. (ARMA Members only)

Title: ARMA Annual Conference 2021 - Book Now!

Description:

BOOK NOW!

Open to members & non-members - Please note: Non-members will need to register before booking.

Dates: Tuesday 12^th October – Friday 15^th October 

Times: 10:00-12:30 each day

Format: Online event

ARMA’s 2021 Annual Conference will take delegates back to the future of residential property management, by refocusing on the key issues set to shape the sector over the coming years.

Day 1 - ARMA Updates & Keeping Positive

Beginning with key ARMA updates, our first conference sessions will be delivered by ARMA’s Chairman and its CEO. After a tough year of restrictions, remote working and the ever-present need to keep residents safe, we’ll also look at how individuals can stay positive and maintain resilience in their day-to-day lives.

Day 2 - Building Safety

After the Fire Safety Bill received Royal Assent earlier this year and as the Building Safety Bill progresses through the House of Commons, health and safety will be a staple of our 2021 agenda. Day Two discussions will cover the Building Safety Bill, the new roles critical to the regime as well as the ongoing cladding crisis. 

Day 3 - Legal Cases

Day Three will see a lively legal debate with several high-profile cases covered which could have significant implications on the world of leasehold.

Day 4 - Partner Expertise

On the final day, delegates can tap into a wealth of industry expertise as we open up the floor to our ARMA Partners who will provide delegates with free guidance on their chosen ‘Technical’ or ‘Business’ topics. 

The full conference programme will be made available soon.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Nigel Glen, CEO, ARMA - Day 1, 'ARMA and Industry Updates'
• Michael Jacobs, ARMA Chairman & MLM Property – Day 1, 'ARMA and Industry Updates'
• Shelley Jacobs, MLM – Day 1, ‘Wellbeing and Resilience’
• Andrew Melloe, PRP – Day 2 'An Overview of Building Regulations'
• Dr Shaun Lundy, Tetra Consulting – Day 2, ‘Building Safety Bill’
• Cassandra Zanelli, PMLS – Day 3, ‘Legal Updates’
• Justin Bates, Landmark Chambers – Day 3, ‘Legal Updates’
• Linn Byberg, Institute of Business Ethics – Day 3, ‘Ethical Leadership’

Book Your Place

If you're looking forward to another year of engaging speakers, need-to-know content and lively discussions, make sure you save the date for our online Annual Conference, BOOK NOW.

All registered conference attendees will be able to enter the Prize Draw free of charge, courtsey of event sponsors. Access the draw HERE.

With thanks to our ARMA Partner Annual Conference sponsors:

Title: ARMA Welcomes the Recovery Potential of the ‘Polluter Pays’ Provision as an Amendment to the Building Safety Bill

Description:

The team at the PolluterPaysBill is seeking to convince the Government to add the Polluter Pays Redress Scheme into the Building Safety Bill, based on the provisions of the Environment Protection Act 1990 as amended, to establish a statutory framework for the recovery of direct and indirect remediation costs from responsible parties where a building is found not to have been constructed in accordance with building regulations in force at the time of construction.

Dr Nigel Glen, CEO of the Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA), has welcomed the recovery potential of the ‘Polluter Pays’ provision as an amendment to the current Building Safety Bill, and commented: 

“The proposal put forward to ensure that the responsible parties pay for cladding remediation and building safety work has been the stance of ARMA since the very start of this current crisis – we have long campaigned and asked Government to protect leaseholders from these crippling costs by immediately forward-funding all necessary remediation work required to make affected buildings and their residents safe as soon as possible. Allowing the Government to identify those works and place the responsibility of remediation costs on those who failed to make the grade in terms of materials, workmanship, or construction standards - rather than on leaseholders – is a sensible and practical solution to the current crisis.

“Adopting the Polluter Pays amendment will remove the current requirement in the Building Safety Bill for building owners and managing agents to pursue all reasonable avenues for costs, as well as the option for leaseholders to take what will likely be costly legal action against developers, and replaces it with a more practical scheme, where Government funds the work and recovers any costs from liable parties  - whether regulatory failure, developers, contractors, manufacturers, or warranty providers, for example – after the work has been completed. 

“Managing agents have shown extraordinary dedication to their residents, working tirelessly to expand their resources, and investing in supporting affected leaseholders in the last few years, so we are genuinely supportive of a remediation process that is proportionate, and entirely funded and delivered by Government."

Steve Day, a Campaigner in the ‘PolluterPaysBill’ and ‘Building Safety Crisis’ teams said: “We are grateful to ARMA for supporting this amendment to remove the burden of remediating defective buildings from leaseholders and to provide the right incentives to developers and others to ensure that their buildings are safe. We urge the government to bring forward the “polluter pays” provisions as a government amendment to the Building Safety Bill when Parliament returns in September. “

To find out more about the Polluter Pays Bill, click here.

To hear the Polluter Pays Bill discussed on BBC Radio 4, click here.

To visit the Polluter Pays Bill' Twitter account, click here.