We're moving!!!!

Well, time stands still for no man and so it is for us at Dobson and Surrey Ltd.

After 20 plus years at our current location (and the same again only 2 doors up on Howard Street, we’re heading for pastures new at the start of 2024. New Year, new start.

Changes in the way we work, procure materials and the move to an electronic work environment means we’ve simply outsmarted the current Office as frankly, we don’t need anything as large as we currently have to carry out our company’s operations.

We’re remaining in North Shields so we can still call this home!

Details of the new address are on the front page of the website so if you need us or just want to drop us a line, please use the new address.

Still here!

Wow - Ferris Bueller was right! Life does move pretty fast. If you don’t stop every once in a while, you do miss it

Hence the reason for today’s pause, look up and realise our blog hasn’t been updated since before last Christmas!

Firstly, our sincere apologies for that - a combination of dealing with Covid-19, isolations, ill health, personal matters and frankly, life has meant we took our eye off the ball in keeping in touch with our clients and blog readers.

I know everyone has been dealing with their own worries and concerns during this period of time and we’re no different to that but we have to hope that as people become more confident about interacting in a more face-to-face manner, then we can start to get back to a version of “normal” which is more like that we enjoyed before.

So, if you need us, we’re here for you, as always.

Christmas greetings and a hope for better times

Well, somehow we’ve managed to get to Christmas 2020!

This year has been the worst of times for all of us - people have lost friends and family due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Some has lost their livelihoods and businesses. For others, it’s been a year of being alone and in isolation, which has brought about issues dealing with mental health and so on.

But…

There is some light at the end of the dark tunnel we’ve been in - we’re in the process of approving and administering vaccines to parts of our population and we’ve started on the road to - hopefully - a full recovery. We’ve had 9 months of heartache but it’s starting to come to an end.

It might not feel like Christmas but we should not lose sight of what Christmas is really about - celebrating those friends and family in our lives who love us dearly and want the best for us. Those special people who we cannot wait to see and embrace when we are able to.

We spent months caring for others during lockdown, with small acts of kindness such as getting shopping for vulnerable neighbours or clapping for the NHS and this is the behaviour we should be hoping continues as we make our way forward.

2021 brings with it a sense of new beginning as all New Years do, but we really have our hopes on this year as being the one which matters more than any other. Our eyes can be firmly fixed on the bright horizon, not the dark times of recent past.

From all at Dobson and Surrey Ltd, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful, safe, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Coronavirus Update - Back up and running!

After 108 days of lockdown, we are pleased to announce that Dobson and Surrey Ltd are back up and running with everyone having returned back to work.

There have been an awful lot of changes to implement since lockdown began but the most important thing to note is that all of our engineers are back out and about, with projects restarting and customers being looked after.

We’d just like to thank you all for your support during this time and hopefully moving forward - we can’t deny that we are in uncharted territory and that the situation will change on perhaps a daily basis but what we can do is let you all know that we are here to do the very best for all of our customers.

If you need us for anything, don’t hesitate to get in touch and we look forward to hearing from you.

Stay safe.

Coronavirus / Covid-19 Update

In light of the current global pandemic of Coronavirus / Covid-19, we thought it important to provide you with an update on our contigency plans for ongoing operations and the future.

Whilst these are extraordinary times and events can change in a matter of moments, we are endeavoring to carry on with the provision of our services for as long as we possibly can. Obviously due to the nature of our company and it’s operations, we cannot have engineers working from home as per the current guidance from the Government.

However, we are ensuring that all of our operatives observe the current Governmental and Public Health England guidance in relation to minimising their exposure to the virus and have put in place heath monitoring to ensure that the risk to health of either our employees or our clients is reduced to as small a level as possible.

If you do have any questions or queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Finally, to all our customers - stay clean, stay safe.

Merry Christmas one and all

So, here it is, Merry Christmas!

We’re either fashionably late - or remarkably early with this message, take your pick.

Every year, we try and create something a bit funny for our Christmas post and then tie it back into what we do as a company but this year, let’s keep it simple.

Merry Christmas everyone. We hope you have an amazing, joyous and peaceful time and that the New Year brings you all the love, happiness and prosperity that you wish for.

From all at Dobson and Surrey Ltd.

St James Gate, Newcastle Upon Tyne - Office Refurbishment

We don’t normally promote our electrical works in the blogs but we’ve recently completed a substantial refurbishment project at the offices of a well known provider of auditing, tax and consultancy services for a global clientele at St James Gate in Newcastle Upon Tyne - comprising approximately 16,000 square feet over two floors of the building

This involved the upgrading of the mains distribution system including the installation of split metered distribution boards, new lighting installation incorporating Lutron dimming and scene setting controls, installation of new underfloor busbar system incorporating raised floor services boxes complete with small power and data outlets, small power installations to the Kitchen / Tea point areas, alterations and extensions to the existing fire alarm installation and alterations / extensions to the existing data cabling system - including new points for the audio / visual and room booking systems.

The works were carried out in four separate phases over a period of twenty weeks in an active and working environment, causing minimum disruption to the business’ critical operations.

The majority of materials installed during the project were supplied via our preferred electrical wholesaler for the works - Electric Center in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Special thanks go to Alan Gray for his assistance in this matter - we really appreciate it.

Should you have any similar requirements for works of this nature, or indeed any electrical queries or problems, please don’t hesitate to contact us via telephone, e-mail or social media and we look forward to speaking to you!

Continuing Sponsorship of Percy Park RFC Under 9's Team

We are pleased to announce that following a successful season at Under 8’s level, Dobson and Surrey Ltd are continuing their shirt sponsorship for the Under 9’s side at Percy Park Rugby Club.

Following major high profile rugby events in the North East recently such as the European Rugby Champions Cup Final back in May as well as the recent England v Italy match (both at St James Park, Newcastle), the country is gearing up to cheer along the England team at the Rugby World Cup in Japan, starting on the 20th September 2019.

Percy Park are our local team and have a grand history within the area, with an emphasis on development and furtherance of junior rugby - from the age of 6 and upwards.

Whilst our history is not so extensive, Dobson and Surrey Ltd have also been a constant presence in the local community for the last several decades and we are proud to able to support the work the club does for the many children living and playing in the area.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish the Under 9’s team and club in general continuing success for the season ahead.

Who's on the good list, who's on the naughty list? TV Chef Christmas Specials? Nothing for you lot!

So, for the last few weeks, I’ve been watching the Good Food Christmas channel, for some inspiration for what to cook at Christmas - and to be honest with you, i don’t think i’m any further forward than i was before i started this endeavour.

The problem is, there is that whilst there is only one real way in which to cook the old Turkey Lurkey but there is a multitude of ways in which to prepare it. Brine it, don’t brine it, cover with foil or don’t, fill it with stuffing or don’t, flavoured butter under the skin and a couple of clementines underneath to steam it, the list is endless.

And here’s the kicker - i don’t really like turkey. To me, it’s just a gym bunny chicken, with aspirations above it’s station.

Then there’s the vegetables - sprouts (uurrgghh) on their own or with bacon and chestnuts? Parsnips on their own or glazed in maple syrup? Carrots - roasted or boiled? Unpeeled or batons?

See what i mean?

And by the time you’ve spent two days preparing this meal (or if you are like Delia, a full 48 hours with only a power-nap at around 2 am and then 15 minutes “precisely” to open your Christmas presents (Top tip - the only way this can happen is if you’ve been a really naughty person and get next to nothing)), the last thing you really want to be doing is eating the damn thing.

So Santa, just bring me a large stottie filled with turkey, stuffing (has to be my Mam’s sage an onion stuffing, non of your M&S stuff), gravy and pigs in blankets. That, a large glass of fizz (or several) and a i’m a happy man.

Which i hope you all will be, whatever you end up doing and eating on Christmas Day.

On behalf of Dobson and Surrey Ltd, have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year - we’ll see you on the other side!

Sponsorship of Percy Park RFC Under 8's Minis Team

We are pleased to announce that Dobson and Surrey Ltd are the new shirt sponsors for the Under 8’s side at Percy Park Rugby Club.

Percy Park were founded in 1872 by J Stanley Todd, 1st XV Captain and originally played on a field behind his home in Percy Park, Tynemouth - hence the name.

In 1896, they moved to Preston Avenue in North Shields and they have been a positive presence in the local community ever since. The Percy Park Youth Trust was formed in 1986 and the Club have been and continue to be at the forefront of development and furtherance of junior rugby - from the age of 6 and upwards.

Whilst our history is not so extensive, Dobson and Surrey Ltd have also been a constant presence in the local community for the last several decades and we are proud to able to support the work the club does for the many children living and playing in the area.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish the Under 8’s team and club in general every success for the current season and those in the future.

Avoiding a Bad Reputation = Doing the Hard Things Well

I was travelling to work last Monday and heard on the radio an advert for a company which promised to safeguard "your company's online reputation", I must confess that it got me thinking.

Feedback - of any nature - if vital for a company. We need to know what we are doing right and also what we are doing wrong in order that we can stop doing it.

However, there are so many avenues for people to leave feedback, sometimes it's difficult to keep up with it all - social media, company websites, online directories, etc, etc. The chances of picking up all comments is reasonably remote.

So what happens when negative feedback is left and how do we deal with it? What happens when that feedback is from someone who can't be placated? What happens if that feedback isn't wholly accurate? What if it's libelous?

Worst case scenario here is that the company you work for, which you strive to ensure operates in a manner which puts customer service right at the top of the pile when it comes to commitments - looks like a disaster.

In an era of online reviews, the days of one-to-one resolution are gone - but also missing is the other side of the story sometimes.

Benjamin Franklin once wrote* "you can't please all of the people all of the time". He also wrote "half a truth is often a great lie".

What if the client was totally unreasonable? What if they were rude to your staff? What if they didn't pay for months? Where is the right of reply for your company? Does it look petty to comment on feedback left? 

It's often difficult to know which way to turn in situations like this - but we believe we've found a solution to the issue.

It's called the Honest and Fairness test - the "look in the mirror" test if you will.

If we can't really dispute what has been written, then we have to accept it, move on and make sure that we don't make that mistake again. 

If we can dispute what's been written then we'll reply to the criticism offering our point of view and hopefully the problem can be resolved to everyone's satisfaction.

Whilst it's great that these companies who  promise to look after your "social media reputation" have managed to find a niche in the market, surely it should be YOU who performs this task for your company.

After all, who has the most to lose?

I wish it could be Christmas every day!!!

Here we are then - less than two weeks to go till Christmas and here at Dobson and Surrey, it's a time for some quiet contemplation and reflection. Mainly i'm reflecting on how i'm going to write something different to last years blog, which by my own admission was rather good.

So, in the words of Sia's new and vaguely sinisterly titled Christmas song "Santa's Coming For Us" - "Ayetsortgeddin shortanohotchocoled, filsthi earringchristmas tearducts to, pickerminny onchristmastweets solowonly, the joy this timeout brings to you". 

Frankly, at any other time of year, this would be seen as unintelligible gibberish, but not now. Not at Christmas. For now is the time of peace and harmony, of calm and of thinking of others.

Or at least that's what we hope for. The reality differs slightly - effing and jeffing at all and sundry as we fight our way to the shops through the roadworks, fight our way into car parks in the vague and unrealistic hope that we might just get parked this side of Whit Week, fight our way into shops, battling those insufferable people who whilst walking three abreast in front of you in shopping centres, just suddenly STOP FOR NO APPARENT REASON, fight to get the presents we've been tasked to get (if they have any left in stock) and then the card payment machine goes belly up.

As we walk back to our car, we notice that the one item we've managed to secure after 8 hours of shopping has 20% off in nearly every shop we see on our way back to the car (or they would if they had any in stock...) and as soon as we've got to the car park and paid the obscene amount of parking charges and been followed back to our car by seven other drivers who are equally as desperate to get parked to serve their Christmas community service, we then fight our way home back through said roadworks to our loved ones.

Who then tell us that they've changed their mind about the present you've just bought and would like something else instead...

Again, at any other time of year, the above may come across as a semi-autobiographical and bitter rant by someone who's emotionally troubled. Not now though. It's Christmas.

(Let's not talk about Christmas Works "Do's" and Black Eye Friday, the fact that we've been hearing Band Aid since September, that with an inch of snow, anywhere south of Gateshead shuts down, with the media proclaiming "SNOWBOMB!" or "BLACK ICE MONDAY!!!" as it'll only get me, sorry, them, going again).

So at Dobson and Surrey, in the run up to Christmas, we'd like to suggest you do the following; instead of the rat race of shopping, take your family for a walk, go to a Christmas market, go to Church (if your proclivities lie in that direction) or even just sit at home, with your family and enjoy each other's company and good spirit. 

Spend the Christmas Holidays in your pyjamas watching the Christmas films with the kids (or by yourself, no shame in that) and revel in the fact that you get it - you understand what the true meaning of Christmas is. Friends and family, being together and sharing their love for each other.

In the meantime, i'm just popping to the shops as i've a few last minute things to buy, the Boxing Day sales have started early so there's money off and the roads and car parks are surprisingly quiet for this time of year...

From all of us here at Dobson and Surrey, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a very peaceful and prosperous New Year.

Power up now available!!!...???

Hello there and welcome to our monthly / quarterly / whenever i get the chance blog post on random and sometimes electrically biased topics! 

So then, some time ago, the government announced that by 2040, no new car would be available to buy with either petrol or diesel power (and that includes hybrid power). This follows similar commitments by France (2040) and Norway (2025). Also mulling over the proposals are the Netherlands (2025), India (2030) and some federal states in Germany (2030). It also followed an announcement from Volvo that from 2019 onwards, it would only be making hybrid or full electric vehicles. What sounds like a fantastic decision and one which surely cannot be argued against - right?

We're nearing the end of fossil fuel powered vehicles and the move into fully rechargeable transport within the next 25 years or so - certainly within my own lifetime.

Whilst current internal combustion powered vehicles (and hybrids don't forget!) are responsible for producing pollutants which have been found to be harmful to health, one of the main advantages of them is a complete and fully supported infrastructure of easily accessible fuelling stations all around the world. 

If i were so inclined, i could get in my current car and drive from the office to wherever and i'm pretty certain it wouldn't be an issue to ensure the car could be refuelled along the way.

With respect to electric vehicles, this infrastructure is certainly in it's infancy and will require an awful lot of investment to reach the same level. Yesterday in the Budget, the Chancellor committed to spend some £400m (well, £200m with the balance to come from private investors) to create a Charging Investment Infrastructure Fund which will go "some" way to increasing availability of charging points in the network.

It's true that the ICE infrastructure took decades to get to this level and also that most people (certainly those not living in city centres) can "refuel" simply by plugging in to their home electrical supplies but the fact remains that by announcing a cut off date, governments are committing themselves (and private companies) to ongoing large scale capital investment and expenditure to ensure demand can be met. 

I'm pretty sure that this will happen but not sure what the final cost will be. This brings us to the elephant in the room - where do all the wires go back to?

For decades now, the UK's power generating capabilities have been decreasing as coal fired power stations have been decommissioned, whilst nuclear power stations (in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster) fell from political favour and successive governments "kicked the can" along the road for others to address the issue. 

In recent years, the emphasis has been on renewable energy (itself in it's infancy) in order to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

All of these measures have meant that our spare capacity for electricity has been reduced considerably. However, at the start of the century, there were signs that this was finally being recognised and that measures would be put in place to address the issue - promptly. Ish.

In 2005, Tony Blair announced a review into the UK's energy policy and in 2006 announced his preference for nuclear power generation. In 2007, EDF said it hoped that we would be cooking our Christmas meals via nuclear power (indirectly!) by 2017. (Edit - not sure if this is going to happen...)

In 2008, the government announced the first plant would be online by 2020 and in the same year, EDF (who bought British Energy, the owners of the UK's existing nuclear power stations) for £12.5bn and planned to build four new reactors) said the cost per megawatt hour would be £45 by the end of 2017.

Initial preparatory works at Hinkley started in 2012. In 2013, the price per megawatt hour was announced at £92.50 and that the first power would be generated in 2020. The cost of the plant was estimated to be £16bn. Edited to add - the £92.50 figure is fixed for 35 years...

In 2014, the EC announced that state aid was "legal" and that the plant would cost £24.5bn. In late 2015, work was announced to start "within weeks" and be completed by 2025. This was started in 2017...

Finally and most recently, costs were announced to rise by another £1.5bn and would now not be completed until 2027.

This is for the first of four plants. Ten years from first announcement to concrete being poured and another ten years to complete.

£10bn over budget (currently). Cost per megawatt hour doubled (in 5 years).

This and the other four plants are to ensure that we have sufficient demand for our envisaged levels of usage. Well, what was envisaged back in 2005...

Based on the current timescales, if the announcement is made for the other three plants simultaneously, we should see them in operation in roughly 2037 -although that is hugely unlikely as the financing capital for such a massive infrastructure project doesn't exist, nor does the political willpower at a time when Brexit is taking up so much of the collective time in Westminster.

In 2016, a total of 2.69m cars were registered in the UK. Of that number, approximately 37000 were either full electric or hybrid vehicles - an increase from just 1000 five years previously.

(This is also in a market which has seen overall car registrations increase steadily since 2012 from approximately 1.95m). As of March 2016, there were 36.7m vehicles licensed for road usage in the UK.

The population has increased dramatically. Our life expectancy rate is increasing. This all means there are now more people wanting to own a car and more demand on our infrastructure.

Into all of this, the government has announced that within just over 20 years you won't be able to buy a new fossil fuel powered car. 

£100bn+ on four nuclear power stations. Millions / Billions more investment required for a national grid of charging stations (there are currently 7125 charging points spread over 4603 locations within the UK compared to 8459 petrol stations with over approximately 50000 pumps in those locations).

So the question must be asked - how on earth do politicians believe that this change over can be achieved in the time and how on earth are we meant to be paying for this? 

Where do we go from here? Back to the beginning...

So then, back in the crazy old times of Christmas 2016 (Happy New Year one and all - apologies for the lateness but my excuse which includes work, illness, Jury service (and, sadly, home decoration) is a valid one) i was fortunate enough to receive from Santa an Amazon Echo Dot - aka Alexa in common parlance.

I was incredibly excited to see exactly what i could do with such a device and now, after quite a few weeks (and a replacement) i've come to the conclusion that other than ranting and raving like a lunatic at her to answer me or to find out tomorrow's weather, i'm back in 1981 and facing the above piece of industrial design gold - the Sinclair ZX81.

You see, back in the day my Dad borrowed one from a friend and brought it home for me to play with and see what i could do with it. I'm sure it was a precursor to getting me a Commodore 64 (which i subsequently got) but i remember the frisson of excitement of connecting it up to my 10 inch black and white portable TV (heady times) and turning it on...

The subsequent disappointment in realising that i wasn't a programmer and that the device (whilst it had potential) wasn't all singing and dancing was crushing. It was only later on that the C64 arrived and i managed to do what i wanted with a computer - which at the age of 9 or so was to play games.

In the last 25 or so years we've come on in leaps and bounds technology wise and yet it seems we're back to square one with technology waiting for the applications and integration with other equipment to catch up. 

The purpose of this walk down memory lane? Well, voice activation for everyday items in our home is in it's infancy at present but give it another 2, 5, 10 years and we'll be sitting like Tony Stark talking to Jarvis. 

We're already verbally interacting with our phones, our cars and our media collections and the next stage seems to be voice recognition for online shopping, then control of our home automation and then, and then, and then...

The possibilities seem endless - and that's how our lives should be. Full of imagination and hope for the future. 

We currently as a country stand at a crossroads on so many levels with Brexit and other Neverendums being bandied around that sometimes it can be difficult not to take our eyes off our goals. 

Much like the best teams, we should be pulling together in the same direction and for the best outcome for all, not just for personal pride or gain.

Much like the ZX81 and my transition to the C64 - the best outcomes come with perseverence and a bit of patience...

(Incidentally, if you've received any electrical equipment recently and you need additional socket outlets installed, well...)

IT'S CHRIIIIIISSSTMAAAAAASSSS!!!!!

So then, another 12 months on and here we are. It's a few days before the Big Fella arrives and the shops have been playing Christmas Carols and Dean Martin (my own personal hero) songs since Guy Fawkes was caught lighting a match.

Every year, the rush for Christmas starts earlier - in fact, every "holiday", major or not, seems to be starting sooner and sooner. Expect Creme Eggs in the shop on Boxing Day...

But are we upset? Like heck we are - it's Christmas, the decorations and lights have been up for a while - in some parts, they've never been down but lets gloss over that - and despite the craziness of Christmas shopping and the amount on traffic on the roads, it signifies a time of fun with our families, a period to recharge our batteries and to make merry. 

(Incidentally, we hope you all put your outside lights up in a safe manner and weren't hanging off ladders trying to get the last fixings in your 4 foot high Rudolph's antlers whilst simultaneously telling your neighbours how you are "only doing this for the kids". We know who you are, where you live and the fact that you love the film "Elf" more than anything else).

However, in the midst of fighting pensioners for the last loaf of bread as if the Apocalypse was imminent and the supermarket wasn't only closed for one day, or scrapping over a parking spot after queuing to get into Silverlink for 45 minutes because it seems everyone thinks the shops are giving everything away for free and you must have a Dolce Gusto with 15% off NOW, take this one thought with you.

The real spirit of Christmas isn't about receiving, it's about giving. Now whether that's presents money, time or your affections, is largely irrelevant -  it's about thinking of others and not ourselves.  

So if there is someone you know who is having a tough time, or is alone at this time of year, or could really just do with someone to natter to, give up a bit of your Christmas to make their Christmas better. Trust us, you'll feel better for it. 

And on that note, from everyone here at Dobson and Surrey, we'd like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a peaceful, prosperous and Happy New Year.

And now for something completely different...

Ok, ok - i know. It's been a while since the last blog update but we've got a reasonable excuse for it - honest.

Since February (oops!), there's been an awful lot of work days, holidays, birthdays and the other detritus of modern working and non-working life which has put this page on hold. Also, a massive case of writers block didn't help. My suggestion of a topic such as the lunacy of digging up every road in the North East simultaneously was met with sceptical looks from various parties...

Also, it seems to be a traditional thing to use your own blog to promote yourselves and what you do to the Nth degree. It's kind of difficult to do that when you've been around for 40 years and nearly everyone know you...

However, inspiration came in the form of a telephone call (cold, naturally) from a company willing to monitor the website and blog on our behalf. So that got me thinking about security these days and who actually has our personal and business information and how they've gotten it.

There have been quite a few high profile security breaches from websites storing personal details this year and that's to be expected - hackers will always do this because, you know, they're hackers.

(incidentally, visit http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/worlds-biggest-data-breaches-hacks/ shows by year, the breaches or hacks or inadvertant data releases carried out - interesting stuff).

A lot of private personal information is harvested by companies and sold on as bulk file packages to third parties without our knowledge. These are then responsible for spam e-mails, cold calls, junk mail - the irritants in our lives.

Then there are the sneaky ones which we sign up to willingly but don't actually realise. These are the ones hidden nicely in amongst all the "terms and conditions" which we scroll past to get to the information we want.

There is even an internet anti-virus company carrying this out (although i'd be remiss not to point out that the information they pass on is "anonymised" and "non-personal information" but at the end of the day, the company that provides your security for your information against hackers and the nefarious in general are selling users information on to unknown third parties.

(Insert Alanis Morissette song title here).

The point of all this? We should all be a lot more careful in who we give our personal information to. Think about why you are being asked for certain information. Check the terms and conditions - if not thoroughly, at least glance through them before clicking "next". If the information is optional, don't give it out.

In the words of Sergeant Phil Esterhaus from Hill Street Blues - "Hey, lets be careful out there".

PS - in the interests conforming with tradition, Dobson and Surrey Ltd would like to note the following;

With the dark nights coming in, please check all of your external lights at home and places of work and ensure they are functioning correctly.

If not, you know who to call to fix the problem.

It was 40 years ago today...

It's not often that we blow our own trumpet here at Dobson and Surrey Ltd but on this occasion, we feel it's well earned!

Back in January 1976, Fleetway Electrical Contractors began trading in an unmanned office of about 10 square feet next to the space where the clothes were ironed at Fleetwing Dry Cleaners in North Shields.

George Dobson and Stan Surrey were the two founding partners and within a month, the name of the company had changed to Dobson and Surrey Ltd.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Sadly, George is no longer with us but i'm pretty sure that wherever he is, he is looking on with pride at what he and Stan, started all those years ago and how far the company has progressed.

Fred Fox was one of the first employees of the newly christened company. We are proud to say that he still works for us now.

John Torday was one of our first customers and supported us tremendously in the early years. We are proud to say that we are still working for him all these years later.

Phil Ogle started in the trade as a sales representative in the early 1980's and his first visit to a contractor was to our offices. We are proud to say he still comes in and sees us over 30 years later!

There have been a couple of moves but we've always remained within North Shields. 

The point of the above? It goes to show that our company has and will always be committed to building long lasting relationships with our staff, customers, suppliers and with the local region - it's the cornerstone of who we are and what we do.

We live and operate in a fast moving world which is very much removed from that of the 1970's. Technological innovations and engineering methods have changed the face of our industry - and Dobson and Surrey Ltd will continue to be at the forefront of presenting and implementing these developments to our customers.

When we look back to those days in the Dry Cleaners, it's incredible to think of the progress we've made and the changes we've experienced.

Roll on the next 40 years!

Here comes Santa!

So then...it doesn't seem like two minutes have passed since our last Christmas Blog Post and here we are 12 months later!

It's been a busy year for all of us here at D & S and one which, more importantly,  has been hugely interesting and fun. We've worked for a lot of customers, new and old, and we thank both those and our suppliers for their support throughout the year.

Officially, the offices are closed from Friday 18th December 2015 until we return on Monday 4th January 2016 but we'll be popping in to answer telephone messages and to open the post throughout the holiday period. Also, if you wish to contact us via e-mail, we'll be answering those as and when we receive them.

Other than that,  we'd just like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Enjoy the time you get off with friends and family, recharge your batteries and get ready for 2016!

The Future - here, now?

It's been a while since our last blog post and an awful lot has happened since then (which will be noted in future posts) but today we turn our attention to the future, which seems to be closer than you'd imagine.

There's an argument to be had about the Environmental impacts of replacing company cars on a frequent basis - changing often to ensure you are driving the most efficient (fuel and tax wise!) vehicles vs maintaining older vehicles and therefore not using up resources by continuously manufacturing newer models - but sometimes, the changes make so much sense that the argument is blown out of the water.

We've recently replaced part of our fleet with a car we firmly believe to not only be a common sense option but potentially a game changer with far reaching implications for company vehicles as a whole.

Petrol Electric Hybrids such as the one shown above (which incidentally is the one we have) offer a range of benefits to both companies and employees which when taken as a whole, make you wonder why anyone wouldn't run one.

Need examples? Benefit in Kind and Fuel Benefits are a fraction of those of a comparable diesel car, Fuel costs are slashed, Class 1A National Insurance Contributions are more than half a comparable car - the list goes on.

All this in a 2 tonne 4 wheel drive car.

Our last fill up was in mid-August and cost £45. By charging regularly using the free charge points located in the region (one-off £20 subscription cost notwithstanding), we've managed to cover 1500 on miles on one tank of fuel. 

Sorry, that should read one HALF tank of fuel...

So, good for the environment, good for the employee pocket and good for the company coffers. If you are in the process of replacing your car(s), make sure you arrange a test drive. It might just be the wisest decision you make in a long time.

Now that ain't working, that's the way you do it...

In a world of "eco" this and "energy efficient" that, we're all striving to save the planet, with the added bonus of trying to save a few pounds here and there....

Seriously though, the impact of energy efficient equipment and practices in the world of electrical contracting is staggering. Take the recent move away from fluorescent lighting and into LED's. Year on year, the manufacturers are reporting increased market share as more and more customers become aware of the benefits of LED lighting.

As with all new technologies, the cost to change at present is quite high but this is coming down and it won't be long before prices reach parity with "traditional" lighting.

In recent times, we have carried out works for local authorities and companies whereupon LED lights have replaced traditional fluorescent style light fittings and presence detectors have been fitted to ensure even though they are incredibly efficient when on, the lights are only on when required.

However, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to energy efficiency - within the next few years, home automation systems will become commonplace as people realise the power that a smartphone can have in controlling their home systems from remote locations. Left the heating on and it's a hot day? Open the app on your phone and reduce the central heating thermostat. Going away for a weekend? Program lights in your house to come on when your are away for security purposes.

The possibilities for this type of "instant access remote control" are seemingly endless and will all help us reduce our usage of resources and our costs.

So why the blog post? Surely this topic has been covered elsewhere and in greater detail?

Well, here's the thing. We hear about customers employing "energy management consultants" who will visit their premises, assess their usage and make recommendations on how they can improve their efficiency whilst reducing costs. They will also notify the customer of "payback" times - how long it will take to recoup your expenditure on the new equipment via savings in energy - and that's a fantastic and worthwhile piece of information to have at hand.

Meanwhile the customer receives a large invoice from said "energy management consultants" for services rendered - and it's this that the blog post is about.

A wise man (ok, it's the same wholesaler representative from previous posts but bear with me) once said employing management consultants is like giving someone your watch and then asking them the time.

Customers do not need to employ consultants such as this and pay their fees. Any contractor in our trade worth their salt will have access to people who will carry out these surveys for free. Recommendations will be made not only on the product the consultants are promoting but all of those available in the market. Customers will have more choice as well as potentially bigger savings due to reduced initial expenditure.

As with a lot of things in life, when it comes to employing consultants it's merely an appeal to authority. "We've employed XYZ to assess our needs and they've recommended 123. They are the experts on this. Here's their bill"

Customers CAN do this themselves and it WILL save them money. 

Why not give your local electrical contractors a call and see if THEY can help you when it comes to saving energy and money. You never know, it might just be the most cost-efficient decision you make all year.