City Plumbing prepares to launch diagnostic boiler services after acquisition

City Plumbing is preparing to launch a preventative maintenance service with installer partners, following the purchase by parent company The Highbourne Group of diagnostic software specialist PAB Systems. The firm believes the move offers ‘a multitude of benefits to plumbing and heating engineers, landlords and homeowners.’

PAB is a specialist software and systems provider that assists its clients, including housing associations, landlords, social housing contractors and insurance and warranty providers, with managing and administering policies and repairs in the heating sector.

The acquisition will enable City Plumbing to launch a subscription-based diagnostic fault-finding service later this year – which it says will see installer partners joining with City to utilise PAB’s data and services. This it says will enable the partners to ‘diagnose faults quickly; to improve first-time fix rates; and to quickly source the spares they need through City Plumbing’s 370-strong branch network.

The company says the new service will create a first-of-its-kind round -the-clock nationwide support network that enables a ‘supply and fix’ service for trusted engineer and installer partners of City Plumbing to fix and repair any boiler efficiently, first time. It says: “Housing associations, social housing providers and contractors will be able to ensure their tenants receive quick and efficient repairs whilst also reducing costs.”

The PAB systems will enable remote identification of boiler faults and the required remedy. This, City says, will reduce not only the time the boiler is unavailable for use, but also the cost of solving the issue and the mileage and CO₂ emissions for each engineer. The PAB system has a comprehensive boiler database with detailed fault code information about every boiler ever made and manufactured, and any required spare parts needed to remedy that fault.

Dave Evans, Chief Executive Officer at The Highbourne Group said@ “As one of the nation’s largest providers of spare parts to the plumbing and heating sector, we have observed that the ways in which our customers want to do business with us are changing. We recognise that many plumbing and heating businesses and their engineers are increasingly turning to technology to help them operate more effectively and therefore we are focusing on developing our strategies and solutions with a digital-first mindset.”

He said: “Through the acquisition of PAB, we will combine data, diagnostics and digital technologies with our ability to effectively stock and distribute thousands of spare parts across the country. This partnership will ensure that almost every engineer in the country can have even quicker access to what they need; when they need it, meaning they can provide a better and ultimately more efficient service to their customers”