Italy launches biogas-powered district heating and cooling system Italy: Italy has introduced its first integrated district heating and cooling system powered entirely by biogas produced from sewage sludge. The facility, located in Peschiera Borromeo near Milan, uses anaerobic digestion to generate biogas that supplies both heat and chilled water. Developed by CAP Evolution, the project establishes a new technological model at the national level and supports Gruppo CAP’s long

Trone Expands Its Design-Driven Bathroom Portfolio with New Celeste Mixer France: Trone, known for disrupting domestic and semi public toilets, is expanding into the bathroom sector with Celeste, its first monumental washbasin mixer. After “re enchanting the toilet” with its distinctive toilet bowls Icone, Callipyge and the Kaoline control plate, the brand now offers basins, washbasins (Orb and Rituel), and accessories (Trium), and has introduced Celeste a striking 60 cm brus

UK Boiler Upgrade Scheme Sees Record Heat Pump Grant Applications UK: The UK’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) has received over 102,735 grant applications, with 86,446 vouchers approved since its launch in May 2022, driven by strong demand in 2025. October saw 4,013 applications, 4% higher than October 2024, bringing the first ten months’ total to 37,700 applications, ahead of the previous annual record of 33,657 in 2024. BUS provides grants for air-source and ground-source heat

The European bathroom market remained stable in 2024, declining marginally, navigating shifting consumer preferences, evolving housing dynamics, and broader economic pressures. Eastern Europe maintained a slight lead in overall activity, supported by consistent demand across core categories. Western Europe, while marginally behind in total installations, continues to set the pace for long-term growth, particularly in renovation-led upgrades.  Housing RMI remained the dominant

Airzone Partners with Zeliatech to Expand HVAC Control Solutions in Italy Spain/Italy: Airzone, a Spanish provider of HVAC control technologies, has entered into a collaboration with Zeliatech Srl of the Esprinet Group to strengthen Zeliatech’s Smart Building division. Through this partnership, Zeliatech customers will gain access to Airzone’s temperature and air quality control systems, including multi-zone management integrated into leading home automation platforms. The co

Energy Regulator Simplifies Conditions Ukraine: Ukraine has removed licensing requirements for producing thermal energy in cogeneration units when the energy is sold to a heat supply organization at a price not exceeding 50% of the single-rate population tariff, with businesses now only required to notify the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development, NKREKP, and local authorities within three working days of starting operations. The number of documents needed to ob

Expand UK District Heating UK: Veolia has announced a GBP 1 billion (USD 1.12 billion) project pipeline to be awarded by 2030 as part of its new Ecothermal Grid rollout in the UK, supporting the company’s goal to expand its district heating footprint using diverse energy sources to deliver carbon-neutral heating and cooling. With buildings responsible for 37% of the UK's CO₂ emissions and only 3% of national heat demand currently met by district heating far below the governme

Push for German Subsidy Reform Germany: A new alliance of major European heating and climate technology manufacturers has jointly urged Germany to ensure that the upcoming push for subsidy reform of its Federal Funding for Efficient Buildings (BEG) strengthens domestic value creation. The coalition comprising Viessmann Climate Solutions, Bosch Home Comfort Group, Vaillant Group, and Stiebel Eltron from Germany; BDR Thermea Group from the Netherlands; Ariston Group from Italy;

France France: France’s latest refrigerant emissions inventory, released in September 2025 by AFCE (Alliance Froid Climatisation Environnement) and Citepa, shows continued progress in reducing fluorinated gas emissions. The report’s release comes as the updated European F-Gas Regulation (EU) 2024/573 enforces stricter requirements from March 2024 onwards, including expanded technician certification, updated GWP-based labelling from 2025 for all fluorinated gas systems (includ

District Heating in Germany Germany: Germany’s heating landscape is reshaping, with heat pumps and district heating now dominating new residential developments. Heat pumps have become the primary heating choice in new single-family and two-family homes, with three-quarters now equipped with these systems. In newly built apartments, heat pumps have outpaced gas heating since 2022, while district heating has become the second most common solution, particularly in cities like Ha

DIY and Garden Centres Report Continued Decline Germany: The German DIY store association BHB reports that the sector has yet to see a turnaround in 2025, according to the latest GfK Total Store Report. DIY stores in Germany generated EUR 5.04 billion (USD 5.43 billion) in the third quarter, marking a 2.3 percent decline compared to the same period last year, with a 2.2 percent decrease on an adjusted area basis. After nine months, the sector remains below expectations, with

Frontline Bathrooms Secures Exclusive UK Partnership for Royo UK: Frontline Bathrooms will once again become the exclusive UK distribution partner for Royo following a strategic review by Roca, with the headline Frontline Bathrooms Reclaims UK Distribution for Royo included in the update. Under the renewed arrangement, all Royo stock will be stored at Frontline and orders processed through its sister company Smiths Briten, supported by a nationwide fleet of more than 70 vehic

Norcros plc Reports Strong First‑Half Performance in UK & Ireland UK/Ireland: Norcros plc, the leading branded bathroom products business in the UK and Ireland, reported a 1.3% increase in revenue to £184.3 m (USD 240.7 million) and a 7.4% rise in underlying operating profit to £21.9 m (USD 28.6 million) for the first half of 2025. Strategic initiatives including the acquisition of Fibo Holding AS in Norway and the closure of Johnson Tiles SA have positioned the company for f

Nordic Climate Group Expands into United Kingdom and Ireland Through Strategic Acquisitions UK/Ireland: Nordic Climate Group is expanding into the United Kingdom and Ireland via three strategic acquisitions with combined revenue exceeding EUR 50 million, establishing itself as the market leader in Ireland and securing a starting position in the UK. This expansion builds on the Group’s growth in the Nordics and the Netherlands and strengthens its presence in key sectors includ

UK Government Seeks Views on Alternative Low-Carbon Heating Technologies UK: The UK government has opened a consultation to gather evidence on alternative low-carbon heating technologies beyond heat pumps and heat networks. While heat pumps and heat networks remain central to the UK’s decarbonisation strategy, the government aims to identify additional solutions suitable for different types of buildings to ensure consumer choice. The consultation forms part of wider efforts t

Swegon Group Appoints Interim CEO Following Leadership Transition Sweden: Swegon Group has announced that its current Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Andreas Örje Wellstam, will move to the role of Chief Investment Officer at Investment AB Latour, the company’s owner. In response, the Board of Directors has appointed Eva Karlsson as interim CEO, effective 1 February 2026. Karlsson currently serves as Vice President of the Business Area Air Handling, Cooling & Heating and previ

Scottish Government Withdraws Green Heating Legislation Again Scotland: The Scottish government has withdrawn its proposed legislation on low-carbon heating systems for a second time this year. The heat in buildings bill, initially developed by former green minister Patrick Harvie, aimed to support the transition from gas boilers to alternatives such as electric heat pumps. The original proposal was abandoned earlier in the year due to concerns that it could increase fuel pov

Armstrong International Increases Planned Heat Pump Production Capacity in Belgium Belgium: Armstrong International has revised its expansion plan for its manufacturing site in Herstal, Belgium, doubling its intended annual production capacity for industrial high-temperature heat pumps from 50 MW to 100 MW by 2027. The update follows continued momentum in industrial decarbonisation and support from the European Commission’s Innovation Fund, which intends to allocate EUR 1 bil

Roper Rhodes Opens New Distribution Centre to Support Expansion UK: Roper Rhodes has relocated to a new 235,000 sq ft distribution centre as part of its ongoing expansion, following 15 years of consecutive sales growth and rising demand for its products. The company stated that it has outgrown its previous Portbury facility, which it first moved into in 2016. The new hub offers storage for 44,000 pallets and includes pick faces for 12,000 SKUs, aimed at improving operational

Geberit Group Posts Solid Sales Rise Despite Currency Headwinds Switzerland: The Geberit Group reported net sales of CHF 2,448 million (about EUR 2,652 million) in the first nine months of 2025, representing a 2.0 per cent increase year on year. Adjusted for currency effects, the sales growth rose to 4.4 per cent. Operating cashflow (EBITDA) reached CHF 753 million (about EUR 805 million), delivering an EBITDA margin of 30.8 per cent. The slight decline in margin (down by 60