Spotlight on… Nick, heat pump installer

Technically, I’m a low carbon heating support engineer. But feel free to call me a specialist plumber, it’s fewer syllables haha.

Well get ready, this is going to take a while! I started in University with a creative course in Design and graduated with a degree in fine art sculpture. It might seem quite different to what I do now, but the course was focused on using lots of materials to build and create interesting products – so not as different as you’d think!

I spent my mid 20’s taking care of my ill mother and working in bars and restaurants. After a two-year break, I ventured into different industries including building and manufacturing where I learned lots of valuable skills.

Designing things and making stuff, being able to take things apart and visualise a new way to put them together – that’s been my life. I can work with any materials to create something really well, so getting into engineering actually made sense for me.

I applied after my wife and I bought a flat and I switched our electricity provider to Octopus after thorough research. They really aligned with my values so I decided to apply for a role on a whim. I quickly progressed and I’m on the path to becoming an installer now which is exciting.

I’ve worked in lots of different industries and I am just so happy I’ve found somewhere I can be for the long haul. There is so much room for career progression, it’s easy to be excited about your future here. I have been here for over 2 years and I just love it. From bottom to top, everyone at Octopus is friendly, eager to chat, and open to new ideas.

So, my role is to go into our customer’s homes to install heat pumps. Typically, we go in small groups of 3 or 4, divide the work and get started. The first thing we do is explain to the customer what we’re about to do because at the end of the day, their happiness is what matters. We then get started on the pipework to change the radiators and we fit the heat pump. It’s quite a technical process that takes a few days, but I would say we’ve perfected the installation process.

Other than getting all the technical aspects right, I am always conscious of making sure the process is great for the customer. It can be an inconvenience to get work done in your home, and it’s important to make it as easy and pain-free as possible.

We are a fast growing company and whilst that is exciting, it means we’re constantly hiring and training new people. So, it can be a lot of work but it is fulfilling to see people you’ve trained really grow into their roles.

There are so many! But one from the other week comes to mind, where a job had a bunch of challenges that made it quite a difficult installation. It happens quite rarely so we made an extra visit to the property to make sure everything was working as it should. In this case, we stayed until midnight on Friday to finish up all the final bits and I even returned on Monday to do some extra rendering and painting work so everything looked as perfect as possible. Luckily, because of all of my previous work experience, I’m able to do a lot of random ad hoc jobs for our customers to make sure they’re happy. I got a text message from him that week saying it meant everything to him that I’d gone the extra mile to make sure the job was well done. Those are the moments you remember.

Definitely, the people I work with. It sounds cliche, but I’ve made best friends for life here. We have so much banter between us and every day brings laughter and joy.

It’s brilliant because we’ve got loads of people, and each person just brings new vibrancy into the company. We’re also growing more and more diverse, which is massively important. It’s about building teams and careers for people.

Come with an open mind and a confident, positive attitude. You don’t have to know it all, to know you can learn it all. And don’t be afraid to ask for help, there is always someone here for you.