We're delighted to announce that James Lacey, founder of JLN Plumbing and Heating here in Coventry, has been named Best HVAC Installer 2026 at the prestigious Heating Installer Awards. The win was announced live at InstallerSHOW, held at the NEC Birmingham, one of the biggest events in the UK's heat, water, air and energy calendar.

The Heating Installer Awards celebrate the very best heating engineers across the country, recognising exceptional technical ability, innovative problem-solving, and outstanding customer service. This year's awards brought together the long-running Heating Installer Awards with the inaugural Plumber Awards under one banner, making the competition for national titles more rigorous than ever.

Getting to this point wasn't a simple nomination. Entrants were assessed against a demanding set of criteria, including the quality of their completed projects, their technical knowledge, and their problem-solving abilities on site. Shortlisted installers then had to complete a technical challenge and take part in a public vote, which made up a significant portion of the overall score. Winning the Best HVAC Installer category against this level of scrutiny is a genuine reflection of the standards James and the JLN team hold themselves to on every job.

For anyone who has worked with JLN before, this recognition won't come as a huge surprise. James has spent 19 years building his heating and renewables business from the ground up in Coventry, staying hands-on with installations while growing a small, family-led team that now covers boiler installations, air source heat pumps, air conditioning, and a full range of renewable technologies. That combination of deep technical accreditation, Gas Safe, MCS, F-Gas and NICEIC among them, alongside genuine on-the-tools experience, is exactly what award judges are looking for when they assess HVAC specialists.

Awards like this matter because they're not decided by marketing or self-nomination alone. They involve a panel of industry experts, professional associations and experienced installers who scrutinise real project work, and they include a public vote, meaning customers themselves had a say in the outcome. For homeowners across Coventry, Nuneaton, Rugby and the wider Midlands, that's reassurance that when you book JLN for a boiler installation, heat pump survey, or air conditioning job, you're working with a team that's been independently judged as one of the best HVAC installers in the country.

This win adds to what's already a strong reputation built on years of five-star reviews and repeat customers who value straightforward, honest advice over unnecessary upselling. It's the kind of recognition that reflects not just one big project, but a consistent standard maintained across hundreds of jobs, year after year.

We'd like to say a huge congratulations to James and the whole JLN team on this fantastic achievement. If you're considering a boiler installation, air source heat pump, or air conditioning system for your home or business, now is a great time to get in touch with a team that's been officially recognised as among the best in the UK.

To book a survey or ask a question, call the Coventry office on 024 7667 7667 or get in touch through the website.