The Guild of Master Heat Engineers

Why the Guild of Master Heat Engineers Matters

The retrofit sector has been crying out for representation. For too long, the people who actually do the work - the heating engineers on the front line - have had little say in how standards are set, how training is delivered, and how policy gets written.

When we wrote recently about the need for unions in retrofit, it struck a chord because it spoke to a gap: installers are often expected to carry the weight of the energy transition without a structure that recognises their craft, defends their interests, and elevates their voice.

That’s why the creation of the Guild of Master Heat Engineers, founded by Nathan Gambling, is so inspiring. It isn't a trade body. It's not a Union shackled to politics - which is dangerous in these times. It’s a recognition that the skills of heat engineers are central to the net zero mission - and that those skills deserve the same respect afforded to architects, surveyors, or any other professional discipline.

The Guild represents a new model: not top-down, but peer-driven. Not a badge for marketing, but a commitment to standards, mentoring, and a collective identity.

It acknowledges that the transition away from fossil fuels won’t succeed without a strong, confident, and well-represented workforce of engineers who know what works in the real world.

Nathan has been clear on this point:

“The Guild isn’t about setting standards - it’s about gathering what real engineers see and experience in the field, and using that to guide decision making.” - Nathan Gambling

There are people who would like Nathan to shut up. But that's good. Vanilla is the flavour of ice cream. It only becomes a dessert when you add the jam, nuts and chocolate sauce. Then you get a knickerbocker. Or in Nathan's case. An arse kicker.

“We’re not reinventing heat engineering, that's daft. People are moving from burners and boilers to heat pumps, and the Guild is creating the space for that transition to happen.”

Momentum is already building:

“Support’s growing: the Guild has backers, which shows the wider industry believes in what we’re doing.”

And the Guild is already surfacing frontline knowledge:

“Most buildings, especially in the commercial space, have had versions of heat pumps for years. I don't think people realise that. Engineers know that, and they have that knowledge.”

The launch of the Guild is a milestone moment. It says to policymakers and the public alike: the heating engineer is no longer an invisible cog in the system. They are the master craft at the centre of every successful retrofit.

It's not often you meet an enigma like Nathan. His family is deeply embedded in the legacy of gas. But the physics of what he learned from his family, heating, is one of the critical improvements we need for the future of our homes and businesses.

There is a resonance when you talk to him. His ability to communicate to C-suite board room types and clearly extrapolate difficult ideas about the movement of energy to learners, sets him apart.

This isn't about Nathan though. He's a humble man. He won't be quiet though.

And there's one reason why this Guild needs to work. And Nathan knows it. If you don't have a voice. No one can hear you. And no one listens.

Heating engineers have a voice.