A plumber has been named the South East winner of a new national industry award.
Steve Gray, owner of Steve Gray Gas Services Ltd in Hove, took home the regional title at The Plumber Awards 2026.
He was recognised for his dedication to customer service, high standards of compliance and decades of professional experience in both domestic and specialist plumbing.
Mr Gray said: “It has been a real privilege to be able to work at the Royal Pavilion, helping to maintain its historic plumbing systems to ensure they continue to work safely and reliably.
“I’m also incredibly proud of the work I’ve done in the community, especially on projects where I can make a real difference to people’s wellbeing.”
His winning entry highlighted complex work carried out at the Royal Pavilion, where he was responsible for maintaining the historic plumbing systems.
He also worked on a project at a social care property, where he installed and maintained a system for its residents.
He is now in the running to be named the national winner.
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Public voting is open until midnight on April 30. Votes can be cast via The Plumber Awards website and will be added to the judges’ scores and the scores from a technical challenge.
The awards, launched by the organisers of the Heating Installer Awards, celebrate exceptional plumbers across the UK who consistently deliver high-quality work and customer care.
Winners were selected by a panel of industry experts, professional associations and experienced plumbers during a day-long judging process held at Polypipe Building Products.
The judges commented that “entries were of an incredibly high standard, setting a high bar in the awards’ first year.”
Open to UK-based plumbers working on domestic projects, the awards are free to enter.
Entrants must be aged 18 or over and hold an NVQ 2 or 3 in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland, or an SNVQ3 in Scotland.
Prizes are sponsored by industry leaders including CT1, Kingsbridge, Polypipe Building Products, Powered Now, the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering and Refresh.
The national winner will be announced at the InstallerSHOW on June 24 at the NEC Birmingham.