How to join

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When you join the IOR you will become part of a network of individuals enthusiastic about the science and practice of refrigeration, air conditioning, heat pumping.

IOR members are recognised by their experience, expertise and commitment to increasing their technical knowledge. They are committed to keeping up to date with industry developments, new technologies and take an active part in our influential in this community of users, technicians, engineers and scientists.  

Your first years Membership Fee will become due when your membership is approved. See the list of Membership Fees here

The Application process

Membership applications are evaluated by a group of peers based on the evidence you provide of your knowledge, skills and experience in the sector.  You will need to provide a detailed career history, copies of qualifications or certificates and the name of at least one reference who is familiar with your work.

If you wish to join as an Affiliate* or Service Engineer subscriber you do not need to provide references or a career history.  Simply complete the relevant pages of the online application form - such as contact details.

Step 1 - create your online account here.

Step 2 - complete our online application form with:

• your full career history, length and responsibilities of all job positions held. Please include a full career history with no gaps, even if some of these jobs were not in the RACHP field as non-technical management or responsibility experience is still relevant and will be taken into account. Tip - make sure you include details of different roles held within each company eg if you started as an apprentice and ended up as a managing director, make sure you include dates that you were in each different role throughout your career. Include any roles outside of RACHP for example if you returned to study or worked in a different sector so that there are no gaps in your CV. Refer to the Grades and Rates document which helps explain levels of responsibility required.
• complete the Professional Experience section as fully as possible - here is an example of showing the level of detail expected for this section. 
• any relevant national qualifications held (eg Apprenticeship, NVQ, Degree, F Gas) and upload scanned copies. Tip - have the scanned copies ready on your computer before you start completing the form. If you cant find your qualification certificates explain this on the form in the "other information" area.
• the name and email address of a sponsor who is familiar with your work and has agreed to give you a reference. Tip - this should not be a family member.
• any other relevant information or evidence. Tip - if you have a CV with fuller details of your experience or any technical articles you want to be considered these can be uploaded as well.

Step 3 - you can save and return to your partially completed form at any time, when you have completed and confirmed the on line form  just press submit!  You will be asked to pay an application fee of £49, so make sure you have your bank details or credit card handy.  Affiliate and Service Engineer applicants that don't go through a Committee review process will be asked to pay their full first years membership fee at this stage so have your credit card or bank details ready.

Step 4 - your application will be reviewed by our Membership Committee and you should receive confirmation of the grade allocated within a month. You may be asked to provide more detailed information by the reviewers or a telephone interview can be scheduled if there is not sufficient information to allocate an appropriate grade. Affiliate and Service Engineer applications are not reviewed by the Committee.

Step 5 - you can now activate your membership and pay for your first year's membership subscription following the payment link in your confirmation.  Once your membership is activated you can start using membership initials MInstR, AMInstR or TMInstR after your name. You will also receive your joining pack with your Membership Certificate, Badge, Guide and Password to access the Members only services on the website. IOR members can apply for Engineering Council recognition. 

 Follow this link to start your online application

Alternative ways to join

Print off a PDF application form - if you would prefer to fill in your application manually please return this form together with a CV and copies of qualification certificates held by post to FREEPOST IOR or by email to membership@ior.org.uk   You can view an example Professional Experience Review statement here.

*Affiliate members can access IOR on line information but cannot use initials after their name and have limited benefits eg they cannot vote on IOR matters or join the Board of Trustees. Affiliates do not need to supply career history, references or evidence of qualifications. Simply fill in your contact details and set up your annual membership renewal payment using the online application form above.

Membership Helpline

Contact the Membership Department on +44 (0)20 8647 7033 or use our contact form.

How grades are allocated and your rights

The Membership Committee will allocate the most suitable grade of membership for an applicant based on the information provided in the application form.  Applicants have the right to query the grade allocated and provide additional information for consideration by the Committee in accordance with our Grading Appeals Policy.