Due to current and recent events, such as the pandemic and the ongoing energy crisis, the UK boiler industry and its supply chain have been impacted.
Even during summer, where demand is low, the supply of boilers has been particularly challenging for us and others in the industry. This means that come winter, the supply of gas boilers is likely to face disruption for the foreseeable future, particularly as demand surges in the colder months.
In a recent survey conducted by Heatable, 62% of consumers fed back that they were “Just shopping around for quotes right now, no rush.”. Our concern is that these consumers may come unstuck.
Winter demand for boilers will result in supply issues
As you may be aware, the domestic heating market is seasonal and the demand for gas boilers sharply increases in the cold, winter months.
As a result, we expect the boiler supply issues to become much more evident as this year’s winter approaches.
This means that there is likely to be a shortage of stock and the availability of ranges and models will become sparse and more restricted.
What are boiler manufacturers saying?
In recent communication to the industry, Worcester Bosch commented:
“The supply of components, mainly pumps, continues to challenge the boiler industry. Longer lead times may be unavoidable during the busy Winter period, however as a manufacturer we are doing everything in our power to overcome this.”
They also added:
“For peace of mind, you may wish to start looking now for a professional heating engineer/ company who can install an A rated Worcester Bosch boiler for you in preparation for the colder months.”
Why is the UK facing a boiler supply issue?
Simply put, manufacturers cannot obtain the required components due to the backlogs and production delays in the post-covid era.
There are well-known supply issues with several key boiler components including semiconductors (the chips inside the circuit boards), fans and pumps.
Winter has always been the busiest time of year for the UK domestic heating industry, so with a gas boiler shortage likely, this is going to have a compounding effect.
So, for anyone that is currently in the market for a new boiler, we advise them not to hold off until Winter, as that’s when the supply issues will really become apparent.
A shortage of boilers means that prices could potentially increase, there may be limited options in terms of brands and models, and you may have to wait longer to have one installed.