PHAM APRIL22:Layout 1 05/04/2022 17:15 Page 1
APRIL 2022 | VOLUME 60 | ISSUE 3
phamnews.co.uk
UK home improvement boom continues despite price increases Many plumbers, ML_S]ZZX ʭ__P]^ LYO tilers have experienced record levels of demand in recent months and recent reports suggest that the upward trend will continue despite rising costs and material shortages According to recent reports from ‘find a tradesperson’ platforms, Rated People and Checkatrade, demand for tradespeople has soared dramatically over the last ˚˛ months, but the cost of home improvements has also risen significantly and looks set to rise further. Findings taken from the latest Rated People Home Improvement Trends report shows that ˠˠ% of UK tradespeople experienced increased customer demand in ˛˙˛˚, with bathroom fitters, tilers and plumbers among the most
Homeowners skipping gas safety checks N e a r l y a t h i r d ( ˜˚% ) o f homeowners say they will skip booking their annual gas safety check this year due to the costof-living crisis, according to new research from the Gas Safe Register. This is despite a majority (77%) being aware that regular servicing can help gas appliances
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in-demand professionals. However, despite the surge in demand since the start of the pandemic, tradespeople have also been hit with a series of challenges, with almost nine in ˚˙ tradespeople (ˡˢ%) reporting that their costs increased last year – ˡ˝% experienced materials supply issues and just under half (˝˝%) had workforce shortages. As a result, four in five tradespeople (ˡ˜%) had to increase their prices and almost
]`Y XZ]P PʯNTPY_Wd LYO TY _`]Y save money on household bills. With the prospect of laxer household attitudes to gas safety, the Gas Safe Register has teamed up with meteorologist and TV weather presenter Clare Nasir, to launch a new national campaign – Switch Off, Check On. The campaign warns homeowners of the false economy and safety implications of not servicing and safety checking their gas boilers, LYO _SP MPYPʭ_^ ZQ OZTYR ^Z L_ _ST^ time of year before retiring them for the warmer months.
two thirds (˟˛%) had to delay or cancel jobs. According to Rated People, between ˠ˞% and ˢ˟% of the top ˚˙ most affected trades found it difficult to get the materials they needed, and ˡ˛% of respondents said that they will need to put their prices up this year. Responding to the report, Rated People CEO Adrienne Minster says: “The volume of work completed in ˛˙˛˚ is a testament to how well tradespeople and homeowners worked together, because in a Covid and post-Brexit landscape, material supply issues, cost increases and labour shortages affected home improvement work across the UK.”
The latest data from Checkatrade suggests that the average cost of carrying out home improvements increased by ˚ˠ% in January when compared to the same period last year. The ‘find a tradesperson’ website examined over ˞˙˙̇˙˙˙ customer reviews to identify that,
on average, UK home improvers had to pay an extra £˜ˠˢ for work compared to prices paid ˚˛ months ago. Categories worst affected include tiling (+˛ˢ̍ˡ%), while the cost of plumbing work increased by ˚ˢ̍˝˜% and bathroom refurbishments by ˚ˡ̍˜ˡ%. Inflation, material price increases and intense customer demand are all thought to be behind the price rises. Despite the price rises, Checkatrade reports that customer demand is as high as ever, with January being its busiest ever month, with ˝̍˚m searches for its checked and vetted tradespeople. CEO Mike Fairman comments: “Inflation is really biting the price of home improvement and is a big contributing factor to the price increases we’re seeing, as the cost of raw materials continues to soar. This doesn’t seem to be putting off homeowners however, and some price increases we’ve seen could be further exacerbated by homeowners tackling larger projects around their homes.”
Bob Kerr, gas services director at Gas Safe Register, comments: “With the cost of living rising across the country, including higher energy bills, there is no denying that we’ll all be feeling the financial squeeze over the coming months and years. But, much like with our health, prevention is better than cure when it comes to gas safety and keeping you covered for the unexpected. “Boilers are among one of the most important appliances within our homes – so it’s important that
we stay on top of their upkeep. A regularly serviced boiler not ZYWd VPP[^ T_ bZ]VTYR PʯNTPY_Wd helping reduce bills, but can also reduce the risk of gas leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning.” Checkatrade.com estimates that the average cost to have a gas appliance safety checked is £80 a year. By contrast, if a boiler breaks down, each call-out could cost up to £˛˙˙ and replacing a boiler can cost thousands of pounds. Not getting regular safety checks could also invalidate warranties or conditions of insurance policies.
Rising costs
Inside this issue Gadgets & Tools Tablet designed for tough treatment See page 15
Business Matters Fuel card lowers the cost of van driving See page 18
COMPETITION Aqua˝ma up for grabs! See page ˝˚
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