The United States' economic crisis has certainly made headlines, but the chill has reached far beyond America, with countries as diverse as Ukraine and Iceland meet economical meltdowns. The United Kingdom is facing its own downtrodden economy too. The industry affected most by the tumble the economy has taken seems to be the housing industry. According to the leading mortgage providers in the UK, house prices in the UK have fallen twelve percent in the last twelve months. What effect will this have on the heating and plumbing industry?
So far evidence shows that the fallout from the economy has not affected the heating and plumbing industry as initially feared. Although there are reports of sales drops, there are still many companies reporting that sales are steady. The only major change seems to be the type of jobs undertaken by the engineers.
Up to last year, when the housing market was on an upswing, many heating and plumbing engineers were hired to create completely new plumbing and heating or cooling systems. In many ways, a new house and would often lead to completely new plumbing and heating system to be designed and installed. Now that the housing market has slowed down, home owners are more concerned with making sure their current systems will last as long as possible, while keeping costs down.
Heating and plumbing engineers are now being hired to repair and renovate systems in homes. Heating and cooling systems are being retooled and cleaned instead of being replaced. Professionals are finding that their billable hours are going toward boiler replacement and hot water cylinder repairs and inspecting vents and drains to ensure that they are working correctly and cost efficiently.
Heating and plumbing engineers are happy to book their hours, and they do not necessarily look for a redesign project with new built homes. Repairs and replacements provide dependable work and they ensure that these professional engineers are able to pay their bills.
Some heating engineers have discovered that diversifying their business and learning how to practice "green" methods of plumbing and heating can remarkably improve their number of billable hours, as recently clients have shown interest in making sure their homes are environmentally friendly. Solar thermal panels, under floor heating systems and environmentally friendly sewer systems are becoming more popular.
It is clear that the UK economy is having a rough ride right now but the professional heating and plumbing industry should remain fairly stable thanks to repair and renovation requests. Plumbers and heating specialists will also do well if they are ready to take on clients who want "green" technologies to heat their houses and their domestic water. Flexibility and ability to adjust to the circumstances guarantee that professionals will be able to get through the current economic crisis. - 15465
So far evidence shows that the fallout from the economy has not affected the heating and plumbing industry as initially feared. Although there are reports of sales drops, there are still many companies reporting that sales are steady. The only major change seems to be the type of jobs undertaken by the engineers.
Up to last year, when the housing market was on an upswing, many heating and plumbing engineers were hired to create completely new plumbing and heating or cooling systems. In many ways, a new house and would often lead to completely new plumbing and heating system to be designed and installed. Now that the housing market has slowed down, home owners are more concerned with making sure their current systems will last as long as possible, while keeping costs down.
Heating and plumbing engineers are now being hired to repair and renovate systems in homes. Heating and cooling systems are being retooled and cleaned instead of being replaced. Professionals are finding that their billable hours are going toward boiler replacement and hot water cylinder repairs and inspecting vents and drains to ensure that they are working correctly and cost efficiently.
Heating and plumbing engineers are happy to book their hours, and they do not necessarily look for a redesign project with new built homes. Repairs and replacements provide dependable work and they ensure that these professional engineers are able to pay their bills.
Some heating engineers have discovered that diversifying their business and learning how to practice "green" methods of plumbing and heating can remarkably improve their number of billable hours, as recently clients have shown interest in making sure their homes are environmentally friendly. Solar thermal panels, under floor heating systems and environmentally friendly sewer systems are becoming more popular.
It is clear that the UK economy is having a rough ride right now but the professional heating and plumbing industry should remain fairly stable thanks to repair and renovation requests. Plumbers and heating specialists will also do well if they are ready to take on clients who want "green" technologies to heat their houses and their domestic water. Flexibility and ability to adjust to the circumstances guarantee that professionals will be able to get through the current economic crisis. - 15465
About the Author:
Tal Potishman, editor of Heating Central, writes articles about boilers, central heating, Oxford plumbers, underfloor heating and solar thermal. He specializes in helping save money by advising on efficient heating.
