It’s another hot week for the UK as temperatures could reach 36C, with amber and yellow heat alerts issued across England from Wednesday to Sunday.
But as the UK struggles to keep cool, there is concern over the increased shortage of fans and air conditioning.
New figures show there has been a huge surge in demand in these products, and retailers are running low.
With sales heating up, there are warnings of air con shortages, increased energy bills, and even outright scams.
The retail boom for these products is evident. Fan sales have increased by almost 3,000%, according to data from electrical retailer Currys.
Meanwhile, air con is up 320% year on year, according to tradesperson service provider, MyBuilder.com.
Independent research from price comparison site Uswitch says average costs for a portable air con unit range between £350- £650.
Air con installer Nick says usually he would get 30 enquiries a month, but now he gets 900 a week. Credit: ITV News
Air con installer Nick Burton in Cambridge told us he hasn’t seen anything like this demand in his 20 years working with the appliance.
Usually he would get 30 enquiries a month, but now he gets 900 a week.
Mr Burton fears some air con models will become completely unavailable within weeks.
He said supplies were “very scarce” and in two weeks “most suppliers will have very little to no stock.”
ITV News research shows major retailers have sold out of many models of fans and air con units.
We found dozens of air con and fans with “out of stock” notices. Some shops have no models at all currently available.
Accessibility isn’t the only issue. Energy experts say over-heated shoppers need to factor-in ongoing costs of running these devices, as well as the initial product cost.
Sabrina Hoque from energy comparison site Uswitch said: “A built in aircon unit could cost £45 extra on your bills a week.”
Fans are a lot cheaper to run compared to air con units, Uswitch said. Credit: PA
To save money on energy bills, she said customers could switch to a fixed tariff.
The NHS suggests closing curtains and windows and drinking cold drinks to keep cool for less.
Fans are a lot cheaper than air con units to run. For example, a desktop fan costs 58p on average, Uswitch said.
Experts are also warning people to look out for scammers when purchasing these products.
Criminals are cashing in on the high demand, advertising fake appliances or products that never arrive.
The advice is to stick to reputable outlets when shopping, no matter how hot the deal is.
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