Air-con units sold out until spring

Air conditioning units are sold out until next spring after Britain’s record-breaking heatwave fuelled a rush for cooling appliances.

Some suppliers are warning that portable coolers will not be available until April 2027 at the earliest after warehouses were emptied of stock.

British Gas has also halted new bookings for air conditioning installations after running out of appointments, warning customers they must wait until more slots become available.

The supply crunch came after Britain baked in scorching conditions, with June the hottest on record and July the driest.

It has left households willing to spend hundreds of pounds on air conditioning units to cool their homes.

Chris Michael, the co-founder of air-con manufacturer Meaco, said unprecedented demand had overwhelmed supply despite the company importing 40pc more units than usual.

He said: “When the heatwave came in at the end of May, we still had stocks left and stocks incoming. But by the time you’d gone through the second heatwave and into the third heatwave, it just wiped everything out.

“Even if we had had 400pc more this year, it wouldn’t have been enough.”

Some of Meaco’s most popular models are not available until April, with fresh deliveries months away.

Meaco’s units, which sit at the premium end of the market, typically retail for £300 to £600.

Currys said sales of air conditioners had risen by 32pc compared with the same period last summer, which also saw multiple heatwaves.

Almost every portable air conditioner sold in Britain is manufactured in China before being shipped to Europe, leaving retailers exposed to lengthy delays.

Transit times have stretched from around 28 days to roughly 55 days today, with many shipments now rerouted around southern Africa rather than passing through the Suez Canal because of disruptions in the Middle East.

Freight costs have also surged from about $2,000 (£1,500) to almost $6,000 per container since the start of the summer, adding further pressure to already stretched supply chains.

Mr Michael said staff had faced “terrible grief” from frustrated shoppers, with some customers demanding manufacturers “just get some more stock in” despite the difficulties of shipping more units.

He added that there had been “10 times more people” searching for units online than there were products available to buy.

“What customers were saying to us was, ‘Just get some more stock in. It should be here in two weeks.’ Unfortunately, you’re looking at three and a half to four months for new stock to arrive – that’s just the way the world works now,” Mr Michael said.

The surge in demand is also changing buying habits, with consumers increasingly opting for larger, quieter machines capable of cooling bedrooms overnight rather than relying on fans that struggle in sustained heat.

Meaco is ramping up orders for next year, planning to roughly double volumes while locking in factory production slots through to June 2027 to avoid another sell-out.

Mr Michael said: “This year has just been hotter than any of us could ever remember.

“This is why we’re seeing customers desperately wanting to buy in the autumn and winter, so they’re going to be prepared and not get caught out in 2027.”