Chris has been reacting to a new Climate Change Committee Report which claims that by 2050, 92 per cent of homes are likely to overheat.
The same report has also recommended making air conditioning mandatory by 2035 in high-risk environments such as hospitals and care homes, extending it to schools by 2050.
Although a figure on the air conditioning engineer shortage is unknown, the UK needs to recruit an extra 20,000 skilled tradespeople a year over the next five years to meet demand – which includes air conditioning engineers – according to the CITB.
Last summer Lawton Tubes saw order volumes for copper tube and fittings from the A/C sector soar by 40 per cent between June to August, compared to the winter – and are anticipating similar levels of business this year.
Chris said: “For decades Britain’s homes were designed to keep heat in. Now we’re entering a period where millions of properties will struggle to keep heat out unless there is a step change in how the next generation of air conditioning engineers are recruited.
“The lead time to source an engineer just for a repair is at least two months during the summer, so if there is sudden investment in the air conditioning industry off the back of this report’s findings, it needs to start with recruiting and training the next generation.”
Lawton Tubes, a family business, is taking steps itself to try and promote careers in air conditioning via its Lawton Next Gen initiative – which includes videos spotlighting the types of tasks involved in the air conditioning trade.
Chris added: “Being a HVAC engineer is such a cool career, and is AI resistant, but as an industry we all need to pull together to tell this to young people.
“We are trying to do our bit on social media with show to and top tips videos, and by going to school careers fairs to talk to students, parents and career advisers, and we’d urge others to join us and follow in our footsteps.
“If nothing changes and the status quo remains, then I am afraid efforts to prevent the majority of UK homes from overheating will simply become a pipe dream.”