Dutch supplier: Heat pumps sold out until end 2022
Homeowners who want to make their homes more sustainable with heat pumps face long waiting lists. According to installation company Feenstra, one of the largest players in the Netherlands, heat pumps will be mostly unavailable until the end of 2022.
The company, with 850 mechanics and 14 branches across the country, has been refusing new customers for months. “Expectations became unmanageable, with wait times of over a year for people placing an order,” said a spokesperson.
“Parts of the heat pumps have to come from Ukraine, and the demand is huge,” explained the spokesperson. The supply problems don’t only apply to heat pumps but also inverters for solar panels and the panels themselves. “They come from China. Transport is very difficult.”
The question is when heat pumps will be available again and whether there will be enough technicians to install them. “Then we have the products, but who will hang them on the wall? That will, of course, remain an issue. Our competitors also have to deal with this problem,” said the spokesperson.
She called Housing Minister Hugo de Jonge’s plan to make the heat pump mandatory from 2026 when replacing a central heating system “an enormous ambition.”
Industry association Techniek Nederland confirms that people should expect longer delivery times. “But some installers have heat pumps in stock. They may still be able to deliver,” said a spokesperson.
According to him, demand has exploded since October last year, when gas prices started to rise. “You can see that now. It takes manufacturers some time to adapt to it,” said the spokesperson. “It is comparable to buying a car at the moment. If you order it now, you will not have it within a week or a month.”
