Winter is the most hectic time of year for plumbers, as drops in temperature cause a catalogue of problems for homes. In fact, November and December have become the most problematic time for plumbing, with call out numbers higher than other trades.

For starters, many homes suffer from frozen and/or burst pipes due to the drop in temperature during the last part of the year. Even when temperatures aren’t freezing, they can still be cold enough to cause damage. Boilers are also worked overtime trying to keep houses warm, meaning there’s no shortage of heating-related incidents that could result in calling out the plumber.

Although winter is the busiest time for plumbers, the demand for tradespeople in this industry is an demand all year round…

Plumbing has been the most in demand trade in 2023

UK households made more than half a million (580,920) searches online for local tradespeople in the first half of this year, as new research reveals the most in demand trades.

The study, conducted by Compare Companies,  a company which helps people find a tradesperson to compare prices for their home improvements, analysed search data online from across the nation and found that plumbers are the most sought-after.

In fact, UK households have made 110,000 searches for plumbers in 2023, which represents 19 per cent of all online trade enquiries.

Our plumbing offer meets the needs of both the trade and our retail customers who retail to tradespeople and DIYers. This has been further strengthened in recent months with a new exclusive distribution deal with Oracstar.


Meet our newest plumbing supplier, Oracstar

Doncaster-based Oracstar was founded more than 30 years ago and today, they are one of the country’s leading distributors of pre-packed plumbing products.

Oracstar plumbing supplies have been designed to meet any domestic plumbing requirement and the company’s product range includes plumbing fittings in brass, copper and plastic, as well as a selection of accessories including chrome-plated pop-up bath plugs.

In addition to plastic plumbing and drainage, Oracstar also offer a variety of other DIY and installer essentials such as cleaning solutions, repair kits, central heating products and waste kits.

As the official UK & Ireland distributor of Oracstar, you can pop into your local branch to discover all the Oracstar plumbing products we have to offer – and to make sure you’re prepared for the influx of plumbing jobs coming your way this winter, make sure to explore our huge collection of Plumbers Essentials at low trade only prices.

Top 10 reasons for emergency plumbing call outs

1) Blocked toilet
2) Blocked sink
3) Blocked bath/shower drain
4) Leaky washing machine hose
5) Burst pipes
6) Sewer back up
7) No hot water
8) Low water pressure
9) Broken water lines
10) Leaky faucets and toilets