Crazy cable price rises

[Algarve Sparky]

The cable price rises here in Portugal are just plain mad, we use a lot of different cables but 4.00 mm singles ..OMG !

Look at the attached pictures, the same three drums of 4.0 mm cable purchased

1) January €126 for all three with tax.

2) 2 months later €155

for all three with tax.​

for all three with tax.

3)7 month later €210

for all three with tax.​

for all three with tax.

At one point when we were getting quotes on long runs of cable such as 10 mm or 16 mm 5 core the supplier would only give us a 2 day price guarantee !

Quoting rewires now is a challenge, have to make it clear about rising prices and not to delay on locking in the material cost.

How is it in the UK ??

 

[loz2754]

disconuts

I do love a disconut

 

[Dustydazzler]

I see inflation is running very high (9-10%) in some of the main copper producing countries (Chilie being the big one) , I am guessing this will soon be felt here in the Uk as in what a drum of cable costs ?

I am thinking for buying a couple dozen rolls of 1mm and 2.5mm t&e

 

[Dustydazzler]

Screwfix selling 2.5 prysmain for £72 inc vat at the moment , just stocked up on afew few rolls

 

[Dustydazzler]

I see Nick Bundy reckons 2.5 t&E will soon hit £100 per 100m drum (inc vat) soon

What do we reckon ? are we soon going to be wiring sockets in cable that cost £1 a metre

 

[kropaske]

Wickes have 2.5T&E for £71.50, if you have trade account with them it's £64.
I've recken prices will stabilise in the next 6 months or so. All this is just manufacturers try to get some profit back that has been lost because of the covid

 

[SparkySy]

I don't think it will stabilise, with all the other things going on in the world!
An article I read said by November there will be a huge shortfall in all raw materials, (can't find it currently) this will only push prices up further.
I'm not a doomsayer but it's not looking good on all fronts atm!
Sy

 

[pc1966]

I have no immediate need for much cable, but part of me is wondering if I should buy enough for any jobs I might want to do in the next year (usual 2.5mm/6mm T&E for sockets/cooker and some 1mm T&E + 3&E for lights).

One good thing in Amendment 2 is 1mm usable for "power" now so no silliness of an alarm needing 1.5mm if dedicated 6A MCB but OK from 1mm if off light circuit, etc!

 

[Dustydazzler]

I have no immediate need for much cable, but part of me is wondering if I should buy enough for any jobs I might want to do in the next year (usual 2.5mm/6mm T&E for sockets/cooker and some 1mm T&E + 3&E for lights).

Some big wholesalers are limiting customers to a certain amount of drums of cable per purchase.
I know some big boy contractors who would buy cable by the pallet from the wholesalers but it sounds like they aren't being allowed to do this at the moment due to price volatility

 

[LukeD]

No matter what it costs the customer pays with a 30% mark up . Just keep the clients informed in quotes that any uplift in the cost of cable will be added between the date of the quote and start of works etc

 

[123]

Wickes have 2.5T&E for £71.50, if you have trade account with them it's £64.
I've recken prices will stabilise in the next 6 months or so. All this is just manufacturers try to get some profit back that has been lost because of the covid

Scrap copper etc is sky high so it's not all just profiteering.

 

[nicebutdim]

Some big wholesalers are limiting customers to a certain amount of drums of cable per purchase.
I know some big boy contractors who would buy cable by the pallet from the wholesalers but it sounds like they aren't being allowed to do this at the moment due to price volatility

Order limits have nothing to do with price volatility, but due to supply issues. Wholesalers don't want to disappoint customers as they might take all of their business elsewhere.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Popped in Screwfix today and Prysmain 2.5 has gone up to £81 for a roll

 

[UNG]

Talking to one of the wholesalers reps recently and there is a whole load of prices in the pipeline over the next 2 - 3 months on a lot of materials

 

[Dustydazzler]

Talking to one of the wholesalers reps recently and there is a whole load of prices in the pipeline over the next 2 - 3 months on a lot of materials

My brother-in-law is a landscaper and he told me timber products are up about 20% on 2021

 

[UNG]

The price increases I've heard of coming through in the next few months range from 6% upto 20%, and cable is expected to be one of the biggest

 

[Dustydazzler]

The price increases I've heard of coming through in the next few months range from 6% upto 20%, and cable is expected to be one of the biggest

£100 for a roll of 2.5 will become the norm soon

 

[UNG]

£100 for a roll of 2.5 will become the norm soon

It was mentioned

 

[Dustydazzler]

It was mentioned

I was chatting to a manager of one of the big wholesalers are he reckons last year it cost $3000 to ship a container of cable to the UK , that shipping cost has now gone up to $12,000

Its only a matter of time before that 4 fold increase is passed on the customer

Scary Times

 

[Dustydazzler]

Time to start installing 1.5mm RFC ?

 

[UNG]

I was chatting to a manager of one of the big wholesalers are he reckons last year it cost $3000 to ship a container of cable to the UK , that shipping cost has now gone up to $12,000

Its only a matter of time before that 4 fold increase is passed on the customer

Scary Times

One of my customers works in international shipping and he says prices are all over the place depending on what route you are shipping on add to this the shortage of containers not helped by empty containers being in the wrong place.

The Evergiven getting stuck in the Suez canal created a big ripple in the shipping industry with ships subsquently held up waiting to get into port to unload / load because they had missed their arranged slot, the ports of New York and Loa Angeles had upto 50 - 60 ships at anchor waiting their turn to get into port for many weeks while they tried to catch up on the backlog

 

[7029 dave]

£100 for a drum 2.5mm caine&able phew.

 

[LukeD]

£100 for a drum 2.5mm caine&able phew.

Customer has to pay .... it does not really affect us .they either want the work done or Not

 

[Dustydazzler]

Customer has to pay .... it does not really affect us .they either want the work done or Not

Every trades person I speak to says exactly the same thing , the price rises just get passed on to the customer,
If they don't like the price don't have the work or pick cheaper materials in some cases

Although with cable you can't really 'pick' cheaper cable unless we start installing 1mm rings

 

[7029 dave]

Every trades person I speak to says exactly the same thing , the price rises just get passed on to the customer,
If they don't like the price don't have the work or pick cheaper materials in some cases

Although with cable you can't really 'pick' cheaper cable unless we start installing 1mm rings

If prices keep rising, off cuts will be used

 

[Dustydazzler]

If prices keep rising, off cuts will be used

Or cable stretching will become a thing

 

[Mike Johnson]

Inflation is spiralling out of control, one has to wonder where it will all end, perhaps we are heading for WW3 and a re-set of our values.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Inflation is spiralling out of control, one has to wonder where it will all end, perhaps we are heading for WW3 and a re-set of our values.

Some Euro countries like Holland have already hit 10% inflation and that is without the war spilling over yet

I absolutely dread to think how high inflation could rocket to , if Putin starts to push his war beyond the Ukraine

 

[Dustydazzler]

There is a sparks who went round 7 or 8 wholesalers (including screwfix) and compared drums of cable prices.
No surprises , CEF was the dearest

 

[123]

There is a sparks who went round 7 or 8 wholesalers (including screwfix) and compared drums of cable prices.
No surprises , CEF was the dearest

I am actually surprised by that, I usually find CEF the cheapest when it comes to T&E, and has been the case for a few years now

 

[Mike Johnson]

What I don't pretend to understand is why the Government has not told the energy companies they can't put their costs up that much? Anyone have logical explanation beside "its more complicated than that"?

 

[LukeD]

What I don't pretend to understand is why the Government has not told the energy companies they can't put their costs up that much? Anyone have logical explanation beside "its more complicated than that"?

Nice back handers in the way of consultancy fees and good jobs later etc .

 

[nicebutdim]

What I don't pretend to understand is why the Government has not told the energy companies they can't put their costs up that much? Anyone have logical explanation beside "its more complicated than that"?

Maybe they could command producers to limit their prices, if we're going to expect them to interfere with the market. Ultimately it is producers who are responsible for high prices, rather than companies who resell to consumers.

 

[nicebutdim]

I am actually surprised by that, I usually find CEF the cheapest when it comes to T&E, and has been the case for a few years now

Much depends on who's buying.

I would pay £87ish, which is CEF list price for 2.5 T&E, but can't imagine my boss paying anything like that, while Screwfix would charge us both £80ish.

If the price comparison spark spends more time chasing prices for 100m of T&E, than actually buying the stuff, chances are they'll pay top dollar everywhere.

 

[mattg4321]

Pointless shopping around for T&E as everybody sells it for within a few percent of each other - yet everyone does it! Wholesalers must be laughing as they charge £12 for a box of screws or an extra £4 on a bulkhead fitting - yet sparks is happy he has saved 75p on a drum of 2.5!!

 

[Dustydazzler]

Pointless shopping around for T&E as everybody sells it for within a few percent of each other - yet everyone does it! Wholesalers must be laughing as they charge £12 for a box of screws or an extra £4 on a bulkhead fitting - yet sparks is happy he has saved 75p on a drum of 2.5!!

You may be saying this in jest , but some wholesalers literally do charge silly money on screws and washers etc.
As you say , cable is normally within 2 or 3 quid where ever you get it from , I near always get my cable from a screwfix as its on my way home

 

[Dustydazzler]

Popped into my local wholesaler today , £81 + vat for 100m of 2.5 t&e

 

[Dustydazzler]

10% off screwfix orders

Screwfix App | Screwfix

With this app they are the cheapest t&e cable I can find anywhere in Surrey

 

[SJD]

Toolstation currently have an offer of £25 off if you spend £150, ends Sunday. I did consider buying a couple of rolls of 2.5 T&E with the offer, but haven't got round to it!

 

[Dustydazzler]

Toolstation currently have an offer of £25 off if you spend £150, ends Sunday. I did consider buying a couple of rolls of 2.5 T&E with the offer, but haven't got round to it!

Thanks for the heads-up , I will jump to my local Toolstation in Guildford and grab 2 rolls of 2.5