When the Toolbox Turns into a Price Tag: The UK Trade Crunch
Picture this: your electrician friend keeps shouting loud about the job ahead, while you’re juggling the bank balance. That little tug‑of‑war between skill and cost is at the heart of a looming crisis that could shove the UK economy backwards by almost a trillion pounds by 2030.
Why the Numbers Matter
- — 166,000 tradespeople short in the current lineup. Think fewer plumbers, fewer painters, less folks in the garage.
- — £98 bn loss in growth potential: that’s what the Kingfisher study says.
- — Van‑insurance for the hardworking is on the rise, slicing thicker at the pockets of those already grinding.
VanInsurance 101: What the Numbers Look Like
Thanks to a fresh look by Vanarama, we’ve got the real numbers. They didn’t pick up a random van— instead, the Ford Transit Custom for diesel and the Vauxhall Vivaro‑e for electric were chosen, each priced as a shop‑listed average. By giving every job a fair, “average driver” profile (the same location, marital status, parking spot), only the job title and van type made the sale.
The Big Numbers:
- Highest electric van premium: £1,159.91
- Highest diesel van premium: £837.28
In plain English, the electric van sounds a lot like a battery bank with a price tag.
Mechanics: A Special Case
When the job title was “mechanic”, the years‑lot payoff was steep: £1,159.91 just for the electric version. For the diesel, that was all automotive‑engineering low‑down at £722.77. That’s a £157.21 gap (or roughly what a decent house‑paint job costs!). For the other 39 jobs, the cheapest quote was £722.77 for both diesel and electric trucks.
Why It’s Rough for Mechanics
- Electric vans at £1,159.91 (and this is cheaper than the fallback diesel)
- Next cheapest for an electric van: £1,109.64, making the jump an eye‑opening £50.27.
- Electric vs. diesel difference for many other trades: £287.17.
It’s almost like the government handed out a charging station and forgot to give a reasonable price tag.
When Trades Need to Go Green… They Pay More
A few select trades feel the oddest sting:
- Refrigeration engineers pay the highest jump: £386.87 when moving from diesel to electric.
- Furniture removers skim around £798.19 for diesel.
- Carpenters, builders, painters, and decorators spend about £722.77—steady but still heavy.
Some trades actually shared the same price point of £722.77, a neat bundle that includes gardeners, joiners, plasterers, and 14 other roles.
What This Means for the UK
- More people might quit the trade because the cost of keeping a van is just too high.
- The deficit of 166,000 skilled workers will dim the fabric of home improvement, construction, and infrastructure upgrades.
- Without a cheaper insurance switch‑over for electric vans, “green” is becoming green‑ish expensive.
Bottom line: It’s not just a pothole in the road; it’s a cash flow pothole that can sink entire projects. The study tells us that the next decade could see the UK stuck looking back at numbers that feel like a cost‑blackhole. The only way to avoid a recession of trades is to match the extra pile on the van with a cheaper policy—or a completely different business model.
