The conflict in the Middle East is driving disruption through supply chains and increased manufacturing costs. It is also influencing something equally important for installers – consumer confidence. What should home improvement companies be doing now, to win business?

GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index fell four points to -25 in April, with expectations for the wider economy over the next 12-months dropping to -43, the lowest level since February 2023. GfK said consumers “really do have the jitters now”, highlighting pressure from fuel costs and the prospect of further energy price rises.

“2025 was a challenge with lower consumer demand in the face of higher rates of inflation. That was coming down but the crisis in the Middle East has pushed up oil prices and energy costs and turned everything on its head,” says Mike Parczuk, managing director, Sternfenster.

“Consumers have been hit by an economic shock from the prices that we’re paying at the pumps to fill up our cars, to what we pay for a cup of coffee.

“And from July this year what we pay for our energy bills. That’s going to make things tougher in the short for all of as consumers but for the window and door industry it could represent a big opportunity.”

How does consumer behaviour change when things are tough?

Mike highlights that it’s not the first-time consumer behaviour has changed in response to economic shockwaves.

“We know big-ticket purchases, like windows and doors, are often delayed. Decision-making takes longer. And customers become more cautious about where and how they spend their money,” he says.

“Fewer enquiries may be coming through. Conversion rates can come under pressure. And price sensitivity often increases as homeowners weigh up their options more carefully.

“But none of that is new.

“We’ve seen similar patterns before, from the financial crisis through to Covid (albeit that ultimately created a very different trading environment to the one we’re seeing now) and the cost-of-living squeeze.

“We know what we need to do. It’s about discipline and adaptation. Opportunities always present themselves.”

Selling energy efficiency

The background is important. Ofgem’s price cap for a typical dual-fuel household paying by Direct Debit is currently set at £1,641 between 1 April and 30 June 2026.

Cornwall Insight’s latest forecast puts the July to September cap at £1,843.01. That’s an increase of just over £200 a year.

“If you want to see evidence that the energy efficiency message resonates with the homeowner you only need to look at new figures for installation of solar panels which have been fitted every three-minutes since the Iran conflict.”

This is backed up by official figures. There were more than 27,000 solar power installations in March, the highest monthly total for 14 years. The number of applications for heat pump grants also jumped to its second highest monthly level on record.

Mike argues that the reasons that the sector hasn’t seen corresponding demand for new windows and doors is two-fold.

“The first thing is payback and evidence of it. The solar industry has very clear payback times.

“The Energy Saving Trust suggests an installation costs about £6,100 delivering energy savings of up to £650 a year, paying for themselves in 9-15 years.

“The second is funding. The Government pulled solar grants years ago, but the private sector stepped in with finance and green loans, successfully linking the cost of installation against credible pay back times.

“As a sector the window and door industry hasn’t been as effective at building that link between investment and payback. At the same time, we haven’t wrapped finance in that ‘green wrapper’, when it clearly resonates with the homeowner.”

Action to take today

While people still want warmer homes, better security and improved aesthetics, the challenge is how effectively those benefits are communicated. “Uncertainty doesn’t stop people buying windows and doors, but it does change how they buy,” Mike adds.

He argues the industry needs to move from reactive, to proactive sales. This is where the right tools and support can make a significant difference.

Sternfenster has invested heavily in digital sales infrastructure designed to help installers win work more efficiently, even in challenging conditions.

This includes platforms like EasyAdmin+ which allow installers to produce professional quotes quickly, track leads and manage the entire sales process in one place, improving speed and accuracy.

Meanwhile, digital showroom tools and augmented reality solutions allow homeowners to visualise products in their own homes, helping to build confidence and shorten decision-making times.

“If you can show a homeowner exactly what they’re buying, give them a clear, professional quote there and then, and manage the process efficiently, you’re already ahead of the competition,” Mike says.

“We need to evidence performance, payback and value. The advantage that we have over the solar sector is that windows and doors also have an emotional driver, in the sense that people also choose them because of how they look.

“If you can spend £10k on new windows and doors and make your home more secure, look better and more energy efficient you’d go for it over a heat pump. Not wishing to take anything away from their positive environmental impact, but heat pumps are ugly!”

The importance of controlling your sales process

Controlling the controllables also becomes important. That applies not just to how you sell, but also how you price and manage risk.

With costs changing rapidly due to global pressures, installers need to rethink traditional approaches.
Sternfenster is actively encouraging customers to take practical steps, including, reducing quote validity periods, avoiding long-term fixed pricing without safeguards, building in mechanisms for price adjustments in contracts; and applying clear, transparent surcharges where necessary.

“It’s about protecting margin as much as winning work,” Mike says. “There’s no point winning a job today if it ends up costing you money tomorrow. You’ve got to build flexibility into your pricing and be open with your customers about why.”

He argues one of the most powerful tools installers have right now is honest communication. The reality, he says, is that homeowners are already aware of rising costs and global disruption. Rather than avoiding conversations about price increases, installers should lean into them.

Sternfenster is supporting customers with communication packs and materials designed to help installers have these conversations confidently. “Everyone is watching the same news,” Mike says. “If you explain the situation clearly and professionally, most customers will understand. In fact, it can help you build trust.

“We have two choices we can sit passively and get carried along by events or we can proactively do what we can to manage what we can manage and feel a little bit better about things.

“We’re doing the latter and helping our customers to do the same.”