Bill from a plumber

Our boiler packed up suddenly and started leaking on Friday afternoon. I was so glad we had the service contract. The British Gas engineer couldn’t make yesterday but got here first thing this morning and sorted it. It took him a couple of hours and a couple of parts so this year’s contract has definitely been worth it! Ours is a Worcester Bosch as well, Hetty. Only a 6 year warranty on ours, which has just run out, but BG cover it for 10 if they’ve serviced it every year.

I must say these couple of days, and particularly last night, were a timely reminder of what life’s like without good heating. Anybody struggling at the moment has my full sympathy.

kwest, if I look out of my window - I can see his house! The tools he brings in a small bag - so no, he doesn't need to drive a transit sized vehicle diagonally across this narrow road - he's just (young and) lazy! He pops in on Sunday, so isn't going anywhere.

He just checks the boiler and cleans the filters. I'm glad I got a Worcester Bosch, very efficient with a ten year warranty (if it's serviced annually). They're not available atm - due to the global shortage of chips, the same as cars.

We had problems with a boiler service when we moved here. Didn't know any local firms so went on FB. The service took hours he couldn't find the right settings. Then it kept cutting out so he told us to press the reset button and left. Had him back next day but still cutting out after 10 minutes. Third day he came again as still cutting out and he found drain was blocked. That was the fault causing it to cut out. Probably was dangerous to keep pressing reset button over and over. He should have checked it properly before leaving first time.
If you get a good plumber or CH engineer hang onto them. Ours was cheapest quote - says it all really.

Hetty, don't you realise that the plumber carries his tools in his vehicle? Do you expect him to waste a large chunk of his day walking from one job to another? Yours would probably be one of many jobs in a day. For goodness sake be realistic.
Sorry to sound harsh but small self-employed tradesmen have a difficult enough time. Likewise, the people who say "while you are here, could you just do ......" Those extra jobs have to be paid for at the going rate. These men have families to keep, business expenses to pay including very expensive insurance before they even start working, vehicles to buy, run and repair, merchants to pay and frankly £25.00 per hour would be ludicrously unrealistic to charge. They also have to keep their skills upgraded and have to pay for the courses to do that and then pay for the certificates they gain at the end of the course. £45.00 per hour would be a more realistic amount to pay and frankly that would be a bargain. They don't get to keep the £45.00 either, their is tax and National Insurance and advertising, membership fees for professional membership of the trade organisations. These are just some of the expenses incurred, there is no holiday pay or sickness benefit for the majority of them. I am not having a go at you personally , please understand that, I am just frustrated at the thoughtless comments and implication that hard-working tradesmen are dishonest. They are people's husbands, partners, fathers,sons, brothers just trying to make an honest living.

CrazyH, either you have been sleepwalking and turning on your room thermostat, or you have a poltergeist who thinks you're too cold. I'm sure someone else will have a more rational explanation.

Do you have your boiler serviced annually! It does seem a lot

It's a lot of money but I'm not sure you can do much now.

A year old boiler should not need much work doing on it and would probably be covered by the warranty. And then you should have asked for a quote for the job before you agreed. I know it's difficult at this time if year when you are relying in the boiler. Maybe next time get the service in a warm month, so you can shop around.

any news yet lol.im waiting for the end of the tale fingers crossed

Just had my boiler serviced and new ignition put in by the gorgeous Giles. £65

So yes…. your bill is extortion.

I had new boiler installed , new kitchen tap fitted and three new radiator valves fitted… the central heating system bled and serviced. Plumber and his apprentice here for 12 hours over 2 days. I saw all receipts . The materials cost approx. £1,800 and the cost was finially £2,250.That amounts to £450 for 12 + hours work . I was extremely pleased . They worked very hard only stopping for loo and lunch.

Sounds too much to me .
We use British Gas .

It's a minefield .

I've known
my DIY guy for about three years .He was quite versatile and pleasant,though rather slow -great for any garden project, but frankly unable to admit that DIY was not really his forte .
It took him three months to build a simple garden shed .

The second project seemed to be progressing well when he started not coming ,bringing his ever whingeing daughter or arriving very late , chatting on his mobile, being increasingly rude and
unpleasant .

Finally,after I asked him to be not to please leave heavy wood on my plants he lost his temper and insulted me ,I protested and he stormed off with a tirade of abuse claiming that I'm prejudiced against eastern Europeans and leaving the roof exposed .

Another guy came to finish the work after a three week delay .
It was truly appalling .

I had to get someone else to come in to redo it .
After endless delays, he came and suddenly slapped extra money on the original estimate .
Since then, he's sent me an estimate of £4-600 to put up some shelves in a shed .

I've asked a retired friend to do it .

Does any clever know why, overnight, my room thermostat turns itself on to the highest setting even though I have turned it down to 11 degrees before I go to bed. The Engineer has no explanation for that

Our plumber installed our boiler three years ago, the annual service he does usually costs £40 which is reasonable I think, havent had it done this year yet, and dont know what to expect.

@ Cabbie21 you wrote my answer for me!! ??

My hubby is a gas fitter who regularly repairs and fits boilers . Parts have become really hard to come by recently don’t know if it’s due to brexit or Covid . Some of them have almost doubled in price so maybe this is the reason . I would ask your plumber though . Your dads plumber may work for a company who has a stock of spare parts so this may be the reason for the difference

The. BOiler is 9 years old not one. However compared to my 32 year old boiler still going strong it’s new.
I already suggested contacting trading Standards a while back.
I am sure they will help,

I’m outraged by that cost for a service for a ONE year old boiler ! Our boiler is over 20 years old (yes needs replacing) but we have it serviced EVERY year and the bill is never more than £200

My advice to you is to ring the Trading Standards Office and ask for them whether they think the bill is excessive for the work undertaken. If it is, they will help you with the wording to challenge it. Meanwhile your email will give them the opportunity to explain themselves.
You have absolutely no reason to be concerned about asking them and shouldn't need to worry about a knock on the door; you are not duty bound to answer the door if you don't want to.

Calendar Girl that’s an amazing warranty, was that standard with the boiler company you bought it from or the person who installed it . What type was it ?

Plumbing tends to be expensive. I assume you asked for a proper quote before booking him in for the job.

Plumbers are in short supply and can charge high prices (same with some other trades) since the Poles went home after Brexit: thank you, Leavers!

Germanshepherdsmum

She subsequently said that was a mistake and it’s nine years old

Thanks GSM I missed that.

Seems like an absurd price to me. I always ask for a total cost quote before I agree to any work on anything.

Ffs Mummer, OP apparently didn’t get a quote for the work. What’s this ‘going for the throat’ business? She’s laid herself open to whatever the company decides to charge and her only hope of legal redress would be to lodge a ‘quantum meruit’ (literally, ‘what’s it worth’) claim. I doubt any solicitor is going to advise her to do that and potentially throw good money after bad.