Combi Boiler Straight Swap

[ChloeRadshaw1]

Its my turn to complain about london gas fitters !

I have a Main boiler installed in 2007 and its not worth repairing so I want to get it replaced. I have had these replaced in the past at my parents flat and it took one person one day for a quick flush through and installing new combi and flue and inline filter and a magnaclean.

What I cannot understand is the price - The engineer wants £700 in cash or if by bank plus VAT -
Of course he does not have a VAT number so actually it is 840 for a single days work

Can someone help me reconcile this please and explain how this is justifiable? When I asked him his answer was he needs to run a van.... (I was surprised he did not say he also had to feed his cat)..

He wants to provide me with a list of items to buy and he just turns up on a Sunday and installs it for me ..... He has kindly said that the soldering fittings would not be chargable

 

[denso13]

Of course he does not have a VAT number so actually it is 840 for a single days work

Cheaper than Pimlico for a days work, they charge £120/hour. Get a few quotes for comparison.

 

[BlueLoo]

Regs, certs, accreditations, insurance, tools, etc.
840£ for a days work, minus the above, minus PAYE, Minus accountant bills, minus NI, minus everything else.
Then, allow for holidays, sick, etc etc etc.

Its not that bad.

 

[sxturbo]

find someone else if you think he is charging too much

 

[ChloeRadshaw1]

I know of programme managers who run multi million dollar projects working through limited companies who dont get 840 a day

They also need accountants, regs, and so on

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

If you provide Blowlamp, flux, solder, Gas testing equipment, Powerflushing machine, hosepipe, spanners, pipe cutters, jointing compounds, PTFE tape, drill, wall fixings and the knowledge to do the job I'm sure you could do it a lot cheaper.

 

[cdbe]

Have you got his number please?

 

[muggles]

I know of programme managers who run multi million dollar projects working through limited companies who dont get 840 a day

They also need accountants, regs, and so on

What happened to the chap you had lined up just over a year ago who was going to do it for £600? https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/replace-combo-boiler-with-a-flush.553866/

Remember your installer isn't keeping all that money. Some of it goes to tax, some to insurance, business & van running costs etc etc. As a sole trader my business overheads are about £18k per year. I'd avoid anyone offering to do it cheaper for cash, or charging VAT when they aren't VAT Registered. They're unlikely to do a good job, or be much help if something goes wrong

 

[vulcancontinental]

Forget the amount, you want to put the job in the hands of someone who quite openly wants to defraud the revenue and break the law and is asking you to conspire in it to save yourself 20% or give himself a £140 bonus because you want to kid yourself you're doing the right thing.

So, a fraudster, also an idiot but you are happy to let him put a gas appliance in your house and with what guarantee it will be done correctly. You'll have no come back unless you pay by credit card which seems out of the question.

Unless he's a family friend, very highly recommended or you're in an intimate relationship with him and he's your slave which doesn't seem to be the case, grow up.

 

[ianmcd]

Well if you dont like the price get someone else simples

 

[Nige F]

Agile heating - Tony, a poster on here is a London heating engineer.

 

[ChloeRadshaw1]

Actually what I did was sign up to British Gas repair and cover - They came today on time in a van with a nice experienced person who spent 90 minutes fixing the boiler and changed a TRV....
All in all a very pleasant experience
And for the cost of £25 a month with commitment for one year...
I will leave the rare and precious gas engineers to fix other peoples boilers - For £840 a day I think quite a few people might decide to become gas engineers
And for the comments about the expenses needed to be a gas engineer all I can say is I dont agree - I do not increase my saalry because I had to buy books to learn a new skill or I had to drive to a team meeting and therefore that is expensed
I thought someone working for £250 a day was already expensive but it seems I am mistaken and people on this board believe that 840 a day is totally normal and if nt happy find someone else - I suppose I followed that advice before that createive idea was suggested

 

[ianmcd]

really look forward to your next post now that you are hooked, and they cant come out for a month

 

[sxturbo]

You had this same argument a year ago.

If you weren't happy about paying the guy that much then why would you not find someone else?

At least you have it sorted now.

 

[kidgreen61]

You should have binned the fella off, the moment he asked for cash etc.