PAT - Rip Off

[Johnmelad502]

£1.80 an item for PAT! or £243.00 per visit.

That is what a local (small) hotel is being charged every year for this service. I was having a drink in the hotel Friday night and got talking to the owner.

I have offered to do the job for £135.00 a year including free replacement of (BS 1363) faulty/damaged plug and free replacement of incorrectly rated fuses.

Initially he was wary of the offer as I am not an electrician, but having spoken to him and having shown him the PAT testing requirements I have been given the job.

Might now start looking for more small hotel/holiday let business.

 

[nozspark]

How many items???

Previous records available???

Easy to get at or spread out???

TBH I charge more than the £1.80/item.... but then again I hate doing it

 

[sparkwright]

£1.80 an item for PAT! or £243.00 per visit.

That is what a local (small) hotel is being charged every year for this service. I was having a drink in the hotel Friday night and got talking to the owner.

I have offered to do the job for £135.00 a year including free replacement of (BS 1363) faulty/damaged plug and free replacement of incorrectly rated fuses.

Initially he was wary of the offer as I am not an electrician, but having spoken to him and having shown him the PAT testing requirements I have been given the job.

Might now start looking for more small hotel/holiday let business.

If you're not an electrician should you be doing this then?

 

[Johnmelad502]

£1.80 an item for PAT! or £243.00 per visit.

That is what a local (small) hotel is being charged every year for this service. I was having a drink in the hotel Friday night and got talking to the owner.

I have offered to do the job for £135.00 a year including free replacement of (BS 1363) faulty/damaged plug and free replacement of incorrectly rated fuses.

Initially he was wary of the offer as I am not an electrician, but having spoken to him and having shown him the PAT testing requirements I have been given the job.

Might now start looking for more small hotel/holiday let business.

If you're not an electrician should you be doing this then?

Yes. Pat does not require qualifications. Yes I know, hard to believe, but that is the truth.

 

[sparkwright]

I had no idea.

 

[nozspark]

PAT only requires competence and insurance

 

[sparkwright]

Talk about money for old rope!

 

[Johnmelad502]

PAT only requires competence and insurance

What it does not require is expensive equipment.

 

[gregers]

and as a sparkie i know,if the visual inspection of the item has failed he doesnt even test it,but charges for doing it.as he says ITS FAILED.end of.

 

[wingcoax]

Proper PAT test kit can run to £1,000. Although can be bought for £300 or so.

 

[Johnmelad502]

and as a sparkie i know,if the visual inspection of the item has failed he doesnt even test it,but charges for doing it.as he says ITS FAILED.end of.

Failed the visual, end of story. Unless it failed due to broken/none BS plug or incorrect rated fuse fitted. I replace both free of charge.

 

[electronicsuk]

I wouldn't say £1.80/item is that bad. No doubt for larger contracts the electrician would offer a fixed fee. Although you're doing the hotel owner a favour, I'm not sure how you can be making any profit after equipment, paperwork and insurance, but hey ho.

 

[Johnmelad502]

I wouldn't say £1.80/item is that bad. No doubt for larger contracts the electrician would offer a fixed fee. Although you're doing the hotel owner a favour, I'm not sure how you can be making any profit after equipment, paperwork and insurance, but hey ho.

No specific insurance is required, just my normal liability.

Legally, no paperwork is required. But I do supply a report and recommendations.

No specialist equipment is required. I have a clamp meter, a multimeter, but mostly to comply with PAT requirements I just need good eyesight.

 

[RF Lighting]

My appliance tester cost nearly £1000

I presume that you also have full public liability and professional indemnity insurance to cover you doing this work?

Have you factored into your price things like travel costs, meter purchase and annual calibration, office time and office consumables while writing up and printing out the certificates, little green stickers etc. It soon adds up.

<edit> just seen your post above. How do you do an insulation test with a clamp meter and multi meter?

 

[JBPElectrics]

Are you making this up as you go along?

You have no idea what your talking about.

Hope it bites you in the backside and you get sued to hell!

Morons like you give us all a bad name!