Eicr prices

[jon small]

just looked on a price comparison site (whatprice.co.uk) by accident and found prices for eicr testing from around the country - couldn,t believe a sole trader in sunderland offering to test up-to 3 bed house for £65 all in ( reckons 2.5 hours to fully test and do paperwork ) and telling people that firms charging more are extortionate rip off merchants, surprised to find others charging £75 - £90 with pricing like this no wonder it's getting difficult to earn a reasonable living.

 

[Octopus]

Mate you need to seriously think about your pricing, 50 pat tested items plus paperwork, with two people for FREE?!


You won't be around long at that rate!

When I see things like this my suspicious mind thinks:

1. Cutting corners

2. Employing cheap labour

3. Not all inclome declared

4. Income being kept low so that they can benefit from tax credit handouts/general benefits!

 

[D80]

Call me old fashioned but if I do the work I'd be wanting paid for it. These landlords don't hand out rent free weeks for tenants in the hope of keeping them longer.

If 50 takes 2 hours takes 2 hours complete with paperwork it's 2 hours for free that could have been spent elsewhere earning. And just because landlords say they will have you back for the next few years doesn't mean they will!

 

[Spazz]

You are right Murdoch - I do have to keep my income low for a personal reason which I am not going into on this forum!

Some people on here know why and thats how its staying.

I do this to keep work coming in and keep profits low for the above reason.

After December situation changes and I wont be doing this offer anymore!

 

[oldtimer]

So if you are a carer you are in the wrong job plus doing jobs for next to nothing does not add up for me plus I dont want to know your business Nicholas but would it not be better for you not to comment on these types of posts

 

[Spazz]

I comment on these posts to help others - some on here are just here to have a bitch!

We are all in the same game here!

 

[oldtimer]

I comment on these posts to help others - some on here are just here to have a bitch!

We are all in the same game here!

Its not a bitch I am just trying to be constructive but at the same time I stand by my comment

 

[Marvo]

By all means discuss the business model but please avoid comments of a personal nature, rather just agree to disagree.

Thanks.

 

[jon small]

We are all in the same game here!

so why undercut others so much and force prices down? it makes customers think those who charge a sensible price are rip off merchants!

 

[Swicade]

I realy dont see what the great issue is with what Nick is doing with the '50 items PAT free' offer tbh.

Maybe i'm looking at it different to most who have replied BUT if he's doing the EICR at a price that'll be around twice that of 'Dave from the pub' and it's a proper test (as i'd assume it is) then alls good and alot safer for the tennant. True the PAT testing is free but so what.....2-3 hours of unpaid work compaired to loosing a day of paid work (due to gaining the EICR) cant be that bad a deal can it?

Wouldn't do it meself but only because i passionately hate PAT testing but it's no different to gaining a re-wire or remedials if i offered to throw in smoke detectors for free or any similar type of offer.

To look at it another way how many people get suckered in to buying something when out shopping or on the internet because they get something free with it?....same principle and it's the way shops work and stay in business these days...give alittle free to get the bigger £££££

 

[SYKRAPS]

At £3 a circuit they must be relying on finding alot of C1's and getting the repairs surely...........extras...extras...

I charge £100 for upto and including the 1st 4 circuits then £15 per circuit on top

 

[Heisenberg]

Surely the trick is to let the landlord think he's getting the PAT's for free but in actual fact you make the money back elsewhere.
If not, then I'm with the 'do it, get paid for it' crowd.

 

[Marvo]

We often get local garages offering a free car safety check especially at holiday time. It's obviously a loss leader that generates business sometimes. As a customer I would take advantage of this if I was driving a long distance but if I was buying a second-hand vehicle I wouldn't use this free test as an indication of the vehicle condition, I would still go to the AA or another independent body for a full report.

Something similar is available in many different industries, opticians offering free eye tests, cell phone companies offering free phones.... the list is endless. Why is cheap or free EICR's or PAT testing any different?

 

[richy3333]

Nicholas its your choice to use your partner but thats not a business model that would work for me as you seem to be doing it as a loss leader to get the EICR but to be honest the only person who benefits is the customer Me I charge for both and the customer expects to pay for both

Totally agree. You should never sell yourself short.

 

[i=p/u]

Probably only 5-10 items need pat tested anyway . Per house . All in one day = £160.

Nearly enough for 1 man band. If not enough. Each to their own

 

[richy3333]

By all means discuss the business model but please avoid comments of a personal nature, rather just agree to disagree.

Thanks.

That's a bit harsh on Oldtimer. His comments are far from needing a Mod warning mate. I've seen far, far worse on this forum and nothings been done by Mods then. In fact I think I may have reported worse before and nothing was done. To be fair Nick did leave himself open for adverse comment by dangling a little information about his personal circumstances, leaving others to either guess or make an assumption. Perhaps Nick should be reprimanded and told not to post personal statements like he did?

If anyone (be they an electrcian or Uncle Tom Cobbly) is deliberately suppressing their income to gain a pecunary advantage over the government benefits system then that is not right. I'm not accusing Nicholas Owen of that, but on a personal note, my dad was self employed, lost his job and we got nothing from the government to help us. I also have a brother that has made a career out of sucking the benefits system dry!

Back on topic - As Marvo says no doubt people have a business model they have deigned/developed in relation to market research of their area. Maybe that means offering PAT testing as a loss leader for EICR's, so long as you actually get the PIR testing work. Personally I'd rather stay at home and do other things than work for nothing - like generating paid work. I don't mind considering a discount off the PAT testing if I'm given the PIR work at the same time, but not free, as a loss leader in the hope of getting other work

 

[i=p/u]

As a painter said to me they want £180 job , they will get a £180 job. Painted over cobwebs and all.

 

[i=p/u]

And when for free, corners are cut. It's just adiscussion forum, freedom of speach. No intentions of offending is most people's comments.

- - - Updated - - -

And when for free, corners are cut. It's just adiscussion forum, freedom of speach. No intentions of offending is most people's comments. Just opinions.

 

[oldtimer]

The thing is this is a forum where different views are discussed and ok its a free world and yes we should not personilise it and in my view I have no axe to grind against Nicholas or any other member because I dont have an ego thats need to feed off by saying black to someones white.

Also I have said before I came on this forum to get and share knowledge and I have been critical of the way we seem to try and be politically correct and open to the charge of bullying but remember if you join the army the sergeant does not give you a hard time to bully you no he or she expect high standards because he/she is trying to keep you alive and yes there is a line that they can cross that would be defined as bullying so I will say this again if you want to be an electrician then you need to take a professional approach then just like the army you need to get up to a level where you are good to go so instead of saying I am a victim here you should say how can I do this better and by all means take on constructive critic and dont take any nonsense then you will progress

 

[jibjob]

I charge by number of rooms, floors, & circuits, £10 per element. A 2 storey 3 bed with 1 bathroom, lounge, diner, kitchen etc & say 6 circuits would therefore cost £150. I find this pricing method works pretty well & always works out about right, even for a small 1 bed flat. You'd expect an occupied 3 bed house to take best part of a day especially with the paper work.

 

[Marvo]

That's a bit harsh on Oldtimer. His comments are far from needing a Mod warning mate.

It wasn't a warning as such, but if threads start getting into discussions about members personal lives or circumstances it's not what the forum is about and it's usually not long until someone takes offense and retaliates. I'd rather make a reminder in bold to keep the thread on a relevant track than ignore it and have to deal with the result if it continues.

 

[HandySparks]

I charge by number of rooms, floors, & circuits, £10 per element. A 2 storey 3 bed with 1 bathroom, lounge, diner, kitchen etc & say 6 circuits would therefore cost £150. I find this pricing method works pretty well & always works out about right, even for a small 1 bed flat. You'd expect an occupied 3 bed house to take best part of a day especially with the paper work.

Interesting. I like the idea of including rooms and floors.

I was working on something similar with times allocated per DB, final circuit, ring final circuit (as they take longer than most radials), main bonding, plus a fixed time element for part of the paperwork.