£93.75 per hour + vat

[HappyHippyDad]

I'm happy with my £350 a day.
That's £1750 a week.
I'll work around 40 weeks of the year.
That's £70,000 a year. More than enough for a happy life.

 

[pirate]

You have to charge what you need to keep your business running and make a decent living, and there will always be geographic areas where a high price is acceptable, and some where a much lower hourly rate is the norm. Some folk pay £60 to have the dog groomed...
In a previous life, people used to baulk at my hourly rate, but it had to be high because the overheads were high too. They didn't have a clue about what it cost to run my business, so whoever was cheapest got the job.
I won't expand on this because it's far too complicated, but Joe Bloggs who was my competition for a sector of my business had hardly any overheads apart from rent and rates...I had to have PI insurance and the premium was over 30K/year. You need a good hourly rate to cover that...
Anyway...in other news...did anyone else celebrate Pi day today?

 

[PEG]

I suppose his hourly rate is immaterial,if we do not know his costs,debts and outgoings......could be poorer than that Russian window cleaner,with a contract with McDonalds.....

Turnover for vanity - profit for sanity

I was heading for hideous wealth,with me newly patented "Z front" male underpants ......a big improvement on the old "Y" fronts....just got delivery of 36,000- pairs from Thailand.....then i seen a Russian tank on the news......oh well

 

[123]

I'm happy with my £350 a day.
That's £1750 a week.
I'll work around 40 weeks of the year.
That's £70,000 a year. More than enough for a happy life.

Good on you, but I assume you don't supply materials then, or if so it's minimal?

 

[loz2754]

Haha nor is artisan but your not paying for artisan electrics the electricians your paying for artisan electrics the youtube celebrity electricians... That comes with a price tag, and apparently enough people are stupid enough to pay those prices. #youtubefamous..

Its like having the latest fancy car on the drive, to be able to say look on youtube, Artisan electrics did my car charger, its like a status symbol, and when you look at it from that point of view rather than the actual job then skys the limit to what he can charge..

Maybe the YouTube thing is a part of it, but there are plenty of other electricians charging similar rates who are not on YouTube.
It's all down to marketing and knowing your market.

 

[ipf]

It's everywhere, though.
Go in a 'costa' and pay best part of fiver for a brew.........fat chance! I don't know whether it's the marketing or just plain cornering the market.
Seems they're the same throughout the country. It used to be on the motorway services, now it's all the shopping streets and centres.
......and don't even think about them fancy cakes (or whatever)

Only 20 brews a day for some, though.

 

[LukeD]

It's everywhere, though.
Go in a 'costa' and pay best part of fiver for a brew.........fat chance! I don't know whether it's the marketing or just plain cornering the market.
Seems they're the same throughout the country. It used to be on the motorway services, now it's all the shopping streets and centres.
......and don't even think about them fancy cakes (or whatever)

Only 20 brews a day for some, though.

What coffee places charge £5 for a coffee ? Unless its a rather silly one with loads of additions etc etc . I am a real coffee expert ! And I pay £2-3.25 for the best coffee in LOndon

 

[AJB Temple]

This all depends surely on what people are paying for other services. £94 plus VAT would not pay for an hour of a trainee unqualified lawyer in the SE and it would be three times that for a partner in a small firm and £800 an hour for a partner in a large law or audit firm, plus VAT. (Obviously they have very large overheads). A doctor in private practice is going to be in the £300 an hour area, and so is a dentist, more where skilled surgical work is involved.

The issue I think we will see (as a layman with a lot of DIY and property development experience employing trades ) is that many people will simply do it themselves and cut out the trades. There is a lot of good quality help on youtube now and you can get DIY books on rewiring for £15. All gear is readily available on line and pretty much anyone who is at all creative can open a trade account too. Part P has no teeth really and conveyancers do not have the expertise to tell whether EICRs etc are genuine or complete or whether all BC notifications are in place, so the system is not enforced in any meaningful way. It is much easier for an unqualified person to take on electrical work than plumbing work (with plumbing the consequences of screwing it up are wet and clear).

 

[mattg4321]

Quite a good post @AJB Temple

It’s always been a shame to me that most of the time in this trade a lay person finds it difficult to distinguish between a good electrician and a bad one, or even a DIYer.

With a lot of other trades the quality of the work is plain for all to see. With electrical work it is often unclear for years until something goes catastrophically wrong under fault conditions, or somebody more competent appraises the work.

A lot of people have respect for electricity and won’t touch it unless properly skilled and competent (watching YouTube videos doesn’t count unless something very simple imo), but a lot do not and think because ‘it works’ it’s also safe.

 

[ipf]

What coffee places charge £5 for a coffee ? Unless its a rather silly one with loads of additions etc etc . I am a real coffee expert ! And I pay £2-3.25 for the best coffee in LOndon

'Best part of a fiver', note.
£3.80 in these parts, it seems. Probably expecting it to be a bit dearer in dear old London.................certainly with those £93.75 sort of rates being charged.
'Costa' living counts for nowt, it seems.

 

[LukeD]

'Best part of a fiver', note.
£3.80 in these parts, it seems. Probably expecting it to be a bit dearer in dear old London.................certainly with those £93.75 sort of rates being charged.
'Costa' living counts for nowt, it seems.

Costa is not coffee .I would be ashamed to buy from these places . WOmen and coffee .YOu never ever want poor quality of either

 

[timhoward]

It’s always been a shame to me that most of the time in this trade a lay person finds it difficult to distinguish between a good electrician and a bad one, or even a DIYer.

Agreed. The only thing you can do is work neatly, leave the covers off long enough to be noticed, and make sure you are seen diligently testing afterwards.

I was changing a board the other day and a building inspector arrived to check on the drainage. It wasn't an easy one, an old wooden frame Wylex with very short wires. He stood watching me for a minute then commented "it must be frustrating that you leave it tidy and easy to work on and the only person that gets to appreciate it is the next electrician".

I think I'd like to see transparent consumer units, accessory covers, trunking, and junction boxes. Heck floorboards too! Maybe with LED mood lighting built in, or linked to the ZS reading so it goes red if it gets worse.

 

[AJB Temple]

Reflecting on this, I think it is up to electricians to market themselves and the quality of their work if they wish to be appreciated and charge premium prices. This means explaining to consumers what quality work looks like (nice neat CU layouts) and why it is better to use good quality components. They could also take a lot more trouble to explain what the purpose of tests actually is and how user safety is greatly enhanced by quality work. I have employed many electricians over the past 30 years and only one has made any effort at all to show me his pride in his work.

I have watched many you tube videos including many of the ones for apprentices and plenty on testing, and I do my own work and testing now at home (not in business) as I can take as long as I like making sure things are perfect and using the components I want. Probably not many DIY users would buy a multi tester and all the other gear that's needed, and work their way through 18th edition and the testing manuals as I have done, but doing all this has made me appreciate quality work when I see it. I still see a lot of electrical work as I am involved with a business that has a lot of rental properties, and frankly some of the work is dreadful and some of the testing not credible.

The industry does not seem to give a damn that there are electricians out there with fake van signage proclaiming membership of trade bodies. Hardly any consumer has the faintest idea what inspections and sign offs are required, and no regulatory or trade body has made any effort that I can see to educate consumer's as to the value of good professional workmanship by electricians. Part P achieved hardly anything.

Good quality work is worth paying for, but it is up to contractors to sell that ideal and market it professionally.

 

[ipf]

Costa is not coffee .I would be ashamed to buy from these places . WOmen and coffee .YOu never ever want poor quality of either

So what? It's only comment.
DOnt get YOur knickers in a twist, Cool Hand.
I'll stick to me tea bags, and leave the choice of beans to the knowledgeable Jessies.

 

[7029 dave]

So what? It's only comment.
DOnt get YOur knickers in a twist, Cool Hand.
I'll stick to me tea bags, and leave the choice of beans to the knowledgeable Jessies.

Right on Dragline

 

[7029 dave]

Haha nor is artisan but your not paying for artisan electrics the electricians your paying for artisan electrics the youtube celebrity electricians... That comes with a price tag, and apparently enough people are stupid enough to pay those prices. #youtubefamous..

Its like having the latest fancy car on the drive, to be able to say look on youtube, Artisan electrics did my car charger, its like a status symbol, and when you look at it from that point of view rather than the actual job then skys the limit to what he can charge..

You do have a valid point, snobbery and stupidity go hand in hand.
Bit like the Harry Enfield sketch I saw you coming. lol

 

[telectrix]

costa bloody coffee as much as a full english breakfast ar a decnt greasy spoon

 

[nicebutdim]

I have watched many you tube videos including many of the ones for apprentices and plenty on testing, and I do my own work and testing now at home (not in business) as I can take as long as I like making sure things are perfect and using the components I want. Probably not many DIY users would buy a multi tester and all the other gear that's needed, and work their way through 18th edition and the testing manuals as I have done, but doing all this has made me appreciate quality work when I see it. I still see a lot of electrical work as I am involved with a business that has a lot of rental properties, and frankly some of the work is dreadful and some of the testing not credible.

You aren't alone, but I suspect part of a very, very small minority. It was the same attitude and investment of money and time that spurred me on to re-train in the industry. Now where's my £93.75+vat/hour?

 

[7029 dave]

You aren't alone, but I suspect part of a very, very small minority. It was the same attitude and investment of money and time that spurred me on to re-train in the industry. Now where's my £93.75+vat/hour?

Get some years in first Dim lol

 

[Dustydazzler]

Get some years in first Dim lol

And reach celebrity spark status via youtube