Feel like I'm being used

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lofty84

Just a quick question really how much is the going rate for connecting a shower up (the cable was already run so I just had to terminate it) installing a bathroom light and pull cord and wiring up a switched fused spur for a towel radiator, next was putting in an earthrod to earth these 2 new circuits and then installing a new 2 way board for the circuits, I had to move the meter do new tails and take a new earth to the water pipe, I just wondered how much one would charge for that ad I got the handsome sum of 57 pounds which when I minus my petrol money a 60 mile round trip probably leaves me with 50 quid if that. How much would he have charged do u think min

Thankyou
 
Certainly alot more than that is what I woild charge. Did you not agree a price befoee hand or inform the customer you would be charging by the hour?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
 
you've been robbed. i would have thought £200 + materials.
 
Peter if your reading this cheers mate ill continue to live on fresh air not pay my bills and rent cos I don't have any and just pick my tools of the tool tree down the end of the garden. As long as u get ur holidays tho mate aye
 
lofty84 said:
Just a quick question really how much is the going rate for connecting a shower up (the cable was already run so I just had to terminate it) installing a bathroom light and pull cord and wiring up a switched fused spur for a towel radiator, next was putting in an earthrod to earth these 2 new circuits and then installing a new 2 way board for the circuits, I had to move the meter do new tails and take a new earth to the water pipe, I just wondered how much one would charge for that ad I got the handsome sum of 57 pounds which when I minus my petrol money a 60 mile round trip probably leaves me with 50 quid if that. How much would he have charged do u think min

Thankyou
Click to expand...

Did you ask them to pay you what they wanted or is that what you actually charged them?
Agree with tel. Probably £200 + materials from what you have described. If you are working on an hourly basis then a minimum £50 to cover going out plus a decent rate after that.

Edit. Just re-read and sounds like you are working for a builder....
 
I don't know if this effects the price but I put in a henly block and met as well. He's always saying you won't get rich being a electrician, yeah not at ur rates
 
You can't allow yourself to get into situations like that. I always know before I start a job the minimum I will make from doing it. If the client ain't happy then they can find someone else. Don't work for nothing!! I used to fall into the trap of doing jobs for friends, friends of friends etc., saying I'll give them a good deal, and basically getting shafted. Not any more!
 
Regardless of whether or not you are a subby, you must have your rates. You can't simply do a job then take what he thinks you are worth. Feel like I'm missing something here....
 
If i have read and understand the op correctly , i would say that you were well and truly shafted ?
But at least that £60 should buy you a good bit of snout when they catch up with you for moving ( i think ) a company meter !:sick:
 
next time he calls, ask for the job spec in writing, then confirm your price to him in writing. If he doesn't use you then it may be a good thing.

A days work for £50.00 is well below the minimum wage
 
I've had a guy ring me before telling me what the job was and the rate he would pay. Told him that I set my rates not him and he hung up on me, last I heard of him he was using DIY Dave.
Pay peanuts, get monkey.
Lofty, tell him to go away mate he is using you as per your title
 
Cheers for all the kind words boys I doubt I'll b workin or him again anyway... Well hes agreed to up my pay to 75.00 a day which is an extra 50 quid. In fairness I'm still to do my am2 but have got my 17th and 2230 plus a few years decent experience now. What annoys me most is he always calls me up for a rewire and all I get to do usually is take part in the first fix never the second so usually I'm in the loft rollin up the insulation and feeding down cables. It's put me of being a sparky tbh and I'm thinking of getting into recruitment or something. Just out of curiosity howw much do u think I should be on I don't mind blowing my own trumpet and saying I work harder then any pole you will find. Can u see eh. I say it makes senswnsr for me to get part p registered and go out on my own even if I do say charge myself out at 15-20 an hr to get the work I will make more money each Weekk. U always get someone saying u cant survive on that and I should say 30ph but this way Thrre is some lee way for my lack of speed and 100 percent knoledge. I also think I'm gonna learn more like this as as I say so far all the extra skills he's given me is how to roll up insulation
 
Lofty if you're self employed you need to be looking at at least 25 per hour. Depending on where you are this could be more.
Remember though your hours don't start when you're unpacking your tools they start when you leave home.
 
blimey mate if you spend that much time in lofts go get a job doing insulation,no tools ,no qualifications and more money Imo he should pay for your part p he sounds likes he,s certainly taking it!
 
Your or sparky (or best part of one) so charge sparkys rates not labourers if you accept that kind of money you are just encouraging him all the more.
 
Just to clarify are you employed by this bloke or do you sub.

There is a difference but thats still no excuse for paying you first year apprentice wage.
 
If I go out on my own I'm unlikely to be able to ask these guys for there help in pricing jobs and what to do if I get a bit stuck on something or am asked to do something I've never done before which is bound to happen do you think I can ask you guys? I live in Surrey so I'm not sure how this affects my hourly rate but having been ripped of I don't won't to go and do the same to someone else I just want to do a good job and be paid fairly for it so I can live comfortably and make then happy. Im not gonna let him put me of although having worked with him a fewtimes before they've done a bloddy good job of making me want to change careers, telling me there's no money in it etc etc. When I do go out on my own I just need to get a tester and registered could I ask you guys for help and advise
 
I don't think we're getting the whole story here!

Lofty, what is your position in this organisation and what is your relationship to 'Pete'? Also what level are you at, career wise?
 
I guess I work for him as he's usually always there but I was left to do that job on my own so that time I was a subby. He does say its best to be a subby but I don't know if he's spinning me a yarn

- - - Updated - - -

I don't work for him all the time just when he had a job come in which isnt that often which might say something
 
Pc If you want to add anything please feel free mate. Admitably I've become wound up by people saying I've been well and truly used. I'm annoyed with how I've been treated as I'm basically being paid as a labourer only getting to do the rubbish dirty parts of the job. To date I am 2230 and 17th eddition with a couple of years decent experience in the domestic sector.
 
I liked peter and his mate the were really good to work with but there comes a point when u think hang on and getting £57 a day for doing all that (and being ttold to move the meter, which is apparently illegal) was it . now I just feel like I have been beig used for cheap labour as and when I was needed because I'm a reliable enthusiatic hard worker. Its not as tho i have learnt anything new other then how to roll up insulation and haven't been able to do anything other then the dirty stages of first fixing where I would rip out all the old cables which probably cover my wages anyway.
 
Quite a lot of the time, these clowns who advertise for sparks to sub out to them, either under quote their jobs to get the work or don't have a clue regards a proper rate for a subbie. They're sat in the world of what you pay them is their take home pay.

They want to pay you an equivalent rate to an employee but don't want to have the responsibilities of all that goes with employing people.

My last enquiry regards subbing out to someone highlighted that they were paying 120 a day CIS. Then they told me I was having to pay my own tax too.
I was always under the impression that with CIS the contracter was to take 20% for your tax. This just goes to show that most of em think they are big boys in the electrical contracting world, where really they ain't a clue.

God only knows how they manage to get by with regard HMRC etc.
 
Your "position" re wages and tax sounds very dodgy. If the HMRC come knocking, a defence of "ignorance" will not be one they will believe - be warned.

For Surrey your rate is FAR too low.
 
lofty, if you moved a meter without knowing it is illegal then I would say that you really aren't ready to go out on your own at this time. You will not always be able to ask on the forum when on a job, and trust me, there will be many times when you will need to call on experience to make a decision. I think the builder realises this, which is why he is giving you such a pittance.
Maybe there is an electrician in your area who would employ you to work with him at a decent, but reduced rate.
 
To be honest Lofty , Guitarist just beat me to it .
At least you are getting paid , all be it poorly !
Their seems to be a fair few , far more qualified on here that can not even get one job in a month at the moment ! So it maybe best for you to just bite your lip and push for more money as and when you can ?
 
You need your CIS slips to claim your tax back at the end of the financial year, if he hasn't get them then chances are he is pocketing the money.
 
HMRC are going to want their cut out of your already meager wages, the contractor will probably claim that you were responsible for paying your own tax, though I'm not sure how that stands legally.

A quick look at the HMRC website seems to suggest that the contractor should be registered with CIS and so is responsible for making deductions for subbys CIS, they are obliged to give you a statement of deductions and payments.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/cis340.pdf
 
Last edited by a moderator:
My rate would be £300 + Materials + Fuel. Not sure what you have set up with this chap, he is mugging you. I have a rule, I only complete a job after a quote in writing has been accepted by the customer. It is the only way to work, everyone knows what they are paying and I know how much I am earning.

Why are you moving a meter? that is only a job for the Supplier. I may be assuming some points as not sure I have the whole picture, but sounds like you are breaking the regs & being paid peanuts for it. I dont touch the meter side for any amount of cash, I wont even pull the supply fuse, always get the customer to get their supplier to fit an isolater if required before I complete the work
 
sounds like this guys having you off big time,I,m sure if we are honest most of us have pulled a service fuse at some time, but you can be sure it wasn,t for such a small amount, plus breaking seal on meter (some dno,s look at this as worse than pulling a fuse) However one thing you can be absolutely sure of,if it came that dno/supplier decided to make an issue of this firstly they would contact the builder who then and I guarantee you this 100% would turn round and say"well the spark said it was ok to do it" and then its you who ends up in court,not going to criticise your work mate haven,t seen it however what I would say is I think you need to get a bit more streetwise.you are a very fresh fish in an ocean with a lot of sharks and if you aint carefull you,re gonna get a nasty bite! As I said I aint having a go just trying to clue you up a bit.
 
No I appreciate it boys I wont lie I've worked with so many sparks that just pull the main fuse I thought it was standard practice. Ive got a good mind to call up the guy who told me to do it. Basically to get around this you ask the customer to get there supplier of electricity to come out and fit an isolator so I am able to work safely on the install. What a cheeky *******.
 
ps how long would this usually take as 9/10 wouldn't the customer/builder just get another sparky who was prepared to do it to do the job because it was quicker then having to wait for the supplier to come out. If i was the customer I would wait and go with the sparks who said they needed an isolator to be fitted but if I was in a rush ......

I guess there's a big danger of blowing myself up pulling the fuse in and out, if no what the reason one cant touch it, am i putting the client at risk by taking it out and the putting it back in, especially once i have lefty and its further down the line?
 
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