Cheap prices

[SolarCity]

If firms can do a good job properly for that money and still run a business then fair play to them. The electrical business went the same way years ago - there was a shortage of sparkys so the courses got easier and we ended up competing with idiots that were equally qualified.

Most depressing one we had was a few years ago on a dentist surgery in Birmingham. Three months of solid work - We priced it keen at around 17K. The firm that won it price it at 13k - materials came to around 10k. On the first day one of the guys cut through a fibre optic cable and it cost £900 to have it repaired. The builder told me that they had 3 men there for the full three months. Idiots, and as expected they did a bloody awful job.

 

[DurhamSparky]

just dropped you an email

 

[SRE]

I think it's a matter of holding your nerve, if you can manage to do that and hold out financially. Last week there were just under 1500 under 4kwp installs, if as rumour suggests a large proportion of those were rar then you might be looking at 500 jobs for everyone else. Slashing the prices doesn't generate more business, we're converting everything we're getting, there just isn't much interest at and we're more expensive than you guys. Once the prices have gone down it's very difficult to get them back up again.

I suspect the best thing to do is to try to suss out a customer at the start. If they are price sensitive and mention the prices we're hearing about walk away - what's the point wasting time to lose money, spend the time more wisely revising your marketing options. That's what I'm trying to do at the minute but as I said it's all about holding your nerve.

The idiots will be flushed out by August and we may have a little more stability in the market.

 

[solarsavings]

Bums are twitching so trousers and prices are dropping. How much lower can they go? We have two electrical contractors in west norfolk slugging it out at the moment so prices are now well below £6000 and heading toward 5 grand. I got a boiler change today that's worht more than a 4KWp install, sort says it all really.

 

[Gavin A]

sod that.

 

[whinmoor]

We were recently asked to quote against a company called Solarlec based in Lancashire (Burnley?)

Here is a sample of their roofwork (allegedly).

Pictures by solarlec - Photobucket

I wonder if their electrical work is up to the same high standards... :wazzzup:

 

[infinity]

Whinmoor where was that ploughcroft job? im doing two for them next week 4KW JA solars. High wickham i think.

Customers are put off by price at the moment. Ive said before im very small, very low overheads and im getting picked at the post. Quoted for 8 panel system this week, budget panels ET solar, quoted £5K local concrete tiles etc £300 scaff. When i went round today to sign contracts as i won he said guy after started at £7600 and dropped to £5000 which put him off.

At least i go in with one price i never drop. Im mainly contracting quoted a hair salon few weeks back, just over £11K with over £3K of lighting including fire alarm etc, and was told today someone quoted under £10K, i was barely making money it was one for the portfolio for me. Luckily after seeing my checkatrade etc they chose me anyway.

I would be all for sticking together with price limits etc but certainly down south if you do that, you go hungary!!

 

[infinity]

We were recently asked to quote against a company called Solarlec based in Lancashire (Burnley?)

Here is a sample of their roofwork (allegedly).

Pictures by solarlec - Photobucket

I wonder if their electrical work is up to the same high standards... :wazzzup:

Surely that cant be finished? brackets one tile apart?? looks like my dogs dinner! although the dog likes it..

 

[SRE]

We were recently asked to quote against a company called Solarlec based in Lancashire (Burnley?)

Here is a sample of their roofwork (allegedly).

Pictures by solarlec - Photobucket



I wonder if their electrical work is up to the same high standards... :wazzzup:

Might be a good idea to send it to Barking to show him what happens when you force the price of installation down.

 

[whinmoor]

Whinmoor where was that ploughcroft job? im doing two for them next week 4KW JA solars. High wickham i think.

The job we lost out to Ploughcroft was in Batley, West Yorkshire.

 

[whinmoor]

Might be a good idea to send it to Barking to show him what happens when you force the price of installation down.

I don't have any evidence it actually was Solarlec which is why I've posted on the private forum. That's just what the album says and the thread on the Navitron forum is quite damning:

Solarlec ?

If you or MEP find yourselves quoting against them in the future, this could be useful ammunition :coolgleamA:

 

[infinity]

out of interest how much better do you get these systems for? all in mounting etc..

16 x Jinko 240 multi-crystalline, KLNE 4000 inverter for £3399.00

• 16 x Sharp 250 multi-crystalline, Powerone 3.6OUTD inverter for £3950.00
• 16 x Panasonic 250 HIT, SMA 3600TL for £6250.00

 

[Eco Deal]

I never ask customers who they hav had quotes off or prices.

had solar lec do a job near me and its a total mess TBH . they where down the street from my house so I parked my van near there job to pi*s them off lol

 

[Eco Deal]

i am finding customers doing loads of haggling at the moment not like pre dec 11

 

[SolarCity]

Might be a good idea to send it to Barking to show him what happens when you force the price of installation down.

This post somes up my feelings today. Pay peanuts, get monkeys. Pay less and you get an install like that.

Demoralised.