We Went Wrong In Life

[WELLSIANA]

Sadly we have in the family a divorce and i noticed the solicitor is £210 plus vat an hour , which got me thinking my dentist is around £100 an hour a car mechanic £50 per hour , yet here we are with our lives and peoples lives in our hands , and around here if you charge £25 an hour your expensive and very likely undercut . Recently i priced two bungalows up chased in re - wires , myself to chase and plaster at £3500 each and they looked at me as if i was insane . Electrical around here is dead as a way of getting on , its just a survival job . No money in these rural areas at all . Should have gone to university but not intelligent enough . quite true the rich get richer and the poor must struggle to remain poor.

 

[7029 dave]

That's around Norfolk way. Have you tried relocating or even expanding the area you work.I am working for nearly half the salary I was on 9 years ago.!

 

[telectrix]

yep.us sparks are the most undervalued trade going. partly because of the Electrical Trainee's.... you learn a trade in 5 years (minimum) then take advanced courses, updated quals., etc.and are worth maybe £50/hour, yet the Electrical Trainee's undercut. they go in @ £20 just to get the work to recover the short course fees. then there's the kitchen fitters, builders, etc. that think anyone can do it. it's only 3 wires, innit?

 

[Industspark]

During the recession I lost my business for that very reason, was charging £18 per hour for day rate doing large industrial installations. Then boom recession and then a lot of sparks struggling and I was undercut on what I thought was very reasonable if not low.
With that I went worked for a Facility company to get me by and they wouldn't pay me more than 21k a year.
Safe to say that served its purpose and I've been lucky enough for past 3 years to be back to JIB+ rates.
I may not have my own business anymore but there are jobs out there close to the 40k mark again.
Chin up and your skills will be recognised and rewarded

 

[telectrix]

it's a bit late for me. i'll be 70 in november. lol. scaling down a bit, doing the smaller jobs now. just for once, i'd like to get a couple of weeks let loose with a ton or so of tray, trunking and galv conduit.

 

[Dave OCD]

I priced up a job earlier this evening, a mid 70s terraced house just bought and they're ripped the downstairs ceilings down. Quote was for new CU & resite from garage into hall as that's becoming a bedroom for an elderly relative, 4 double sockets & centre light in said bedroom,LED downlights in hall, kitchen, new ensuite and main bathroom [14 in total] , 12 additional double sockets and various other small bits and pieces including 'centering' all the offset bedroom pendants. I quoted £1580 and apparently a bloke a few doors down [NIC D.I.] has quoted £500 less !

 

[Leesparkykent]

I priced up a job earlier this evening, a mid 70s terraced house just bought and they're ripped the downstairs ceilings down. Quote was for new CU & resite from garage into hall as that's becoming a bedroom for an elderly relative, 4 double sockets & centre light in said bedroom,LED downlights in hall, kitchen, new ensuite and main bathroom [14 in total] , 12 additional double sockets and various other small bits and pieces including 'centering' all the offset bedroom pendants. I quoted £1580 and apparently a bloke a few doors down [NIC D.I.] has quoted £500 less !

Did you laugh when they told you that?

 

[Dave OCD]

Did you laugh when they told you that?

I've had a hard old week Lee and wanted to be off home so just smiled and said I wouldn't waste any more of their and my time.
Had a missed call from them since though but no message.

 

[123]

I've had no real issues getting my rate, but round here the Gas Man and Plumbers are the ones laughing. In particular the Gas Man - on an oil to gas conversion they are lifting £500-£800 a day.

 

[ruston]

Yes because the other price probably didn't exist, if it did ,they bloke probably had a fit when he realized what was involved.
In situations like that I used to do as you did , by saying " he's got the job." Most times they got back to me.

 

[Midwest]

Posted here just to keep in the loop. Think every domestic customer I've done work for, don't worry about the state of their electrical installation, as long as the lights still come on and the oven and socket for the iPhone charger works.'

'I'm having a new kitchen or bathroom, pay a fortune for that, spose I need a few electrics or lights, can't cost more than a couple of quid'. Go's along the lines of new sink, with water coming out of the tap. Some people have no idea, save spending thousands on loads of new wood for their designer kitchen.

 

[LankyWill]

Know how everyone feels, i am employed but have to provide my own transport, tools, meter, steps, etc. Just sold my car and bought a van and really feeling skint all the time. Plus the tyrant wont pay me anymore than £12 an hour!!! im self sufficient at work and never have any callbacks or complaints compared to all the other monkeys on the books. I feel the trade is really suffering in terms of fair pay and recognition of Properly trained sparks. Plumbers are killing it round my way as well as the carpenters!!!

 

[Leesparkykent]

I've had no real issues getting my rate, but round here the Gas Man and Plumbers are the ones laughing. In particular the Gas Man - on an oil to gas conversion they are lifting £500-£800 a day.

I'm doing my gas ATM for that very reason . On a combi swap round here they are nicking a grand for not even a full days work.

 

[solarsavings]

And yet on the gas forums they all want to be sparks because the gas fitters are all getting under cut and it's difficult to make ends meet. Go figure.

 

[ED17]

It's not just the money, we get treated like pooh on site whilst other trades are looked after!