Fair cost for landlords gas safety certificate

isyourgassafe? · 17 February 2014 at 1:40AM

Being a gas safe registered engineer, I am frequently (nearly every day) gobsmacked by the difference in quality between one gas safety cert and another. I I've attended rental properties and been conducting flue flow tests on a gas fire (imo the most likely to present a danger) for the tenants to state categorically that it had not been tested before - that previous engineers in previous years had only ever checked boiler and/or hob. These engineers can afford to charge £35 per cert because it takes them a few minutes and they obviously don't care if someone dies as a result of their incompetence. If you are paying one-off prices of less than £60 for a safety certificate then you need to seriously consider whether it is being done correctly. Would you prefer a few less ££££ in your pocket or a dead tenant on your conscience??

starry123 · 28 March 2014 at 1:19PM

Lord_of_the_Land wrote: »

Thanks for the recommendation but when I looked up Aaardvark Heating on the gas safe register site

I couldn't find AJ on it. :cool:hmmm

It should be there:

go to http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/

click check a business and enter 300451 as the business number, thats what I did when I checked him out.

I used AJ for gas and epc checks in my rentals

:beer:

steveing64 · 10 April 2014 at 2:14PM

I live in Stoke on Trent and i paid £50 last year for mt property i rent out for that he checked the boiler and cooker no gas fire waiting on the invoice for this year, Personally would not go with somebody who would charge less as would be seriously concerned they were cowboys To me £50 - £80 depending on where you are is reasonable

moralities · 22 August 2014 at 10:51PM

I have found gas safety certificate only £45 for 1 appliance from Cenultra Inspections

moralities · 22 August 2014 at 10:55PM

isyourgassafe? wrote: »

Being a gas safe registered engineer, I am frequently (nearly every day) gobsmacked by the difference in quality between one gas safety cert and another. I I've attended rental properties and been conducting flue flow tests on a gas fire (imo the most likely to present a danger) for the tenants to state categorically that it had not been tested before - that previous engineers in previous years had only ever checked boiler and/or hob. These engineers can afford to charge £35 per cert because it takes them a few minutes and they obviously don't care if someone dies as a result of their incompetence. If you are paying one-off prices of less than £60 for a safety certificate then you need to seriously consider whether it is being done correctly. Would you prefer a few less ££££ in your pocket or a dead tenant on your conscience??

I am with you.

bicknacre · 27 January 2015 at 3:55PM

What is the current price of a landlord gas certificate?

What prevents Heating Engineers charging whatever they like?

My latest quote is £67.50 with £15 for a service at the same time.

Another quote: £35+VAT for cert and £55 for service.

The Govt seems to be using law to force landlords to be scammed by heating engineers, it seems?

bicknacre · 27 January 2015 at 4:03PM

Being a gas safe registered engineer, I am frequently (nearly every day) gobsmacked by the difference in quality between one gas safety cert and another. I I've attended rental properties and been conducting flue flow tests on a gas fire (imo the most likely to present a danger) for the tenants to state categorically that it had not been tested before - that previous engineers in previous years had only ever checked boiler and/or hob. These engineers can afford to charge £35 per cert because it takes them a few minutes and they obviously don't care if someone dies as a result of their incompetence. If you are paying one-off prices of less than £60 for a safety certificate then you need to seriously consider whether it is being done correctly. Would you prefer a few less ££££ in your pocket or a dead tenant on your conscience?
This is a silly argument for charging £60+. If a shop charges twice as much for a lump of butter, it does not make that butter better. I find it sickening that a certificate costs more than I am paid in a whole day of labour. It is NOT a good argument that the more you pay the better the job. A teacher earns a hundred pounds a day, after years of training and certificates. I am confused why heating engineers etc demand the day wage of highly qualified people in an hour or so and justify it by the more you pay the better the job.

benjus · 27 January 2015 at 5:01PM

bicknacre wrote: »

What is the current price of a landlord gas certificate?

What prevents Heating Engineers charging whatever they like?

My latest quote is £67.50 with £15 for a service at the same time.

Another quote: £35+VAT for cert and £55 for service.

The Govt seems to be using law to force landlords to be scammed by heating engineers, it seems?

Nothing prevents them charging whatever they like, except the fact that if they overcharge they will lose customers to competitors with more sensible prices. This is a free market economy.

It's certainly not necessarily true that paying more gets you a better service. However, a landlord owes it to the tenants to get this job done properly, and if they can't find someone that will do a good job and charge less, they should pay more rather than getting it done badly.

btw I do have an issue with the word "engineer" used in this context - Engineering is about using scientific principles to design solutions to problems - whether it's a new bridge or a new kind of plastic. IMO someone that installs or maintains machinery should be called a technician. But that's another issue altogether.

Fair cost for landlords gas safety certificate

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