i need a plumber

aloise

My toilet is still dripping after beeen flushed. I only realised when my water bills shot up. I am in a retirement flat and my bills were nearly £40 a month. I drink a lot of water but not that much. Unightrd utilities have checked everything and havve come to the conculsion that it is the toilet at fault so aadvised me to get a plumber in. Easier said than done.
I phoned 5 plumbers ,3 said they wouls get back to me, They didnt one said he had lost his tools and the 5th said it woould be £143 an hour +vat.:eek:
Now i dont know anyting about prices for plumbers as i have never needed one. My hubby did it all when he was alive, so i want to know is it a fair quote?

docmatt

You rang a plumber and he said he had lost his tools? Blimey!

Mr.Generous

Where in the country are you? In Cheshire a plumber can charge up to £200 PER DAY, so your hourly rate quote sounds ridiculous to me. If the toilet needs a new inlet and flush mechanism parts will be about £30 and probably 2 hours work for a standard set up. Unless its a back to wall toilet boxed in and sealed / tiled / totally inaccessible that should be the lot. I'd take that kind of job for £100 as a nice Sat morning earner any day.

Furts

Is there a mechanism for getting genuine work done in your location? Where I live the local council have direct labour who do your repairs at realistic hourly and job prices. I doubt you would pay more than £100 for the job, allowing for call out charges, going to get parts from a plumbing merchant and then returning for the work. Certainly this would be the case if you used a local handyman - the type who advertises in your local shop windows and parish magazines.

The other option is the likes of Care and Repair - they operate in some areas aiming their work at older folks and those on low incomes.

aloise

thanks to evrybody who replied to me. You have been very helpful. I have been on the age uk site so will contact one of their tradesmaen. Dont know why i didnt think of them befotr, but at 80 i think i have a few holes in the brain now and evrything is falling out.
Although i am in a retirement complex shared with Knowsley council aparently they do not let us use their tradesmen. It was agreed that we could when we moved in but would have to pay a reasonable amount which is fair. They have stopped that and left us all in s**t street.