Adding some new skills

[ballandco]

Thinking of adding some new skills to my plumbing and heating business, want to offer my customers extra services was thinking adding electrical or renewables - solar thermal , heat pumps, rain water harvesting etc , simple question which would you think is more worth while investing in ? I know renewables are the future but not keen on mcs I hate paperwork and putting more money in the governments pocket, I have heard that the manufactures have ways around mcs if your fitting there products , they register them for the grants for some sort of fee ??. On the other hand being heating engineers I think getting our heads around renewables will be easier than learning electrics (brand new trade) . What do you reckon will be more useful and profitable ?
Does anyone fit any renewables at the moment ? How you getting on with it?
Thanks for replys

 

[Riley]

Intrigued with this thread mind if I tag along

 

[ballandco]

Of course not matey I'm interested in what people say - what do u reckon?

 

[stani]

Who does your electrics for you at the moment?

 

[ballandco]

I've got an electrician that I get to do my work at minute and he does pass a bit of work back , but no where near what I give him

 

[stani]

Then 1st thing is do the electrics, means you save paying that out every time something needs doing, you can then take that with you into other areas, I.e. Renewables, oil, solid fuel they all need electric and someone to wire them up.

 

[ballandco]

That's a good point , there have been a few larger projects I would of liked to had both plumbing and electrics

 

[SimonG]

If i was branching out as such then it would be electrics.

 

[ballandco]

So there's 2 for electrics

 

[Riley]

Not trying to play devil's advocate, but how much in the way of qualifications would a plumbing and heating engineer need. In order to say put in a new consumer unit as an example. I would feel confident doing that now (based on experience with the electrician I use) however, I cannot sign it off.

 

[Leo21]

I reckon the real money's going to be in renewables. Solar panels, ground heat source etc etc. iff your kept busy doing plumbing and heating, you won't earn any more money because the rate is no higher. But renewables, who knows?

 

[ballandco]

Yes your right , I have done a fair bit of electrics before but like you said can't sign it off, seems easier running cables rather than pipes but I'm sure it has its shed factors to it as well

 

[stani]

Have a look how much an electric course will cost, offset that against how much your sparks cost you, then add in the cost of self certification over a couple of years you will make more money.

 

[ballandco]

1 for renewables

 

[ballandco]

Yea that's a fair point it's basically costing Money not having the electrics lol