Furure of working in Gas industry

[combo]

Hi,
What do ppl think the future holds for working in the gas industry. I've floated in and out over the last few years, usually doing some agency servicing work and safety checking for councils/maintenance firms. Over the last year or two ive been jumping on other jobs in engineering and doing a few weeks here and there, then returning to gas. I''ve cleaned up my finances by doing this and I was thinking about jumping full on into gas in the new year...continue with whatever agency work I can get, get a webiste, jump on some breakdown courses and try and make breakdown work my main area over the next year ot two.
I've been offered a full on job in another industry, fitting drive belts. Money aint great i nitially ( training period )but within a two years or so I should be pulling in 25k ( with 30 possible on o/T ). Trying to decide what to do.

 

[newcastle phill]

Well you probably have an idea as much as any of us.

All I can see at some point is more regulation, more expense so on and so forth.

I think at some point they will roll out cmdda and if installing part L as obligatory.
Ive nothing to back this up...just my opinion.

 

[combo]

Yeah, the regulation and the expenses of working have always been an issue, especially for me, who has nearly always been self-employed. There doesn't seem to be many opportunities to actually be employed anymore, unless, you ur with BG or someone similar. I think my main issue is going from a recognised tradesman job to a lesser skilled job, even though the money is probs faily comparable ( I imagine most employed guys are on about 25-35k )....it feels like a step backward.

 

[Millsy 82]

I think gas is a good base but there are so many gas engineers out there that competition is fierce, also with training centers churning out so many want to be plumbers/ gas engineers it won't get any better.

I think you need to look at other areas as well as gas though to keep the work coming in as it will get fairly quiet in the summer.

 

[dancinplumba]

What happens when gas runs out ?

 

[townfanjon]

I think gas is a good base but there are so many gas engineers out there that competition is fierce, also with training centers churning out so many want to be plumbers/ gas engineers it won't get any better.

couldnt agree more, i am an old git now but if i started again, sort of within this industry , it would be down the renewable route

 

[dave1]

I look most days at agency's and see plenty of employed jobs paying anywhere between 28,000-32000. I can't believe the number of clueless, poor quality or knowledge and sometimes dangerous engineers. Then there's the ones that don't turn up or go sick regularly, the ones that do a service in 10 minutes and do 20 a day then moan that prices are so low. I've seen 'engineers' turn up that are unable to fill in a cp12 and don't understand the most basic tests to carry put. Grrr rant over,
my thoughts are, there is work out there and there's plenty of rubbish engineers, if your decent enough a good well paid job will come up, and surely they wouldn't want you to leave.
How long will gas last? Who knows, renewables has to be the way forward of which I've no experience.

 

[combo]

Is it unrealistic to think that you can specialise in and soley work on breakdown ? Thats sort of what i was thinking of doing.

 

[dave1]

I'd say if your a very good breakdown engineer people will want you to work for them.

 

[combo]

For me it would have to be a learning curve for breakdown, I'm talking about two/three years down the line. For someone like myself in my 30's it means doing it via being selfemployed....courses and learning as ya go....not many training ops for ppl my age, companies tend to take younger ppl on.

 

[Pongo]

When natural gas runs out we'll be using methane from biodigesters that run on our own waste!

 

[AlexGas]

What happens when gas runs out ?

I’d say, will be all dead well before that.
And people will be digging for gas on the Moon and Mars.

 

[Millsy 82]

What happens when gas runs out ?

When I first started it came on the radio that there was only 40 years gas left, they still reckon there is about 40 years gas left so they really haven't got a clue.

Also as with most things the progression in technology will mean they will be able to get to gas/ oil that they never thought they would, then there is shale gas they will start doing this.

Either way I don't think we will run out in my working lifetime.

 

[Millsy 82]

For me it would have to be a learning curve for breakdown, I'm talking about two/three years down the line. For someone like myself in my 30's it means doing it via being selfemployed....courses and learning as ya go....not many training ops for ppl my age, companies tend to take younger ppl on.

To just do breakdowns you need a very good customer base, this will take years to build up and with the long warranties on offer a lot of boilers are already sorted for breakdowns.

 

[Millsy 82]

couldnt agree more, i am an old git now but if i started again, sort of within this industry , it would be down the renewable route

Yeah I think renewables will only get bigger it's what I'm looking into at the moment, seems to be loads of people installing but everyone moans they can't get people to service/ repair them.

 

[DaveTidy]

Gas will be around for some time yet. When I started 35 years ago it was due to run out in 2012 but here we are with new discoveries all the time, got to get through the gas to get to the new oil fields found so will certainly be ok for a few decades yet.

Renewables will come in slowly, I say slowly as the government keep coming up with new hair brained ways to mess up introduction of new technology e.g. the green deal, cert, eco, loose Kyoto targets and god knows what new ones.

As for technology and focus. As the boilers get better, breakdown rates lower hence longer guarantees, I think we will see the recognised split between a non specialised service only engineer and a more specialised repair engineer with greater skills around fault finding and electrical knowledge.

 

[stevetheplumber]

personally i wouldnt go down the breakdown route now long warranties on everything means only the big boys will get the legit work everyone else will be fighting for the small amout of boilers that didnt get registered which will be in the carp end of the market
ive seen the small works market in london decimated by the amount of people who have insurance cover which is the same, the bulk of the work is now for those without steady incomes to pay for insurance

 

[IDCHAPPY]

I’d say, will be all dead well before that.
And people will be digging for gas on the Moon and Mars.

I'd image my kids all under 9 will br long retired before we have to worry about no more gas.

 

[iain85]

personally i wouldnt go down the breakdown route now long warranties on everything means only the big boys will get the legit work everyone else will be fighting for the small amout of boilers that didnt get registered which will be in the carp end of the market
ive seen the small works market in london decimated by the amount of people who have insurance cover which is the same, the bulk of the work is now for those without steady incomes to pay for insurance

100% this...

Also Custards will not tolerate you learning on their appliances, especially when you make mistakes you will be lumbered with the cost of the part and lost time. The newer appliances have very expensive parts which quite often make people consider replacement over a costly repair. I believe the way of the market is to offer circa 10 year warranties with the view to replacement at the end of this period.
Obviously this is all IMHO.

I reckon if I had to start again I would get into high end bathroom installs.

 

[Millsy 82]

Me personally I can't see the long warranties going on for much longer. Now that things are steadily getting better I can see them bringing back down the warranty. They also can't be making a decent profit by only selling a boiler then not selling parts.

 

[newcastle phill]

The flip side to long warranties or warranties in general is everyones presuming people religiously have the boiler/heating serviced to keep warranty valid.
My backside lol
Out of everyone I know from bin men to school teachers to tv chef they are all out to save a few quid or forget.
a very small amount do, and thats even with me chirping on to try and make a few quid and do it cheaper.