Anyone fit or know anyone on a metering contract

[newcastle phill]

Had a big meeting with a company and Ive been offered a contract to fit them and am undecided as the unit price seems low considering the usual vehicle running costs and other typical encumbrances.

Does annyone know anyone whos doing them and how many a day they get fed/do.

Just number crunching and even with the freedom to continue my own work, because of the time i have to commit to the contract and availability i am still struggling with the bottom line numbers based on a daily worst case scenario.

It is doing both dumb and smart.

They wouldnt commit to how many as they are coming via 2 very very large utulity companies.

Im thinking it would be worth a punt as i surely would pick a load of work up re stuff i come across thats faulty or dangerous and also pushing servicing for boilers etc...while striking up a good rapport with the custs. From that point of view i cant see a downside.

Anybody have any input through experience or a friend who has etc....

 

[AWheating]

does the price inclue extras for repipe, faults etc......

ive got a few mates who do meters but they work for the energy company. they do both gas and leccy when its a smart meter.

the energy company they work for pay between 24 and 30,000 and expect about 8 jobs a day, this will prob go up when smart roles out full pace.

 

[WaterTight]

I'm fit.

 

[newcastle phill]

I have a national grid code chart here that has alsorts of permutations

Credit to prepay
Credit to smart
New instal
Relocate..

Ofmat testing etc.

I will have to clarify re pipe. I did ask amd he said yes.
It would have to be otherwise im subsiding the install and buying work.
Besides I wouldn't want to be coughing up for 28 and 35 too often when i came across it.

What I'm seeing is an opportunity to really push sales and servicing. If enough work came on i would take a lad on to do it.

 

[WaterTight]

what are the terms/pay

 

[newcastle phill]

4 weekly and tax @ 20% deducted at source as per hmrc subcontractor rules.

Figures are confidential at mo sorry cant discuss.
Im more concerned about shifting metres so am after a typical volume from others do the same in a day / week as they were non commital which raised my eyebrow.

8 a day seems low and was told they attack areas at a time so not much driving.

Its a hard choice as leaving it has financial penaltys, not masssive but large enough.

 

[Nostrum]

If you're questioning the initial price then I'd be concerned.

I wouldn't want to rely on upselling the servicing etc, that's not guaranteed. It sounds as though you're a contractor for the main contractor. They want a fixed price to make it pay for them so they'll be finding the margins tight themselves, or just being greedy.

 

[newcastle phill]

Yes that crossed my mind too

 

[newcastle phill]

But I also believe strongly in a captive audience. The law of averages says when purging and relighting i will come across faulty appliances or people needing servicing or people doing new kitchens or gas leaks and whatever else that people are wanting doing - and thats all chargeable.
And seeing at least 8 people a day also means thats 40 people a week so 120 month All with gas, some wanting servicing, some not ...so on and so forth..

Its a foot in the door....every time
There is definate potential in that aspect.

 

[tamz]

I just typed out a 1000+ word reply too this with a lot of good information in it as i had 4 guys on a metering contract for 10+ years but the bloddy thing had logged out so i lost it and i can't be bothered typing it all out again.
Bottom line would i do it again..............no chance as it is now being run by halfwit ******s and i know some of them personally and they agree.

 

[tamz]

Heres the figures from 3 or 4 years ago.
U6 £24, U16 40, U25 £54 U40 £65 U65 163 U100 195 U160 265 rotaries negotiable after survey. Transfers and mains replacements are on an hourly rate with an open clock if your not stupid.
Out of 10 appointments in a day you will get 5 in to get it done. You don't get paid for aborts (well you will get an hourly rate if you know the game and the management)
And you will never sell any of your own work to anyone on this type of work.
Sounds like you might be taking it up the arz if you sign up for this from what you are saying sounds like subbing to a subby from a subby from a player and the middlemen can live with a 5% margin going on volume for doing nothing much but you can't.
Another btw. Invoice on a friday money in the bank the following wednesday, thats how this work runs. The farther down the tree you are the longer it takes to get paid

 

[hammers4spanner]

I look at it like this .
Majority of gas contracting work nowadays is bottom dollar multitude of young lads now are gsr thinking they can earn grand a week .
Let those idiots have it and crack some adverts out to bring in your own work.

 

[newcastle phill]

I take your point well Tamz and your sentiments have also crossed my mind. But i still feel there is an opportunity to pick work up.
There has to be surely.

A simple example. I go to do a meter. Fails TT. Identify fault. Tell customer the options and its not part of meter install. Charge to fix or cap off. Some may have their own guys- most not.
Now this is a simple example but the jist is the same as someone after a boiler service. Percentages say that there will be an amount that that will be after one.

 

[oz-plumber]

Hi Phil,

I would be looking at the fine print and the finer print in the contract.

You may not be allowed to do the repairs.

We were doing gas safety checks, but were not permitted to fix any leaks that were not at the gas meter - some clause about 'conflict of interest'.
The company we were contracting to, got all the paperwork, and sometimes the leak location, and had another crew go out and fix it.

I'm not saying don't do it, but just be cautious on how much extra work you might think you will get.

We got screwed on repairs due to fine print and negotiations made by other parties we were not privy to at the time we agreed to do the work

 

[newcastle phill]

Already clarified.
Its acceptable.
Also no need to relinquish my ticket.
The stipulation is they come first and foremost but any side work that doesnt affect your availability is fine

 

[hammers4spanner]

Just have a crack at it see how you get on , if your quiet then maybe be ok to tick you over.

 

[tamz]

I take your point well Tamz and your sentiments have also crossed my mind. But i still feel there is an opportunity to pick work up.
There has to be surely.

A simple example. I go to do a meter. Fails TT. Identify fault. Tell customer the options and its not part of meter install. Charge to fix or cap off. Some may have their own guys- most not.
Now this is a simple example but the jist is the same as someone after a boiler service. Percentages say that there will be an amount that that will be after one.

I'm not saying the opportunity won't come up as there will be leaks, pilots that won't relight boilers that won't fire up again etc but generally you will be seen as the bad guy cos it was working fine before you touched it.
Time pressures usually mean unless its something you can fix in 5 minutes you write up a notice and move on. The paperwork takes twice as long to do than the job btw.
I think in all the time i had lads doing this (10's of 000 of jobs) i got one boiler swap that i can remember and the lads doing the work got the odd tenner or 20 quid in their pocket but then again i wasn't chasing it.

 

[newcastle phill]

Yes true i did envisage work that needed doing having to be done at a later date and that in itself could be a PIA.

im not over-enamored by the numbers and 95% of what you have said I also think it totally accurate, especially subbing for subbing etc hence the price beaten down.

I know from being in the service sector previously with appointed calls made by customers its about 80% attendance.

I imagine this will be somewhat lower due to the nature of the work perhaps around 60% attendance, and theres my time wasted not being able to book short notice work to plug the holes.

Once I have further discussion with them i will post up in the private area the rates.

Or perhaps tamz on a confidential basis I could email you for your thoughts.

 

[tamz]

Pm me if you like Phil or send it to [email protected]

 

[newcastle phill]

Pm sent thanks

 

[firemant]

Doing a stint with NG, I was getting over 20 jobs a day. Rarely got into more than 4! The problem is that the householer sees no benefit in waiting in for a scheduled meter change, so they ignore the letters. This will no doubt vary with the area covered.
I didn't give a monkeys as I was getting paid per hour.

With regard to follow on work - don't bank on it. The punter is likely to view your "recomendations" with suspicion.

 

[newcastle phill]

Did you get paid for out cards

 

[newcastle phill]

Sorry out calls

 

[firemant]

Sorry out calls

Me?
I was on an hourly rate. Overtime on Saturdays, plus some weird shift payments. There were days when I never got my tools out, but still got paid.
But it was TOFO job, but doing mainly meters, as opposed to a metering contract.
My point was that if you are on a payment per completed job, never underestimate the abortive visits count. But I am sure this will vary dependent on the type pf residents.
Would you take time off work to allow a gasman in to change a meter,unless you perceived some sort of personal benefit ? Frankly, I wouldn't.
On my visits, they weren't all promised for that specific day. They received a letter to say we would be calling in the next 6 months or so. We called FIVE times before cancelling the job, but then it would be reissued some weeks later.
A regular issue was private tenants refusing access as they felt it had to be cleared with their landlord.
Some houses clearly were occupied, but no one answered. It was explained to me by local guys that some religions/culture disallowed/disapproved their women from answering the door whole there were no family men present. I don't actually know if that is true.

If I was considering a metering contract, I would need to know the full terms and conditions and the "what if" scenarios.

 

[newcastle phill]

Too right and thanks for your perspective.
Frankly i cant make the numbers work so will be passing this by.
I would need approximately 11.79 a day over a 5 day week completed jobs at their average rate to be where I wanted considering van running costs conservatively calculated at 3640 over the year. I feel this is unachievable for a number of reasons.

With (from memory) what i recall them saying it would be approximately 6.49 per day on their calculation of what work they would initially be passing over - and that is providing everyone answered the door.

Considering how much time i need to make myself available to them it will impact my own work too much..

 

[on31ll]

Had a meter installed today. Subbys to sms or smart metering services. Says for a u16 hes making £60. Has 5/6 jobs a day

Seems good to me

 

[on31ll]

I wanna be subbying for nat grid fitting service mains. Think that would be good