Electricians Bill? Am I being ripped off?

Suzie431

How much is a reasonable amount to pay to have a Carbon Monoxide Alarm supplied and fitted and two new batteries supplied and fitted to existing smoke alarms. I’ve been charged €225. Just wondering if I’ve been ripped off??

Pkiernan

Suzie431 wrote: »

How much is a reasonable amount to pay to have a Carbon Monoxide Alarm supplied and fitted and two new batteries supplied and fitted to existing smoke alarms. I’ve been charged €225. Just wondering if I’ve been ripped off??

Parts cost is less than €20.....

Why are you asking an electrician to do this?
If you're unable to do it, can a friend help?
There's no requirement that an electrician perform this work.

salmocab

Suzie431 wrote: »

How much is a reasonable amount to pay to have a Carbon Monoxide Alarm supplied and fitted and two new batteries supplied and fitted to existing smoke alarms. I’ve been charged €225. Just wondering if I’ve been ripped off??

If it’s just a battery alarm that he screwed up to the ceiling yeah it’s probably a rip off, if it’s a mains alarm then maybe not.if it’s a specific model that communicates with the other alarms in the house it may be a lot more expensive than 20euro.

punisher5112

Wow that's expensive.

Did you not price the job 1st.

2011

Suzie431 wrote: »

How much is a reasonable amount to pay to have a Carbon Monoxide Alarm supplied and fitted and two new batteries supplied and fitted to existing smoke alarms. I’ve been charged €225. Just wondering if I’ve been ripped off??

1) It sounds like this CO detector was wired to the existing smoke detectors i.e. not just a battery supplied unit. Depending on the house this could be time consuming.

2) I don't know how much this CO detector cost, although a low quality unit may cost as little as €20 I would expect to pay at least €50 for a reasonable quality unit.

3) Any electrical contractor will charge a call out fee (assuming they want to stay in business).

4) Overheads for running an electrical contracting business are high.

5) The rate of pay for an electrician is approximately €30 per hour (including holiday pay, pension, PRSI, sick pay etc.), so to make money a business will have to price such that they make per hour than this. I wouldn't begrudge an electrician a descent wage, they trained hard for 4 years (far harder than may who studied for degrees).

6) The electrical contractor only really charged you €198.24, the rest was VAT.

So in summary I would think that you got a good deal

Suzie431

punisher5112 wrote: »

Wow that's expensive.

Did you not price the job 1st.

The house is a rented property i am an accidental landlord and the agent just arranged it told me it was a legal requirement and took the money out of the rent.

tuisginideach

Get a full breakdown of the cost from the agent.

Suzie431

Pkiernan wrote: »

Parts cost is less than €20.....

Why are you asking an electrician to do this?
If you're unable to do it, can a friend help?
There's no requirement that an electrician perform this work.

The house is rented I’m an accidental landlord know nothing about renting. I employed an agent to take care of everything. So the agent arranged it and took the money out of the rent. She said it was a legal requirement. She didn’t say she was doing it or ask my permission to ok it.

Suzie431

2011 wrote: »

1) It sounds like this CO detector was wired to the existing smoke detectors i.e. not just a battery supplied unit. Depending on the house this could be time consuming.

2) I don't know how much this CO detector cost, although a low quality unit may cost as little as €20 I would expect to pay at least €50 for a reasonable quality unit.

3) Any electrical contractor will charge a call out fee (assuming they want to stay in business).

4) Overheads for running an electrical contracting business are high.

5) The rate of pay for an electrician is approximately €30 per hour (including holiday pay, pension, PRSI, sick pay etc.), so to make money a business will have to price such that they make per hour than this. I wouldn't begrudge an electrician a descent wage, they trained hard for 4 years (far harder than may who studied for degrees).

6) The electrical contractor only really charged you €198.24, the rest was VAT.

So in summary I would think that you got a good deal

Thanks for that. Really appreciate it. The breakdown on the bill before VAT was:
€80 call out
€30 each for the batteries
€30 each for two CM alarms.
The Carbon Monoxide alarms are the screw to the ceiling kind. I don’t begrudge the electrician his money at all I too trained hard for my trade. I’m just unfamiliar with this type of work and checking if it’s expensive for what was done. The house is being looked after by an agent as it is being rented out. The agent took the money out of the rent so I’m just trying to make sure I’m not being mugged over is all. ðŸ‘

Suzie431

salmocab wrote: »

If it’s just a battery alarm that he screwed up to the ceiling yeah it’s probably a rip off, if it’s a mains alarm then maybe not.if it’s a specific model that communicates with the other alarms in the house it may be a lot more expensive than 20euro.

It’s one that he screwed to the ceiling. Well he put two in. €30 each and two batteries for smoke alarms €30 each and call out €80

sydthebeat

Suzie431 wrote: »

Thanks for that.
It was €80 call ou
€30 each for the batteries
€39 each for two CM alarms.
The Carbon Monoxide alarms are just stuck to the ceiling.

you didn't at all get ripped off
.
80 call out is very reasonable in today's climate

The rest is vat and nothing the electrician can do about that

Suzie431

punisher5112 wrote: »

Wow that's expensive.

Did you not price the job 1st.

No didn’t get a chance to price it. Agent looking after the property took in on themselves to arrange it and take it out of the rent. I’m new to the landlord situation and employed an agent to look after it. I know everyone is entitled to be paid for what they do and I don’t begrudge the electrician but I’m just wondering if I’m being ripped off by her/him.

colm_mcm

sydthebeat wrote: »

you didn't at all get ripped off
.
80 call out is very reasonable in today's climate

The rest is vat and nothing the electrician can do about that

€60 to fit what I’m assuming are regular 9v batteries plus a callout fee is a bit much.
Given that there appears to have been no specialized work done here, and the OP was only told after the work was done, in my view the letting agent just spent the €225 of the OPs money on something he could have sorted for €70 himself

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

sydthebeat wrote: »

you didn't at all get ripped off
.
80 call out is very reasonable in today's climate

The rest is vat and nothing the electrician can do about that

30 yoyos for a battery? What kind of smoke detector takes a 30 euro battery?

Suzie431

sydthebeat wrote: »

you didn't at all get ripped off
.
80 call out is very reasonable in today's climate

The rest is vat and nothing the electrician can do about that

Okay thanks

Suzie431

Kole CoolS Saddlebag wrote: »

30 yoyos for a battery? What kind of smoke detector takes a 30 euro battery?

Yea that’s what I thought €60 for two batteries🀔

frankythefish

2 batteries. 6 euro I d say not 60. I d say typo on invoice not spotted. How anybody on here can defend 60 euros for 2 co2 alarm batteries is beyond me

Wildly Boaring

Yes you got ripped off.

But not by the electrician.

No need for an agent to get an electrician to change the batteries and put 2 screws in the roof.

The 30 for batteries would include time to fit and buy.
Price of the detector would include same.

80 call out is fine for a trade.

Your agent needs s handyman for such jobs and to do a few properties thr one day. However no reason to put the effort in to do that if he can just ring an electrician.

Does he get a plumber to change the lightbulbs?

Suzie431

frankythefish wrote: »

2 batteries. 6 euro I d say not 60. I d say typo on invoice not spotted. How anybody on here can defend 60 euros for 2 co2 alarm batteries is beyond me

I wish it were typo!

jmBuildExt

Put it down to experience. Tell the agent to run things by you first.
But the only thing questionable there is the 2 batteries at 60 euro.
Only way you would have saved anymore than that, no matter who he got to fit it, is if you did it yourself.

salmocab

Suzie431 wrote: »

Thanks for that. Really appreciate it. The breakdown on the bill before VAT was:
€80 call out
€30 each for the batteries
€30 each for two CM alarms.
The Carbon Monoxide alarms are the screw to the ceiling kind. I don’t begrudge the electrician his money at all I too trained hard for my trade. I’m just unfamiliar with this type of work and checking if it’s expensive for what was done. The house is being looked after by an agent as it is being rented out. The agent took the money out of the rent so I’m just trying to make sure I’m not being mugged over is all. ðŸ‘

Based on this I’d say he was a bit saucy with the batteries but apart from that it’s probably fair enough. It had to be done legit with vat etc as it was through an agent.

sydthebeat

frankythefish wrote: »

2 batteries. 6 euro I d say not 60. I d say typo on invoice not spotted. How anybody on here can defend 60 euros for 2 co2 alarm batteries is beyond me

No one defending that.
I'm saying the total price isn't a rip off.

If it took the electrician 3 hrs from the time he left home to the time he got back, and in that time he checked the property, went to suppliers, purchased two Cos alarms and batteries, went back to the property and fitted them, and it he charged the client €33 per hour.... (assuming another premium here to jump the queue of work). I'd say she got a reasonable price in today's economy.

Sleeper12

Kole CoolS Saddlebag wrote:

30 yoyos for a battery? What kind of smoke detector takes a 30 euro battery?

You'll buy a half decent smoke detector with a battery for 30 euro. Smoke detectors should be replaced after 10 years or so.

I'm wondering if maybe he put in new smoke alarms instead of just replacing the battery?

OP some bad estate agents get the tradesman to add on 10 percent for themselves. I've had a few ask me to do this with my invoices. I just don't work for them again

spyderski

Yes, you are being ripped off. By the Estate Agent though. As a previous poster said, the work you had done was a job for a handyman, which any worthwhile estate agent will have.

There was absolutely no need to call out a qualified electrician for this job, although given that they did, the bill is a little steep, but not outlandish. You can also take it as fact that the letting agent will be getting 20-25% kickback from the electrician for this. Get a new letting agent.

punisher5112

Wow I really should have finished my apprenticeship.....

I would be on to the estate agent and make them well aware you want to be told of and changes or costs and I would seriously think of changing to a better one.

You would be better looking after the house yourself to be honest.

Make sure you claim this on your tax return.

2011

sydthebeat wrote: »

he charged the client €33 per hour....

Not an unreasonable charge per hour for an electrician in my opinion.

Pelvis

It doesn't really matter what the charges are. The fact is this work was carried out without the OP's knowledge, that alone would piss me off.

OP, check your contract with the Agent, if you didn't agree to incur such charges then I would be asking for my money back and I would be changing Agents.

riemann

15 mins actual work tops.

I certainty don't begrudge paying skilled workers a fair wage, but this was not skilled work in any way.

Ring the estate agent and let them know unless the money is refunded to you, the property will be coming off their books straight away.

Then you should probably take it off them either way as they have displayed their incompetence.

Sleeper12

sydthebeat wrote:

If it took the electrician 3 hrs from the time he left home to the time he got back, and in that time he checked the property, went to suppliers, purchased two Cos alarms and batteries, went back to the property and fitted them, and it he charged the client €33 per hour.... (assuming another premium here to jump the queue of work). I'd say she got a reasonable price in today's economy.

Most tradesmen charge 70 to 100 euros for the first hour & then 25 to 35 per hour after that.

If I leave my van in to Ford for repair they will charge 50 to 60 euros per hour labour

sydthebeat

2011 wrote: »

Not an unreasonable charge per hour for an electrician in my opinion.

thats quite a low hourly rate for any professional with the usual overheads of staff, insurance, rent etc

our office hourly rate is €80 min

crusier

Rip off Ireland, I reckon the agent and the electrician have a mini scam going with both their pockets being lined.