Tradesmens hourly charges revealed

Tradesmen in the UK are pricing the elderly out of having essential repairs done, according to a new report.

Research by insurance firm Direct Line says that one in ten people in the UK will be left shivering throughout this festive period because they cant afford the sky high fees charges by tradesmen.

The report says that some plumbers and electricians are charging fees of up to £100 per hour.

The average hourly fee charged by tradesmen in London is £53 while in Wales it is £41 and in the north-east it is £32.

As a result, three in ten people have been forced to go without heating for five day stretches and to take cold showers instead of their usual hot baths.

Andrew Lowe, head of Direct Line, said: "To avoid the risk of a freezing festive period, we would recommend that people have their book of trade contacts to hand or consider one of a number of services that have engineers on hand 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

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