Mend and make do: Home-owners face startling post-code lottery for cost of repairing household appliances

Home-owners in Britain face a startling post-code lottery when it comes to the cost of repairing household gadgets and appliances.

Do you repair your old appliances, or just go out and buy new ones? It’s widely known that costs of living in the capital have continued to soar compared to regional counterparts.  However, new research shows that those living in London also face the highest hourly labour charges in the UK for repairing and mending old appliances, with those living in Wales paying the lowest. This means that the incentive to repair and maintain old appliances is falling when the cost of repair relative to the cost of buying new appliances is narrowing.

The average hourly labour charge, minus VAT and parts, in the English capital is £58.33. This compares to just £38.87 an hour in Wales – almost a whopping £20 an hour cheaper.

Following London as the second most expensive place in the UK for repairs is, unsurprisingly, the south of England where charges average £53.54.

The figures were obtained by national domestic appliance retailer Glotech which surveyed dozens of small, private firms. The charges relates to a typical washing machine repair, and excluded parts. The company’s research also showed that washing machines were the appliances that needed most repairs, followed by dishwashers and ovens.

Mikael Anderson from Glotech said “It’s widely known that living costs go up the closer you get to the capital and it’s unfortunate that this affects so many aspects of life. Though it’s not an option to travel across the country looking for the cheapest price, we recommend that you shop around and negotiate to make sure you get the best possible price in your area.”

Region Hourly rate

London £58.33

North West £47.48

North East £41.52

East £50.08

Midlands £48.91

Wales £38.67

South £54.85

South West £53.54

Scotland £47.38

* Prices exclusive of VAT and for a standard repair to a freestanding, Bosch washing machine.