Housing associations forced to trim spending as boiler engineers double their fees
Spiralling gas maintenance costs are forcing housing associations to cut back on upgrades to their properties.

Charges for servicing gas boilers have doubled in the past five years because of a shortage of engineers, according to maintenance consultants. The engineers have often raised or even doubled their prices when renewing their contracts.

The problem is particularly acute in London and the South-east, where engineers can make money on commercial sites without having to deal with occupied properties.

Registered social landlords could face criminal charges if they do not ensure that their gas engineers are competent and get gas checks carried out annually. So to meet the costs, RSLs are cutting back on projects such as kitchen and bathroom replacements, repairing fences and fixing roofs.

Peter Taylor, director of David Miles & Partners, which manages gas contracts for RSLs, said: "Five years ago you could expect to pay £50 to £60 for gas cover under a contract, but now you're looking at £120 to £150 a year – although it depends on the age and condition of the appliance."

Taylor said long-term contracts could help to reduce costs although they would rise when the contract was renewed.

All types of maintenance costs are going up because of a lack of skilled labour, according to Peter Scott, head of responsive maintenance at Norwich-based Anglia Housing Group.

He said some types of maintenance would have to be carried out less often to save money.

He also warned that boilers might be patched up to save money in the short term even though it would be more cost-effective in the long term to replace them.

He said: "We would patch roofs rather than replace them and we cannot do internal things like kitchens and bathrooms that we were hoping to renew at a faster rate. The need to ensure we have quality, competent gas contractors is a considerable worry."

Micky Cummins, maintenance manager at Sovereign Housing Association in Berkshire, said boiler maintenance costs had risen 44% in Newbury but were rising more slowly outside the South-east. He added: "It's a concern because we don't know how far it will go and whether we can comply with our legal obligations if we cannot get hold of a contractor."

Source

Housing Today