Search Car Reviews



See all makes



Service rates shocker

Huge variation in hourly rates found across the UK, with some main dealers in London charging 3 times the lowest rates in North England

Garage workshop

By Sam Hardy

11th September 2007

Motorists in the south of the England are paying through the nose for garage servicing, a shocking survey has revealed.

Drivers in Greater London are being charged the most, with labour rates averaging £89.78 per hour. In contrast, those in Fife, Scotland, pay only £55.40.

The findings are the result of labour rates collected from nearly 4,000 franchised and independent garages across the UK by motor policy provider Warranty Direct. A main dealer in central London charged the highest fee – a staggering £183.30 – and the 10 priciest counties are all in the south of England. These include Hertfordshire (with an average charge of £86.68 per hour’s labour), Essex (£80.20) and Berkshire (£78.76). At the other end of the scale, apart from Cornwall (£62.68), Lancashire (£61.67) was the most southerly region in the 10 least expensive areas.

There is also a big difference between franchised dealership and independent garage fees – at £89.31 and £49.92 an hour nationwide, respectively.

“When we first surveyed these labour rates in 2003, the most expensive was £115,” said Duncan McClure Fisher, managing director of Warranty Direct. ”Scan-dalously, that’s commonplace today, and motorists can even find themselves being charged more than £100 an hour by an independent outlet. So if you live in the south-east, there really is an argument for heading northwards. You could stay in a nice hotel, get your car serviced and still end up saving money!

“Drivers must shop around,” McClure added. “You can find the same standard of service down the road and save £100 – if you look and ask what the labour charge is.”

Visit www.labourrates.co.uk to see the average charges in your area.

What Next

For more breaking car news and reviews, subscribe to Auto Express magazine. We'll give you 6 issues for £1 and a free gift!

< Previous   Next >

Sponsored Results

0 Comment

Be the first to comment on this article

You need to register to post comments. Existing members can log in below to comment, otherwise click here to join.



Sponsored Results

- Advertisement -

Sponsored Results

- Advertisement -