In recent years, online boiler platforms, such as Boxt and Heatable have innovated the way in which people buy a new boiler for their homes.
Instead of picking out a plumber in the local newspaper, consumers can now choose their new boiler and installation date from the comfort of their smartphone and get it installed as quick as 24 hours.
This new method has been called a “disrupter” in the industry, forcing almost all facets of the traditional market to adapt how it operates on a national scale.
For many gas installers, this new way of doing things has been viewed in a negative light with concerns about a “race to the bottom” as boiler platforms battle over price of both boilers and installers.
New Opportunities for Gas Installers?
The fact remains that this new way of doing things is not going away and as online continues to dominate almost all industries, many gas engineers are seizing the opportunities this new way of doing things offers.
Currently the sector offers private contracting to any qualified and well experienced gas engineers and at extremely competitive rates. And many have taken up the offers, providing them with a fresh stream of new jobs everyday.
To get an honest view, we reached out to Bill McDonald, a heating engineer who’s been working for Heatable.co.uk for around 18 months. He had this to say about the platform:
“Working at Heatable has been great, it offers flexibility and provides new jobs on an almost daily basis. It also means I don’t have to worry about finding my own leads or marketing myself, which is a job in and of itself.”
He continued and highlighted some of the other major advantages of find jobs the online way:
“The app has also streamlined everything. You can see when the boiler and parts are being delivered, appointments and the type of job, preparing you well in advance and giving you a helpful reminder of your schedule. For me, it’s been extremely financially rewarding.”
The Burden of Marketing and Lead Generation
Perhaps one of the greatest advantages of these new platforms is how they enable installers to escape the burden of marketing themselves and finding new leads. Often, this is a time consuming task all on it’s own and one that tradesmen have often struggled to execute well.
For the consumer, it’s also meant they don’t have to worry about never hearing from their installer again. These platforms have a reputation to maintain, reviews they care about and of course offer their own workmanship guarantees.
Last year over 1.6 million new boilers were installed into UK homes, so there’s a lot of work on offer and more and more consumers are taking the online route. It’s only a matter of time before this is the go-to method for a number of different trades, not just heating.
One things for sure, online shopping is not going away. Besides this new way of finding work for gas installers is offering new ways to find work, always welcome, no matter the time of year.
