Motorists face postcode lottery over car labour rates ~ station of gear

Car mechanic, servicing, fix, exhaust, spanner

Figures reveal huge variations in hourly workshop charges according to postcode

2015-07-29 07:00

Think your dealer is charging too much? It might just be down to where you live, because our exclusive data reveals how the cost of labour is a postcode lottery.

The figures – produced by Warrantywise – highlight the huge disparity in hourly rates across the UK. The cheapest average can be found in Kirkwall, Orkney, with mechanics charging just £44 per hour compared to the priciest in Twickenham, south west London, at £141 per hour. That’s a difference of more than 200 per cent across 700 miles.

Regionally, Scotland as a whole has the lowest hourly rates, at just £71.42 compared to the £101.60 charged in the capital. London is the only area to top £100 and is some way above the UK average of £84.30 per hour.

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Lawrence Whittaker, CEO of Warrantywise, said: “Some of the differences Warrantywise has discovered are, frankly, offensive. Our advice is simple: shop around, negotiate and remember that as a paying customer, you are holding the ace cards.”

Cost isn’t just down to region, though, with some networks charging more.

Despite motorists paying a premium, Auto Express’s Driver Power satisfaction survey, which polled more than 61,000 motorists, has revealed that Brits are happier than ever with their dealers.

The average satisfaction score was 87.84% - up from 86.83% in 2014. Nearly 50 per cent of the motorists who took part said they would be “highly likely” to recommend their dealer to a friend.

Click here to read more about this year's Driver Power dealer results.

Dealer labour rates by region and postcode

LONDON: £101.60 an hour average
N	£81	W	£111
E	£97	BR	£121
LU	£82	SM	£76
MK	£94	SW	£109
CM	£89	RH	£103
EN	£111	WD	£120
HA	£106	CR	£108
SE	£85	RM	£90
NW	£99	KT	£129
AL	£106	SL	£108
DA	£105	TN	£97
IG	£101	CT	£95
TW	£141	HP	£104
UB	£98	GU	£98
CO	£93	SS	£98
SG	£87	ME	£101

SCOTLAND: £71.42 an hour average
KW	£44	AB	£63
KY	£59	PA	£74
IV	£72	PH	£71
EH	£72	G	£74
DD	£69	FK	£80
DG	£72	TD	£91
ML	£94	KA	£65

NORTH WEST: £84.72 an hour average
CA	£74	BD	£84
WA	£86	SK	£94
HD	£88	OL	£97
LA	£83	BB	£84
PR	£86	S	£82
HX	£87	LS	£95
M	£75	WF	£90
CH	£88	HG	£87
WN	£78	BL	£82
L	£81	FY	£92
CW	£66

SOUTH: £86 an hour average
GL	£72	OK	£85
SO	£76	PO	£79
SN	£96	RG	£98
BN	£95	SP	£74
BH	£99

MIDLANDS: £83.77 an hour average
NG	£89	ST	£109
WS	£56	NN	£75
DE	£94	HR	£79
TF	£74	B	£74
LE	£83	CV	£89
WV	£73	WR	£109
DY	£85

NORTH EAST: £76.33 an hour average
LN	£86	TS	£75
DN	£79	DH	£81
NE	£75	SR	£96
HU	£71	YO	£73
DL	£51

SOUTH WEST: £89.12 an hour average
BS	£91	BA	£85
TA	£80	EX	£95
TQ	£71	PL	£81
TR	£85

WALES: £77 an hour average
LL	£64	SY	£83
CF	£86	SA	£75
NP	£78	LD	£76

EAST: £88.75 an hour average
PE	£77	NR	£81
CB	£109	IP	£88

Joe Finnerty

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