Gas engineer day rates in 2026: what to charge
By Jordan Valentine-Dunn, Gas Safe registered engineer · 9 July 2026
UK gas engineer day rates in 2026 cluster around £300 to £435 a day on published surveys, with a full spread of roughly £225 to £750 depending on region, experience and type of work. London and the South East run highest; Northern Ireland, the North and Wales lowest. They are estimates, not official figures: a benchmark, not a going rate.
What is the average gas engineer day rate in 2026?
No official body publishes gas engineer rates, so the numbers come from industry surveys, and they broadly agree. A 2026 survey by Logic4training put the average day rate at around £434, with a range of £225 to £750 and an average hourly rate near £80. Gas Engineer Software, drawing on its own platform data, put the average nearer £400 a day, with a £300 to £600 range. Others land in the same territory: roughly £300 to £380 as a typical day, higher in London.
How much does region change the rate?
More than anything else. The surveys consistently show London and the South East commanding a premium of 30% or more, while Northern Ireland, the North East and Wales sit well below the average. The same day's work carries a very different number depending on where the van is parked, so a national average is only ever a starting point. Price from an article written for a different region and you'll either leave money on the table or quote yourself out of your own patch.
Should you charge a day rate or price the job?
Both, for different work. A day rate suits jobs where the scope is uncertain, fault-finding, first fixes on an unfamiliar system, anything where you genuinely don't know what you'll find. Fixed prices suit defined work like a service or a boiler swap you've surveyed, and customers find them easier to say yes to. Either way, your day rate is the floor underneath every quote: when you price a job, count the hours honestly and check the fixed price still clears it. If it doesn't, the fixed price is wrong, not the day rate.
How do you set your own day rate?
The surveys tell you what others charge; they don't tell you what you should. Start from your actual costs: van, tools, insurance, Gas Safe registration, ACS renewal, materials. Then be honest about billable days, because holidays, quoting, van trouble and admin all eat days that earn nothing. Add the margin you want, divide, and that's your floor. Sense-check it against the regional figures above, but don't undercut yourself to match a headline average set in a different part of the country. The full method is in the business guide linked below.
When should you put your rate up?
The clearest signal is being booked solid weeks out, because a diary with no gaps means the market is telling you the price is low. Costs creeping up since you last set the rate is another, and most people's costs have. The quiet season is the time to move: a small, well-signposted rise with fair notice to your regulars lands far better in July than in the middle of the autumn rush, and by the time the busy season arrives it's just your price.
The figures here are third-party survey estimates (from Logic4training, Gas Engineer Software and others), not official statistics, and they vary by source. Use them as a benchmark and price from your own costs. This is general guidance, not financial advice.