Plumbers are discriminating against people according to their sex and age, shocking new research has found with the elderly and women paying up to 50 per cent more for simple jobs.
Plumbing supply company Anchor Pumps asked 90 plumbers across England for quotes to install a mixer tap in a kitchen.
According to the company, the job is relatively straightforward as the fittings are already in place. A plumber has to remove the old tap and install the new unit.
Plumbers have been accused of ripping off women and elderly people in a new study
Anchor Pumps used three volunteers to contact ten plumbers in nine regions across the country to seek a quotation for the fitting of a mixer tap in a kitchen. The people were a middle aged man, a middle aged women and an elderly person
Londoners, regardless of sex will pay more with the north west and north east cheapest
According to The Times, women and elderly people faced 50 per cent higher bills compared to men seeking quotes for the exact same job.
According to Anchor Pumps: ‘Many of us rely on tradesmen to help us build our dream homes, whether that be building a new conservatory, painting and decorating or fitting a new bathroom.
‘Lots of us are clueless when it comes to understanding what’s involved in the work we ask our tradesmen to do, meaning we readily accept their quotes.’
Unsurprisingly, quotes for the job varied widely depending on the region, with London being the most expensive with an average price of £85 – with a £7 difference between the highest and lowest quote.
Yet, women in the north east can pay anything between £40 and £120 to have a tap fitted
Three people contacted the 90 plumbers over a two-month period seeking a quote for the installation of a mixer tap.
On average, across the country, men received the lowest quote at £62. Women were expected to pay £71, while the elderly were quoted on average £75.
According to Anchor Pumps, the man was charged 15 per cent less than the femal and 21 per cent less than the elderly person.
However, in London, the female caller often managed to secure the best quote by an average of £2.
The researchers found that women seeking the assistance of a plumber in the north east can expect to pay 53 per cent more than a man. An elderly person is stung by a 36.6 per cent surcharge.
In the north west and the midlands, women were paying 27 per cent more than the man.
According to the company: ‘Of course, we acknowledge that plumbers and other tradesmen might not be able to give a precise quotation up front, without seeing the work in question. However, it does seem from our research, that on the spot quotations favour men over women and that the elderly pay the highest price.
Age UK have attacked plumbers for discriminating against pensioners.
Caroline Abrahams of Age UK told The Times: ‘It is unacceptable for callers to be quoted different prices for a service purely because of their age. This is truly shocking to hear, and blatant discrimination. Ageism must become as unacceptable as every other form of discrimination.’
Jemima Olchawki, head of policy at the Fawcett society, which campaigns for gender equality also condemned the plumbers.
She said: ‘We’ve seen that women are charged more than men in a range of areas. Given that women working full time earn on average just 86p for every pound a man earns, it’s an injustice they can ill afford.
‘It’s time to scrap lazy stereotypes about who will be the savviest customer and offer everyone a fair and transparent price.’