New research from Anchor Pumps has revealed that plumbers are charging women and the elderly more than they would charge a working-aged man for exactly the same job. The study found that in some cases, female customers were quoted up to 53% more than a man. Pensioners were quoted up to a third more than a man of working age.
To carry out the study, Anchor Pumps gave a middle-aged woman, a middle-aged man, and an elderly man a list of 90 plumbers across nine English counties. They were asked to call the plumbers to obtain a quote for fitting a mixer tap in their kitchen, considered to be a straightforward job.
On average, the male caller was quoted £62, nearly 15% less than the female caller, who was told £71, and 21% less than the elderly caller, who was quoted £75.
In every single region apart from one, the male caller was quoted the lowest average price. London was the only exception, with the female caller receiving a lower average price by just £2.
The elderly caller fared the worst in seven out of nine regions, levelling with the female caller in the North East and the West Midlands. The North East proved to be the worst offender, where the elderly caller was quoted over 36% more than the male caller.
Commenting on the study in its blog, Anchor Pumps says: “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. How much do your home improvements cost? Well, I guess that depends on who you are.”
To see the full results of the research, visit Anchor Pumps’ blog.
