It will probably come as no surprise to most of our customers that we’ve been forced to increase our prices from 14 March this year. It’s something we do with reluctance, so we thought it would be helpful to give you some explanation.
FUEL COSTS
We all know how they’ve shot up over the last six months – and most probably will continue to rise given the ongoing situation in Ukraine. None of us knows yet what this will mean for a business like ours, where our chimney maintenance and log delivery vehicles travel significant distances every day.
Fuel costs also affect the price we pay for goods such as tools and equipment, whether purchased within the UK or imported from Europe. These prices have also increased sharply over the last 12 months as a result of Covid.
PROFESSIONAL FEES
In order to provide you with a guaranteed service backed by recognised bodies, we need to be fully trained in everything we do and to have membership of the relevant organisations. Their subscriptions have also increased.
We have insurances to cover the safety of our operators and the work that we do for you. Insurance premiums have also risen – this is another aspect of our business which we can’t avoid.
Our increased charges won’t mean ACS makes more money! Rather it is a situation where we will be breaking even.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
Certain of our customers already help, by encouraging their neighbours to book same-day chimney sweeping slots: such arrangements help cut our transport costs and enable us to pass on the saving by offering some discounts. We’d be really grateful if more of you could do the same.
Book your annual chimney sweep/service well ahead of the actual time you wish to use your appliance – i.e. during Spring and Summer rather than waiting for Winter. The warmer months give us greater flexibility in planning visits and minimising travel times and costs. This also helps spread our workload so we all benefit!
Dan Fisher 14 March 2022
