Per-lead pricing for gas engineers in the UK typically runs anywhere from £5 to £40+ per lead depending on the platform and job type, while monthly subscription models tend to cost between £30 and £150 per month. Neither model is automatically better — the right choice depends on your job volume, your conversion rate, and how much admin time you're willing to absorb.
I'm an electrician, not a gas engineer, but I work alongside gas engineers every day and we face the same fundamental question: where does your marketing spend actually pay off? Here's an honest breakdown.
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Lead costs vary significantly by platform and by the type of job being quoted. On Rated People, individual leads for boiler services or gas safety certificates can sit in the £5–£15 range, but boiler installation leads — higher-value jobs — can push £25–£40 or more. MyBuilder operates on a similar model with credits purchased upfront.
Checkatrade and Which Trusted Trader work differently — more on that below — but some of their tiers do include a per-lead or per-quote element depending on how the account is structured.
The important caveat: these figures change. Platforms adjust pricing regularly, and what a gas engineer in Newcastle pays may differ from someone operating in a rural area where fewer tradespeople are competing for the same lead. I'd always recommend getting a current quote directly from the platform rather than relying on anything you read online, including this article.
What doesn't change is the underlying maths: if you're paying £15 for a lead and only converting one in five into a paid job, that lead actually cost you £75. That's the number that matters.
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Checkatrade, TrustATrader, and similar directory-style platforms typically charge a monthly or annual subscription. You pay a fixed fee regardless of how many enquiries you receive. In theory, once you're getting a steady flow of work through the platform, your cost per lead drops as your subscription cost is spread across more jobs.
Checkatrade subscriptions for sole traders have historically ranged from around £60 to £120+ per month depending on your trade and location, though pricing has shifted over the years and varies based on the package. Larger limited companies with multiple engineers will pay more.
Gas Safe Register itself doesn't generate leads in this way — it's the legal requirement for anyone working on gas appliances in the UK, not a marketing tool. But being listed there is effectively the baseline credential that makes any other lead generation viable. Without it, no platform listing means anything.
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Here's how the two models compare in practice:
| Factor | Per Lead | Monthly Subscription |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Low | Fixed monthly commitment |
| Risk | Pay only when leads arrive | Pay regardless of lead volume |
| Cost at low job volume | Often cheaper | Can feel expensive |
| Cost at high job volume | Can escalate significantly | Becomes better value |
| Admin burden | Higher — buying credits, choosing leads | Lower once set up |
| Lead exclusivity | Rarely exclusive | Varies by platform |
That last row matters more than most people realise. On Rated People and MyBuilder, the same job is typically offered to multiple tradespeople. You're not just paying for a lead — you're competing for it. On some subscription models, particularly local directory listings or Google Business Profile (which is free), you're more likely to be the only one the customer is calling.
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Lead quality is inconsistent. You'll buy leads from people who are just price-checking, have already booked someone else, or want a job you don't cover. These aren't refunded automatically.
Time has a cost. Chasing leads, writing quotes, following up unanswered calls — this is unpaid time. A sole trader buying 20 leads a month and converting five isn't just spending money on the other 15, they're spending time too.
VAT threshold awareness. If your combined turnover from all sources — including work generated through lead platforms — pushes you toward the VAT threshold (currently £90,000 as of 2024/25), that changes your pricing and your margins. Worth tracking.
Review pressure. Subscription platforms like Checkatrade have a strong emphasis on reviews. If you don't actively manage this, your listing underperforms regardless of what you're paying.
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If you're taking on fewer than 10 jobs per month through a platform, per-lead can make sense — you're not committed to a monthly fee during quiet periods. For a gas engineer doing mostly one-off boiler services rather than recurring contracts, the flexibility has value.
If you're consistently busy and generating 20+ jobs per month through enquiries, a subscription model generally offers better cost per acquisition once you factor in the compounding value of a well-reviewed profile.
For gas engineers doing larger installs — full boiler replacements, commercial gas work — the per-lead cost on high-value jobs can be justifiable even at £30–£40 per lead, provided conversion is solid.
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Speaking from my own trade: the economics are nearly identical. Whether I'm quoting for an EICR, a consumer unit upgrade, an EV charger installation, or a landlord electrical certificate, the cost per acquisition logic is the same.
Under BS 7671 18th Edition and Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, only qualified electricians should be carrying out notifiable work — which is most domestic installation work. Being NICEIC or NAPIT registered is our equivalent of Gas Safe. It's non-negotiable, and like Gas Safe, it's the foundation of any credible platform listing.
Where I've found the best ROI personally is combining a modest subscription presence with strong local SEO and a well-maintained Google Business Profile. That combination reduces dependence on any single paid channel.
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The formula is straightforward:
Cost Per Acquisition = Total Monthly Lead Spend ÷ Number of Paying Jobs Generated
Example: £200/month on leads, 10 paying jobs = £20 cost per acquisition.
Now compare that to your average job value. If you're running a boiler service at £80, a £20 CPA leaves reasonable margin. If your average job is a full boiler install at £2,500, even a £60 CPA is negligible.
Track this monthly. Most tradespeople don't, and it means they can't make informed decisions about where their marketing budget goes.
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For most established gas engineers and electricians doing consistent volume: subscription models tend to offer better value, particularly when combined with genuine reviews and a professional online presence. The predictable cost makes budgeting easier and the compounding benefit of a strong profile matters over time.
For newer entrants or those in quieter periods: per-lead gives you flexibility without a fixed monthly commitment, but track your conversion rate ruthlessly from day one.
The honest answer is that neither model works well if the underlying business basics aren't there — fast response times, accurate quoting, and professional communication do more for conversion than any platform choice.
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How much does a gas engineer pay per lead on sites like Checkatrade or Rated People?
On pay-per-lead platforms like Rated People, expect to pay roughly £5–£15 for smaller jobs like gas safety checks and £20–£40+ for boiler installations. These figures vary by location and competition level and are subject to change, so check directly with the platform for current pricing.
Is a monthly subscription or pay-per-lead better for a sole trader electrician or gas engineer?
It depends on your job volume. If you're consistently generating 15+ jobs per month from a platform, subscription usually wins on cost per acquisition. If your volume is unpredictable, per-lead avoids paying during quiet months.
What is a good lead conversion rate for a tradesperson in the UK?
There's no official benchmark, but from conversations with other tradespeople, a conversion rate of 25–40% (one in four to one in three leads becoming a paid job) is reasonable for competitive trades. Anything below 20% suggests either lead quality issues or quoting/response problems worth addressing.
Can I use both per lead and subscription models at the same time?
Yes, and many tradespeople do. Running a subscription listing on one platform while buying leads on another gives you a spread of sources. Just make sure you're tracking which channel each job came from, otherwise the data is useless.
How do I calculate whether my lead generation spend is actually profitable?
Divide your total monthly spend on leads (all platforms combined) by the number of paying jobs you actually completed from those leads. That's your cost per acquisition. Compare it to your average job margin — not job value, margin. If the CPA is eating more than 10–15% of your margin on a typical job, it's worth reviewing.
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If you're based in the North East and want to talk through how we approach lead generation and marketing as a trade business, feel free to get in touch with the team at [Energy North Ltd](https://energynorth.uk). We're electricians, not marketers — but we've learned this stuff the hard way and we're happy to share what's worked.