Are Plumbers Price Gouging After The Storm?
Plumbers are in high demand after the deep freeze El Paso experienced earlier this month.
El Paso Water Utilities officials estimate that 15,000 to 20,000 pipes burst in homes across the city.
With the high demand for plumbers, some customers say the dramatic increase in rates is price gouging.
Homeowner John Evans said he had consulted a local plumber to fix his burst pipes hadn’t expected the rate change.
“After arriving at my house and looking over my problem, the plumber tells me, ‘Well, our prices right now are $189 an hour. Have you seen on TV? It’s hard to get parts and plumbers.’ I used the same plumber a few months ago, they were $69 an hour at that time.” said Evans.
That’s an increase of more than 2.5 times the normal rate. But is it price gouging?
According to the Texas Attorney Generals Office website it’s not. In order for dramatic rate increases on necessities to be considered price gouging, and therefore enforced by the state, the governor has to declare a disaster.
Since that didn’t happen, it’s technically not price gouging.
Because the storm has many plumbers working well over 40 hours a week, plumbing companies said they have to charge at least time and a half for many jobs, especially if they have their plumbers working past 5 p.m. or on weekends. Extra charges may also have been added if the plumbing supplies needed were hard to find.
But don’t get discouraged. Not all are plumbers are looking to make extra profits off of the storm.
“When I see the situation, I’ve been through Ike and Katrina, I’ve gone out and helped and you see how the situation and the need of the people and stuff. I see it more as a need and giving service and helping out people than I guess getting rich over it.” said Nacho and Son Plumbing owner Ignacio Vasquez.
In order to ensure you aren’t overcharged for plumbing repairs, make sure you shop around and get quotes in writing from each company.
If the company charges and exorbitant amount more than they quoted, you can file a claim with the Better Business Bureau or the Texas Attorney Generals Office.
