Surrey and London have priciest hourly garage rates in UK

Surrey and London are the two most expensive regions in Britain to have work done on your car, with hourly garage rates as much as £14.07 higher than the national average of £67.

According to a survey of 6000 UK garages carried out by Motoreasy, Surrey came out as the most expensive, with the average garage there charging £81.07 an hour for work, while garages in London asked for £77.42 on average.

Conversely, the five cheapest regions are in Scotland. The cheapest was Selkirkshire, where the average garage charges just £49.69 an hour for work.

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Of all the surveyed UK areas, rates for private garages were on average 40% cheaper than franchised manufacturer workshops.

The cheapest hourly rate found by the survey was £36, offered by a private garage in Manchester. The priciest was £234 an hour, charged by a prestige sports car manufacturer dealership in Reading, Berkshire.

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The survey also found that about two-thirds of British motorists don’t know how much they should be paying, with many neglecting to check their bills once work is done.

Motoreasy founder Duncan McClure Fisher said: “Today’s drivers don’t have the time or, in many cases, the knowledge to make absolutely sure they are getting the best price from garages.

“It’s not made any easier by the fact that the cost of labour differs so vastly across the UK. Even so, anyone spending money should at least understand how much they are paying and for what.”