Why British Gas Contract Changes Pushed Me To Start My Own Business | James Davis from JWD Heating

Send us Fan MailWhat does it actually take to leave a secure job at British Gas and build your own heating business? James Davis from JWD Heating joins Pete and Keiran to talk about spending 17 years at British Gas, why he finally decided to leave, and what the reality of going self-employed as a gas engineer was actually like. James opens up about starting out in plumbing straight from school, joining British Gas at 19, spending years working in service and repair, and eventually leaving during the fire-and-rehire period to start building JWD Heating for himself. The episode gets into the parts of self-employment that tradespeople don’t always see from the outside — pricing jobs properly, understanding your real business costs, taking on apprentices, managing a team, dealing with customers, keeping cash flow healthy and learning how to stop charging like an employee when you’re running a company. They also cover:What working at British Gas was really likeWhy James stayed for 17 years before leavingBoiler breakdowns, fault finding and when replacement makes more sense than repairStarting JWD Heating from scratchUsing local Facebook groups and social media to win workPricing jobs and learning what your company actually costs to runTaking on apprentices and growing a heating businessSocial media hate, showing real jobs and not pretending every install is perfectAir conditioning as an extra income stream for gas engineersDeposits, unpaid invoices and protecting yourself financiallyThe pressures of employing people and learning how to manage a teamWhy James still wants to stay on the tools James also talks about the early days of self-employment, when simply earning more than his old daily wage felt like success, before realising that once you factor in vans, wages, VAT, tax, materials and overheads, turnover and profit are two very different things. There’s plenty of honest trade chat too, from customers tampering with boilers and difficult breakdowns to apprentices, mate rates, social media comments and the constant balancing act between staying competitive and actually making money. If you’re a gas engineer, heating engineer, plumber, apprentice or self-employed tradesperson thinking about leaving employment, growing your own business or taking on staff, this episode gives a realistic look at what that journey actually involves. 👇 Join the conversation:Would you leave a secure job after 17 years to go self-employed?And if you already run your own trade business, what was the hardest lesson you had to learn?📣 Sponsored by Flexigas – the flexible gas pipe specialists: https://flexigas.com/💥 Powered by Ridgeline – seamless copper tubes built for the trade: https://ridgelinetubes.com/🎁 EXCLUSIVE PODCAST OFFERGet 30% OFF your Yearly Subscription to Gas Certificate App!Use code: POD30 at checkout📲 Download the Gas Certificate App nowhttps://onelink.to/hbv69u⚠️ Warning: Contains adult humour and strong language. Tradesmen banter ahead.🔗 Follow us on Socials📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offthejobpodcastuk📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offthejobpodcastuk