AA to fix pipes and hang pictures in homes

By David Williams Published: 9:00PM GMT twenty-seven February 2010

As well as stability to rescue stricken motorists, the AA will answer SOS calls from householders with shabby boilers, leaking pipes, drizzling taps or inadequate electric wires Photo: ALAMY

In a in advance depart for the "fourth puncture service", the AA is formulation to launch a national swift of "handy men" and women, specifically lerned for made at home duties.

As well as stability to rescue stricken motorists, the AA will answer SOS calls from householders with shabby boilers, leaking pipes, drizzling taps or inadequate wiring. Its fully-trained home patrolmen and women will even make grassed area fences, implement showers and bathrooms or only cling to a picture.

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The organization is formulating a code new, AA-uniformed, liveried unit swift that will in the future be multiform thousand-strong to aim Britain"s 17.5 million in isolation homes.

The AA that is owned by the Acromas Group is investing tens of millions of pounds in the expansion, after some-more than a century of rescuing motorists at the roadside.

Householders will make use of the same call centres that are used, daily, to dispatch the organisation"s 3,000 patrolmen to 10,000 roadside breakdowns.

Just similar to drivers stuck at the roadside, home owners will be since a time of attainment and a anxiety number.

Repair men and women will even spin up in the informed AA outpost but but the flashing lights.

AA members will get a bonus on the new home operation but the use will be accessible to anybody.

Andrew Strong, CEO of AA Services, said: "The car is the second greatest squeeze for majority family groups after their home.

"Millions of car owners have devoted the AA to assistance them on the roadside for some-more than 100 years. We right away wish to magnify that certitude and assistance AA members in the home."

AA Home Emergency Response underwritten by the Royal and Sun Alliance will be rolled out nationally subsequent month and is being pitched as an word process opposite made at home problems. They will plunge into detonate pipes and leaks.

AA Home Assist that has undergone tip trials in the South East will contain a network of AA-uniformed plumbers and electricians who will spin up in AA vans. implement boilers, showers and bathrooms or reinstate radiators.

The uniformed AA Handy Squad already piloted in London will plunge into not as big jobs such as picture-hanging, lock-fitting, putting up screen rails or improving grassed area fences.

The new intrigue is a approach plea to giants such as HomeServe and the AA claims the existent membership will give it a singly rival edge.

Despite investing what it says will be an "eight figure sum" in the roll-out, the AA says set-up costs for the new programme are "relatively small", as it already has determined call-centre and selling operations.

Existing roadside relapse patrols will not take piece in the "home" service. The AA has already started substantiating a stand-alone network of dedicated patrolmen and vans that it says will fast enhance to cover homes opposite the UK.

Edmund King, AA president, said: "We have earmarked an eight figure total and so will be investing tens of millions of pounds in this endeavour.

"On tip of this we will be targeting existent AA members opposite the businesses from breakdown, transport to insurance. Our members certitude us on the roads and we hold they will certitude us in the home.

"We are not fearful to take on foe in the market. We will suggest most some-more rival rates than HomeServe and others."

The AA will fool around heavily on the actuality that by pursuit the relapse service, householders will discharge the disbelief of trawling by the yellow pages for a workman.

Typical prices for the Home Emergency Response are approaching to be �9.95 per month for AA members and �11.95 for non-members. This will yield up to �750 of cover per incident, or up to �1,000 for H2O supply pipes. The AA says there will be no call-out charge, and that there will be a 24-hour helpline.

Services supposing by Home Assist and Handy Squad will be charged at an hourly rate and the materials used in the job.