MORE than half of Bradford residents don't expect to pay tradespeople for any extra work they carry out while on a job, research has revealed.

The report stated more than half of residents in Bradford don't expect to pay the hourly rate for extra tasks, meaning workers could be missing out on thousands of pounds in earnings.

It stated one in ten prefer to try and pay the workers in cups of tea, or by not paying at all.

CORGI HomePlan, which carried out the research, said skilled professionals nationally are missing out on an estimated £2.7 million in potential earnings every year.

The research found men are more likely to ask for extra work for free than women, but women are most likely to expect the work to be done for free, with half expecting the work to be carried for less than the usual fee.

Younger householders are also more likely to want work done at a cheaper rate, with almost three-quarters expecting a discount, compared to more than half of over-55s who would be happy to pay the hourly rate.

The most common extra work request was fixing a broken plug socket at 28 per cent, followed by putting up shelves at 21 per cent. Other quirkier requests included changing lightbulbs, making tea for house guests, keeping an eye on the dog and even putting the bins out.

Peter Southcott, chief executive of CORGI HomePlan, said: “Trades professionals are the nicest you can meet.

"We regularly hear about how our network of more than 5,000 fully-qualified gas safe engineers, plumbers, electricians and drainage experts are always willing to go the extra mile for our customers.

"However, that doesn’t mean they are volunteers. We should all remember that the next time we say, ‘while you’re here, can you take a look at...’, a trades professional’s expertise and time are to be valued and not taken for granted in this way.”