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Saanich plumbers give back to community with free service before Christmas

Business doesn’t want people forced to choose between Christmas presents and hot water
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The team at Rather Be Plumbing will work for free on Dec. 18, 19 and 20 to give back to the community. (Photo courtesy Jarod Hughes)

A Saanich plumbing company is offering free service to south Island residents in need as the holidays approach.

Staff at Rather Be Plumbing are gearing up for their third annual community give-back days.

The idea came to owner Jarod Hughes in December 2017 after he assisted a customer who was struggling to pay the plumbing bill. He didn’t charge her for the service and decided to see who else he and his staff could help.

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This year, Rather Be Plumbing will provide free labour for those in need from Dec. 18 to 20. The team will take requests from as far away as Sooke, Hughes noted. He pays his staff’s wages so they can waive the $70 per hour fee. The only thing customers need to pay for is the materials.

Hughes emphasized that the free service is only meant for folks in need. In 2017, calls were out of control and not everyone calling was actually in need. From then on, staff have been clear that they’re aiming to help people who don’t have the resources to afford plumbing service.

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“It’s for the person who can’t afford Christmas presents and a hot water tank,” Hughes said.

One customer that stood out to Hughes was an Esquimalt woman he helped in 2017. She’d been without running water since Canada Day and he was happy to be able to step in and help solve her plumbing issues free of charge.

No appointments are needed, Hughes explained. Just call 250-589-8555, explain the situation and the team will do the rest.


@devonscarlett
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devon.bidal@saanichnews.com