Lookinh
Looking back over this thread, I think there may be some 'confusion' between the rates being charged by gas operatives and and motor mechanics - the disconnect being that the rates for motor mechanics are being expressed as hourly rates whereas those for a Landlords Gas Safety Test Report / boiler service are for the job in toto ...Let me start by saying I don't doubt the expensive training, the unpaid time off and the cost of kit etc. And stuff has to paid for - van, phone, training, subs etc.
But no gas engine has kit (roll cab, tools, timing tools that only work on one brand\model) running into 10's of thousands if not more. And that's before the eye-watering costs of diagnostic kit and the subscriptions to the manufacturer as the kit has to talk to the "mothership" before allowing many procedures on most modern cars.
Any gas engineer or electrician wanting to charge close to £120 plus VAT - is taking the proverbial.