Avoiding & Handling Burnout as a Gas Engineer
Twelve-hour days, six days a week. Constantly on the move yet barely making enough money to get by. For many heating and plumbing professionals, this isn’t an occasional busy patch—it’s the norm.
Burnout can be caused by many things, and is different for everyone. For gas engineers, it’s often caused by long working hours and financial concerns, and is particularly prevalent in the colder months when most businesses start to get extremely busy.
If this sounds like you, there is some good news. We’ll cover several actionable and quick changes you can make to your career or business to help it support you, not the other way around.
What Burnout Looks Like in the Trades
Burnout creeps in slowly—and it isn’t just feeling tired after a long day. It’s a deeper, more persistent exhaustion that seeps into every part of your life.
Common signs include:
- Fatigue that no amount of sleep seems to fix.
- Frustration at small problems that normally wouldn’t faze you (every tradesperson encounters tricky customers, but this runs deeper).
- Constant stress and anxiety about keeping up with jobs, customers, or bills.
- Loss of joy in your craft—you’re on autopilot, not taking pride in your work.
And for those running their own business, there’s an extra layer: the constant worry of keeping things afloat. While self-employment brings freedom, it also brings responsibility for everything.
Even if you don’t have employees, the endless cycle of finding work, managing customers, chasing payments, and handling admin can accelerate burnout.
How Gas Engineers Can Manage Burnout
The good news: burnout isn’t permanent. With some small but deliberate changes, you can regain control of your time, energy, and business.
1. Step Back and Re-Assess
When you’re in the thick of it, it’s hard to see a way out. Taking a step back gives you breathing room and perspective. That might mean booking a weekend away, taking a quiet afternoon to yourself, or even just switching your phone off for a day.
Ask yourself:
What’s draining me most? Where am I spending time that I don’t consider worthwhile?
That pause is the first step to making changes that stick.
2. Raise Your Prices & Know Your Worth
We’ve spoken to countless engineers who have told us all the same thing: Pricing is one of the biggest reasons businesses struggle.
If you’re overworked but underpaid, doing more hours won’t solve the problem—it will just make burnout worse. The more sustainable option is to raise your prices.
Yes, you might lose a few customers, but the ones who truly value your services will stay. And by working slightly fewer jobs for better pay, you’ll protect your work-life balance while still earning enough. In the long run, that’s a win for both you and your customers.
We’ve written some useful guides on pricing:
3. Save Time on Admin & Paperwork
For most engineers, the mountain of paperwork is one of the biggest stress triggers—gas certificates, invoices, quotes, job sheets, and endless follow-ups. The problem is, every minute you spend buried in forms is a minute you’re not earning, resting, or with your family.
The answer isn’t to “just get better at admin”—it’s to streamline it. Whether that’s hiring part-time support or using job management software, the goal is to take that weight off your shoulders so you can focus on actual work.
Gas Engineer Software is 100% free to try.
Start your 7-day trial:
4. Learn How to Say No / Be Honest With Customers
It’s tempting to take on every call-out, but if your schedule is already full, another job means late nights, stress, and rushed work. Saying “no” (or “not this month”) doesn’t make you unhelpful—it makes you professional. Likewise, overpromising is one of the fastest ways to stress yourself out. If you’re stretched thin, be upfront with your customers about realistic timelines.
Say no, set boundaries, and take back control of your workday.
5. Delegate Where You Can
Even sole traders don’t have to carry the load alone. Could a part-time admin help manage customer calls, invoices, or bookings? Could software take care of your reminders and certificates? Delegating isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s a sign you’re running your business smartly, not letting it run you.
6. Set Clear Boundaries Between Work and Home
Decide when the workday ends—and stick to it. Don’t reply to customer messages after hours, and don’t let jobs eat into every family event. Burnout thrives when there’s no separation between “on the tools” and “off the tools.” Protect that boundary, and you’ll protect your energy.
7. Focus on Yourself
This one often gets overlooked. When you’re burnt out, you’re not doing your best work—and that’s not fair to you or your customers. Sometimes, the most responsible thing you can do is to step back and look after yourself. That might mean taking a few days off, setting firmer boundaries, or getting support. You’re not letting anyone down; in fact, you’ll serve your customers better once you’ve recharged.