Invoice Payment Reminders: How Effective Are They Really?
Getting paid should be the best part of the job… so why does it turn into a time-consuming, stressful, and often procrastinated task?
We’ve spoken about the scale of the late payment issue in heating and plumbing, but haven’t properly acknowledged why it’s happening.
The short answer is that chasing up for payments is unbillable, awkward, and time-consuming. Our recent 2025 Heating & Plumbing Report found that payments were the third most mentioned frustration running a business, sitting behind time management & issues with customers (both likely related).
The report also revealed a simple, straightforward solution you can implement today—with clear data to back up its effectiveness.
Late payments have become ‘expected’
Across the industry, late payments remain widespread.
The report found that the average business is owed £6,256 in unpaid invoices at any one time, with some businesses reporting figures well into five figures.
What’s particularly telling is how businesses respond to this:
- 47% rarely chase unpaid invoices
- 33% only chase occasionally
- Just 19.8% follow up frequently
In other words, many engineers accept late payments as “just part of the job”, even though there are very real financial and mental costs.
The solution: automated payment reminders
Payment reminders are a simple, set-and-forget solution. If a customer hasn’t paid by your specified timeframe, let’s say 14 days, then a message is automatically sent out to them.
You can choose what the message says, how it’s worded, and when it’s sent:
- People that have paid aren’t bothered
- You don’t need to spend hours checking if invoices have been paid and making follow-ups
- You get paid faster, often from those who have simply forgotten
- You can reinvest your time elsewhere in your business or for a better work-life balance.
- Less mental clutter & stress
What do the numbers show? Automated invoice reminders effectiveness
When we compared businesses that use automated invoice reminders with those that don’t, the difference was night and day.
By day 30:
- 80.8% of invoices are paid when reminders are ON
- 54.7% are paid when reminders are OFF
That is a huge shift when also considering the time saved from manually tracking and chasing up on payments.
Rather than being annoying or feeling like you’re pushing customers, the data presents a clear takeaway: Invoice reminders are effective.
Customers respond to them, pay earlier, and in many cases appreciate the gentle nudge. If someone is genuinely refusing to pay, there are other courses of action you can take. Read about your options here.
Why do invoices get paid late in the first place?
Late payment isn’t always a sign of a bad customer.
In fact, the report shows that half of all invoices take more than 14 days to be paid, even when the work is completed professionally and on time.
In most cases, delays happen because:
- Trades invoices sit behind rent, utilities, and subscriptions
- Customers don’t feel urgency unless prompted
- Paying requires effort (bank transfers, finding details, logging in)
Follow this guide for some simple and low-effort tips on getting paid faster.
How to set up invoice payment reminders in 3 quick steps
It’s quick and easy to set up payment reminders through Gas Engineer Software.
Step 1: Log in to your Gas Engineer Software account, or sign up for free
Invoice reminders are available to Core and Pro plan users. Trial accounts have access to all features, including invoice reminders.
Step 2: Access the reminder settings
Follow this link, or click on Settings > Service Reminders and Email Templates
Step 3: Edit your invoice reminder settings
You can set up to 3 separate invoice reminders in Gas Engineer Software. Start with the first one:
- Turn the reminder email on
- Choose how many days after the invoice issue date the reminder should be sent
- Edit the email subject and content, using personalised drag and drop tags where necessary.
Above: Setting up payment reminders in Gas Engineer Software
A small change with a measurable impact
The data proves that automated invoice payment reminders dramatically increase how quickly businesses get paid, while reducing admin time and stress.
For most heating and plumbing businesses, invoice reminders aren’t a big system overhaul — they’re a small operational tweak with measurable impact.
And in a trade where time, cash flow, and headspace all matter, that’s a change worth making.