For a plumber who misses several genuine calls a week on jobs that leave £150 or more after costs, I think an AI receptionist will probably pay for itself. That's my judgement, not a measured result. For a plumber who's already fully booked, it probably won't. Everyone else should start with something cheaper.
A clear disclosure: we sell one. Ours isn't the cheapest, and I'll show you who's cheaper. If this article talks you into a free text-back, or into a competitor, that's fine.
The short version
- First, count your missed calls for two weeks. Without that number, you're guessing.
- If you miss a handful a month, a missed-call text may be enough.
- UK AI receptionists start around £30 to £50 a month.
- On the example figures below, one extra job a month covers most of these tools. Ours takes about one job a month in its first year, or a little more if you can't reclaim VAT.
- If it won't cost you a booked job to wait, don't buy it.
What are your options?
| Option | Published UK price | Good at | Weak at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voicemail | Free | Costs nothing | Only 6% of people say they'd leave a message |
| Missed-call text | Often part of a phone or CRM plan. Ours is one offer from £99 a month. | Replies in seconds | The customer has to reply |
| Human answering | Around 60p to £1.50 a minute, as Moneypenny estimates for the market | A real person, good with tricky calls | Costs more as you get busier, and may only take a message |
| AI receptionist | From about £29 to £99 a month, usage varies | Answers at any hour, and every call | Some callers dislike it. Read what can go wrong. |
| Employing a receptionist | £24,000 to £30,000 a year, by one vendor's estimate | Does everything | Far too much for most small firms |
UK AI receptionist prices
These prices come from each provider's own page, read on 5 November 2026. Powered Now, Fasthosts and ours exclude VAT, and Trade Receptionist says none is added. The ServiceM8 and Moneypenny pages we read don't say. Allowances differ, so compare like with like.
| Provider | Monthly price | Calls or usage | What else to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powered Now Receptionist | £29 speech, £39 speech and text | See provider | Add-on to Powered Now, whose plans start at £280 a year |
| Fasthosts | £39, £69 or £99 | 30, 100 or unlimited calls | One-month free trial. Booking from the middle plan. |
| Trade Receptionist | £49, £89, £159 or £249 | 50, 150, 350 or 600 calls | Says no VAT is added. 14-day trial. Books into a connected diary. |
| Moneypenny AI Receptionist | From £49 | See provider | Books appointments, and hands over to a human on complex calls |
| ServiceM8 Phone Agent | Included in the £119 Phone plan | See provider | For ServiceM8 users. Other plans may include it, but we couldn't confirm the UK price. |
| Real Business Systems | £99, £149 or £199 by team size | £10, £15 or £20 of usage included | Plus £500 set-up, or £990, £1,490 or £1,990 a year with none. 30-day money-back guarantee. Doesn't book on this plan. |
Jobber also sells a receptionist at $29 a month in the US. Its help page suggests UK numbers are available, but doesn't confirm the product is on sale here.
So why does ours cost more? You're paying for it to be set up and changed for you, and it comes with a CRM and one inbox on your phone, so calls, texts and enquiries sit together. If you're happy setting something up yourself and you already have a CRM, a cheaper tool may suit you better. I'd rather you knew that now.
Do the break-even sum
The question isn't what it costs. It's how many extra jobs it takes to cover the cost.
Worked example (made-up figures)
Say your average job brings in £300, and £150 of that is left after materials and direct costs.
| Option | Monthly cost | Extra jobs a month to cover it |
|---|---|---|
| £39 a month tool | £39 | Less than 1 |
| £99 a month tool | £99 | Less than 1 |
| Ours, first year on monthly billing | About £141 (£99 + £500 ÷ 12), or about £169 with VAT if you can't reclaim it. Any usage above the included credit is extra. | Just under 1, or just over 1 if you can't reclaim VAT |
Now the other side. If you miss 10 calls a month, and 3 of those would have become real enquiries, and you'd win 1, that's about one job.
So the sum tends to work for a business with regular missed calls and decent job values. It falls apart if most missed calls are spam, existing customers or people you'd turn away anyway. Be honest about that when you count.
Who should buy one
- You're a one or two-person business, on the tools all day.
- You miss several genuine calls a week.
- You do jobs where the first plumber to respond often wins, such as repairs and emergencies.
- You're happy to ring people back the same day.
Who shouldn't
- You're booked up for weeks. More enquiries just means more people to let down. Raise your prices instead.
- Someone already answers your phone well.
- Your calls are mostly complex planned work, where customers expect to talk to you.
- You won't follow up. Every captured lead still needs you.
- Most of your customers are elderly or vulnerable and would find it upsetting. Keep a human route for them.
Start small
If you're unsure, go in this order:
- Count your missed calls for two weeks.
- Set up a missed-call text. Ours or anyone's.
- Reply fast, and see how many of those people turn into work.
- If people still get stuck, try an AI receptionist, and use the free trial if there's one.
- Listen to the first 20 calls and fix what's wrong.
Our free text templates give you the wording for step 2.
My verdict
Worth it for plumbers who are busy on the tools, missing real work, and willing to set it up properly. Not worth it as a shiny new toy.
The proof is thin. I found one trade press report of a customer getting six calls and four booked jobs in a first week, and that's a single anecdote from a launch story. There's no independent research on results for UK plumbers. So measure your own results, and be ready to switch it off.
Questions plumbers ask
How much does an AI receptionist cost in the UK?
From about £29 to £99 a month for the small business products we checked, and more with higher usage. Fasthosts, which sells one, says most UK businesses pay £30 to £500 or more a month.
Is an AI receptionist better than a human answering service?
It depends on your calls. A person handles tricky or upset callers better. AI usually costs less per call and answers at any hour. A human service charging by the minute can suit a very quiet business.
Can an AI receptionist book jobs?
Some can. Trade Receptionist, Moneypenny and the middle Fasthosts plan say they can. Ours doesn't on the single offer, but booking comes with the full AI Business Engine, from £499 a month plus £1,500 set-up.
Can I keep my existing number?
With ours, yes. For any provider, ask how it works. Usually calls forward to the service when you can't answer.
David Bell, founder of Real Business Systems
David helps small UK businesses get found, answer every enquiry and keep customers coming back. We sell some of the services mentioned here, and we say so where they come up.
Sources
- Powered Now, pricing
- Fasthosts, AI Receptionist and cost guide (9 July 2026)
- Trade Receptionist
- Moneypenny, AI Receptionist and per-minute pricing (updated 5 November 2026)
- ServiceM8 Phone Unlimited, UK summary
- Jobber, Receptionist (28 October 2026)
- Gas Engineer Software, receptionists compared (27 August 2026, vendor)
- Electrical Times, Powered Now Receptionist (7 September 2026)
- YouGov for Answer4u, June 2026, 2,046 UK adults
Prices and rules change. Check the source before you rely on a figure. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.