I just wanted to warn neighbors about an experience I had concerning furnace repair. A few weeks ago, I had no heat in my house.A repairman from Miller Plumbing Heating Cooling came to my house and diagnosed the problem as a broken gas valve. The cost to fix was $631.13 plus the $89 charge for the visit for a total of $720.13. I asked the repairman how much of that was for parts and how much for labor. He said he couldn't tell me and that his company charged one flat rate, so I declined the repair. The next day, I called Stahl, Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning. They sent a repairman who replaced the valve for $236. That includes not just the part and labor, but also going back from my house to pick up the valve. When I showed him the bill from Miller, he said he did the exact same thing -- only for nearly $500 less. The lesson: Avoid contractors who charge a flat rate that does not break down parts and labor. It probably took a half hour to install the valve. The valve itself cost $156; the labor, $77, and the fuel surcharge, $3. If you don't know how much the parts and labor cost, it's hard to tell when you're getting ripped off. When I complained to Miller afterwards, they told me that's what their customers want. I don't know about you, but being overcharged by about $500 is not what I want. Bill Zlatos Bill