Shaunagh Brown, 23, is a British Gas service and repair engineer. She lives in Gillingham, Kent, with her mother, Lesley

"Everyone still expects to see the gas man at the door. People are sometimes visibly surprised when I turn up, but I don’t mind; I’m just as capable as any of the men I work with. Some female customers even say they prefer a woman engineer, as they feel more comfortable if they’re still in their pyjamas when I arrive. And while men occasionally take longer to warm to me – and some even stand over me as I work – I always get them onside when they see I know exactly what I’m doing.

My alarm goes off at 6.30am and I’ll eat a bowl of porridge while logging in to our company system on my laptop. Our call centre arranges up to 10 visits for me each day, covering three postcodes around Gillingham.

I’m one of 12,000 British Gas engineers who visit customers to perform an annual service check on their boiler. It’s a great career for women because after a one-year apprenticeship, you’re guaranteed a job and you can fit it around other commitments. For me, that’s sport – I throw the hammer and shot put. I work from Monday to Wednesday then I spend three days training in Loughborough. Last year I won gold and silver at the British Championships and my goal is to make the Commonwealth Games this year. I’m going to California soon to train with my coach.

After breakfast, I change into my navy blue uniform: a polo shirt and cargo trousers with foam kneepads for when I’m climbing in dusty lofts, plus steel toecap boots. I’m such a tomboy, I don’t bother with make-up. I load my VW Caddy Maxi van with my heavy tools – I’m grateful for having strong arms – and head to my first job at 8am. I listen to LBC radio for company; I like getting involved with their current affairs debates in my head.

I visit people from all walks of life and see inside some unusual houses. I was fascinated by one which backed on to a marina where the customer had his own yacht. And I recently visited one woman with a shoe obsession – she had literally hundreds of pairs all over the place. People open the door in a towel more often than you’d think and many don’t know where their boiler actually is – most take me to the cylinder in the airing cupboard, which is the hot-water tank.

Work Life: Shaunagh Brown, British Gas Engineer