Think about it - at least two guys and a truck - even if they were on a zero hours contract that's a minimum of a couple of hours man-time plus the truck to pay for
I don't know what you pay but any emergency service I use (plumber, electrician, dental, garage mechanic) is north of £ 50 an hour on weekdays these days
It's not as if the truck is in use 24/7 either - you may have been the only one for a couple of hours or longer - and it still has to be paid for, maintained and certified
The Council would be massacred if they were subsidising this - especially as you don't have a long term agreement with them
What's the charge-out rate on the 109?