Booglebox
30hours in a twin at UK rates is 30 x 350, so 10500, pounds thats the issue. Plus another 3 or 4 k for the mei course. May be fuel draw back doing cross channel can get the cost down a little. So between 10to 14k to upgrade to MEI.
Some schools do offer a bond to SEP IRIs to do the upgrade, I did a few post maintenance flights at my last place to start building rhe hours. But the position ended due to covid before I got any where near the required hours.
Hour building in the US, with the exchange rate no longer favourable doesnt yield much saving either.
While MEI IRIs were getting 50 to 60k salaries before covid alot of places are now only offering 45 to 50 pounds an hour flight pay only for twin instructing.