Electrician Cost

We’ve all had jobs that require us to call in a professional – especially when electricity is involved. It’s a bit of a hassle, but hiring a qualified electrician is safer.

This guide will detail how much you can expect an electrician to cost for different electrical jobs. It is important to understand that these prices can vary greatly.

Costs are largely based on where you are and what you need the electrician to do. Some jobs involve a high level of technical proficiency, while competent tradespeople can do others.

Please note that it’s never safe to handle electronic equipment if you don’t know what you are doing. Doing so puts you and those around you at risk – potentially with fatal outcomes. That is why it is always best to call in an electrician who follows all the relevant safety protocols.

Type Of Jobs Electricians Do

Now let’s explore some specific jobs that electricians do for you.

Replace Fuse Box/Consumer Unit

A fuse box or consumer unit is essentially the same thing. The purpose of a fuse box is to safely distribute electricity to all electrical outlets in a house for use with appliances. The outlets can consist of sockets, light fittings, cookers, electric showers, alarm systems, to doorbells.

Specific consumer units can also check for electricity leakage and fluctuations in the electric supply.

If your home has a complex wiring system, you may need to ask an electrician to inspect the wiring to recommend the correct type of fuse box. Older homes typically have outdated wiring that might not support modern consumer units. In these circumstances, an electrician might recommend a complete or partial rewire.

Old wiring can pose a risk to those living in the house. Check our electrical wiring guide to see if your home has old wiring.

Also, the bigger your home, the more capable the fuse box needs to be.
The type of electronic equipment you have at home can affect the type of fuse box you need. If the equipment draws a lot of power, your consumer unit must be capable of handling it.

A qualified electrician can assess your needs and supply consumer units accordingly. Since replacing the fuse box involves dealing with dangerous electric currents, it’s best left to the professionals.

Ask for multiple electrician quotes if you need to replace or upgrade your fuse box.

Rewire A House

Rewiring a house is a complex task. It involves stripping out all the old electrical wires and replacing them with the latest wiring standards. These types of wiring projects are often necessary for older buildings that use outdated wiring or wires which have aged over time. If your house is old and needs a rewire, it is best to call in an electrician.

Electrician costs for a rewire will be based on several factors. The most obvious factor is the size of the project. A large building will need a lot of time to be rewired entirely, and more than one electrician will likely work on it. Naturally, you will have to pay a higher price for this.

But size is not the only factor which determines the price. The age of the wiring plays a key role. Sometimes, you may not need all the wiring changed, but only parts of it – this is known as a partial rewire.

Rewiring a home is a complicated job, and it is also dangerous. If you don’t know what you are doing, you could be putting your life and home at risk.

Only professional electricians are qualified to undertake such projects.

PAT Testing

PAT, or portable appliance test, is a common examination of electronic items to check their working condition and risk profile. Only a PAT-qualified electrician can conduct a PAT test and certify the devices as approved.

If you manage a commercial warehouse or office, getting all your devices PAT tested is vital. Doing so ensures that you are abiding by the Electricity at Work Regulation.

PAT tests involve four or more stages, though not every electronic item requires such a thorough examination. Before conducting a PAT test, electrical items are classed as either Class 1, Class 2, or Class 3.

Class 3 items do not need a PAT test, and Class 2 items only require one aspect to be checked. All PAT elements must be checked for Class 1 equipment.

Doing a PAT test is a simple way for business owners and employers to ensure the safety of those working for them. While it is not a legal requirement, it’s often the easiest way to comply with the Electricity at Works Regulation. PAT tests are generally charged based on how many items are tested.

Install A Ceiling Fan

People in colder regions in the UK are unlikely to need a ceiling fan, but those fortunate enough to live in warmer places might. Unlike a portable heater/cooler, installing a ceiling fan requires a fair amount of expertise.

You have to drill holes in the ceiling (missing pipes or other electrical wires), connect the wires back to a switch and ensure that the fan has the correct cable rating. And, of course, fix the fan securely, so it doesn’t fall when rotating and injure someone. Only a qualified electrician can do all these things safely.

Install Electric Showers

Electric showers have become very popular over the last decade. Installing an electric shower in a wet environment requires someone who knows what they are doing.

Most electric showers are very powerful, upwards of 7kw. They require heavy-duty electrical wiring and various safety devices such as double pole isolating switches.

Trying to install or repair an electric shower yourself (unless you are qualified to do so) is not a good idea.

Contact several electricians for quotes; they will be able to supply costs for the supply and fit of electrical showers and fit only.

Add/Replace Light Switches

Light switches may seem small and insignificant until they stop working. Not being able to switch on or off your lights will soon become a pain. Even more so if you can’t turn off the light bulb – as your electricity bill will rocket.

Replacing a light switch is pretty straightforward, but as electricity is involved, you can still get a nasty shock.

Adding new light switches is a bit more complex, as new wiring has to be run to the light fitting itself and a power feed taken from an existing lighting circuit (or a new circuit installed).

Again, this involves dealing with high voltage wires, so installing new switches should only be carried out by trained professionals.

Add/Replace Power Sockets

We use power sockets daily, whether for charging a phone, boiling the kettle or watching the TV. Sometimes power sockets can stop working if the mechanism behind the socket becomes faulty. Or the wiring to the socket becomes loose or gets damaged.

Dealing with a power socket is more complicated than dealing with a light switch. Power sockets transfer a lot of electrical voltage and current and are particularly dangerous to work with.

Likewise, adding new power sockets to an existing circuit requires someone who knows what they are doing. Adding too many sockets can overload the circuit and potentially cause a fire.

If you are looking to replace power sockets or have new ones installed, please get in touch with a local electrician to do this for you. They have years of training and will do this safely.

Electrical Inspection Condition Reports

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) evaluate the safety of existing electrical circuits or electrical items within a building.

The report also documents how well the circuits are functioning. Fuse boxes, protective wiring, lighting, switches, and plugs, are some of the electrical components tested and reported on.

An EICR report aims to determine if an electrical installation is safe enough to remain in use.

The EICR will detail the findings of the safety tests and make recommendations for improvements. It will state if the electrical installation is “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory”. Only a qualified electrician can undertake electrical installation tests and provide the reports.

We have a complete guide on EICR costs here.

Typical Electrician Cost Per Hour

Electrician costs range between £30 – £60 per hour but can go up to £80 per hour if you need one in an emergency.

As with most tradespeople, different factors affect the cost of an electrician.

For example, if you live in a big city such as London, you will have to pay more than those who live on the outskirts.

The distance the electrician will travel to reach your home, along with any parking charges, congestion charges etc., will impact the overall cost.

Another factor is the complexity of the project. The more complicated a job is, the more time it will take – and as a result, the higher its cost will be.

The price will increase when you add in the cost of buying electrical parts, wiring, and other sundries.

That is why looking at the typical “per-hour” electrician costs is often not a good way of determining how much a job will cost you.

For smaller jobs, like replacing a light switch, a per-hour cost is ok.

Booking a professional electrician for a day might be a better option for other bigger jobs. In this case, expect to pay around £300 per day to cover the electricians’ costs.

If you require a specialist electrician, then expect to pay more. However, you would need specialists only in a few specific cases and not for regular electrical repairs/modifications.

And if you need an emergency electrician, the hourly rate will be around £80.

Average Cost Of Electrical Jobs

The cost of an electric job very much depends on its nature.

The table below shows that rewiring a small one-bedroom house costs a lot more than a thorough electrical installation safety report. That’s because a rewire requires more time. While a thorough EICR also needs time and expertise, it’s not comparable to rewiring an entire house.

Here are some estimates of the different costs for electrical projects.

Electrical Jobs	Price Range	Average Cost
Replace light fitting	£25 – £50	£37.50
Install dimmer switch	£30 – £50	£40
Replace exterior light	£30 – £90	£60
Rewire 1 bed home	£2,000 – £2,800	£2,400
Rewire 2 bed home	£2,400 – £3,400	£2,900
Rewire 3 bed home	£2,600 – £4,000	£3,300
PAT Testing	£100 – £150	£125
Install electric shower	£200 – £400	£300
EICR Inspection/Report	£100 – £300	£200
Replacing fuse box/consumer unit	£400 – £800	£600
Install power socket	£50 – £80	£65

How To Check If An Electrician Is Qualified

Asking for their NICEIC number is the simplest way to determine whether an electrician is authorized.

In the UK, the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC) is a body that oversees electricians’ education history.

To receive the NICEIC accreditation, electricians must pass an assessment. The NICEIC also conducts periodic re-evaluations of electricians to ensure they remain safe and proficient.

As a result, you can trust that any electrician who has earned NICEIC accreditation is competent in doing the work. Whilst it is not a law that all electricians must be NICEIC certified, it does help if they are.

You can always check our directory for a local electrician near you.

When you hire an electrician to complete a job for you and assume you are happy with their work, keep their details for future electrical jobs in and around the house.

Electrician Frequently Asked Questions