UK Electrician Rates by Region (2026)
| Region | Hourly Rate | Day Rate |
|---|---|---|
| National average | £45–£85/hr | £200–£380/day |
| London | £65–£120/hr | £300–£520/day |
| South East | £55–£95/hr | £260–£440/day |
| Midlands | £40–£75/hr | £185–£340/day |
| North England | £38–£68/hr | £175–£310/day |
| Scotland | £40–£70/hr | £185–£320/day |
| Wales | £35–£65/hr | £165–£295/day |
Are you an electrician? These are market averages. Your rate should be based on your actual costs, target income, and overheads. Use our free electrician rate calculator to find your real minimum.
Electrician Prices for Common Jobs (2026)
Most electricians price by the job rather than the hour. The figures below include labour and standard parts unless stated otherwise.
| Job | Typical Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sockets and Switches | ||
| Add a single socket | £80–£150 | Labour and parts |
| Add a double socket | £80–£160 | Labour and parts |
| Add a USB socket | £100–£180 | Supply and fit |
| Install outdoor socket | £150–£280 | Weatherproof, supply and fit |
| Bathroom shaver socket | £100–£180 | Supply and fit |
| Move a light switch | £100–£200 | Includes chasing and re-plastering |
| Fit a dimmer switch | £80–£150 | Supply and fit |
| Lighting | ||
| Install a light fitting | £60–£120 | Per fitting, customer supplies light |
| Install downlights (supply and fit) | £50–£100 | Per light, including transformer |
| Install 6 downlights | £350–£700 | Supply and fit |
| Install external security light | £120–£220 | Supply and fit, PIR sensor |
| Install extractor fan | £100–£200 | Bathroom or kitchen, supply and fit |
| Consumer Unit (Fuse Box) | ||
| Consumer unit replacement | £400–£900 | Standard domestic, parts and labour |
| Consumer unit upgrade (larger board) | £500–£1,100 | More circuits, RCBO protection |
| Add an RCD to existing board | £150–£300 | Where board allows |
| Full Rewire by Property Size | ||
| 1-bed flat or studio | £2,000–£3,500 | Labour only |
| 2-bed house or flat | £2,500–£4,500 | Labour only |
| 3-bed house | £3,500–£6,000 | Labour only |
| 4-bed detached house | £5,000–£9,000 | Labour only |
| First fix only (3-bed) | £1,500–£3,000 | Cables only, no back boxes or fittings |
| Inspection and Certification | ||
| EICR (1-bed flat) | £80–£150 | Full inspection, report included |
| EICR (3-bed house) | £120–£250 | Full inspection, report included |
| EICR (4-bed house) | £150–£350 | Full inspection, report included |
| Fault finding | £75–£150/hr | 1-hr minimum usually applies |
| EV Chargers and Smart Home | ||
| Home EV charger (standard install) | £500–£900 | Short cable run, garage or driveway |
| Home EV charger (long cable run) | £900–£1,500 | 20m+ run or underground trench |
| Smart thermostat installation | £80–£160 | Nest, Hive, Tado etc. |
| Solar PV connection to consumer unit | £500–£900 | Labour only, panels already fitted |
| Other Common Jobs | ||
| Smoke alarm installation | £60–£120 | Per alarm, mains-connected |
| Emergency lighting fitting | £100–£250 | Per fitting, supply and fit |
| Emergency call-out (out of hours) | £100–£280 | Call-out fee, before any work |
How Long Do Electrical Jobs Take?
| Job | Typical Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Add a socket or switch | 1–2 hours | Depends on cable run length |
| Install 6 downlights | Half to 1 day | Assuming ceiling access available |
| Consumer unit replacement | 4–8 hours | Longer if wiring issues found |
| EICR (1-bed flat) | 2–3 hours | Plus time to prepare report |
| EICR (3-bed house) | 3–5 hours | Plus time to prepare report |
| EV charger installation | Half to 1 day | Longer for complex cable routes |
| Full rewire (1-bed flat) | 3–5 days | 1 electrician |
| Full rewire (2-bed house) | 4–7 days | 1–2 electricians |
| Full rewire (3-bed house) | 5–10 days | 1–2 electricians |
| Full rewire (4-bed detached) | 7–14 days | 2 electricians |
Consumer Unit Replacement: What You Need to Know
The consumer unit (often called the fuse box or distribution board) is the central point of a property's electrical installation. Replacing it is one of the most common electrical jobs. Costs run £400–£900 for a standard domestic swap, including parts and labour.
The price varies based on the number of circuits in the property, the specification of the replacement board, and whether any additional work is needed once the board is opened. A modern replacement board uses RCBOs (Residual Current Breaker with Overcurrent protection) rather than the older combination of MCBs and a single RCD. RCBO boards cost more upfront but mean a fault on one circuit trips only that circuit rather than half the house.
Consumer unit replacement is notifiable work under Part P, so it must be carried out by a registered electrician who will issue an Electrical Installation Certificate on completion. This certificate is important: keep it with your property documents.
Signs your consumer unit needs replacing: it is made of wood or has re-wireable fuses rather than MCBs, it trips regularly without explanation, it looks visibly corroded or damaged, or it has no RCD protection. A modern RCBO board costs £400–£900 and meets current safety standards.
Full House Rewire: Costs by Property Size
These are labour-only figures. Materials (cables, back boxes, consumer unit, fixings) add roughly £500–£1,500 depending on property size. Your electrician will usually supply materials at cost plus a 15–25% markup.
| Property | Labour Cost | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bed flat or studio | £2,000–£3,500 | 3–5 days |
| 2-bed house or flat | £2,500–£4,500 | 4–7 days |
| 3-bed semi-detached house | £3,500–£6,000 | 5–10 days |
| 4-bed detached house | £5,000–£9,000 | 7–14 days |
Properties with plaster and lath ceilings (common in pre-1950 homes) are more complex to wire because fishing cables through is slower and more disruptive. Occupied properties also take longer than empty ones. The higher end of each range typically applies to London and South East.
EICR: What It Is and When You Need One
An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is a formal inspection of a property's fixed electrical installation. It checks the consumer unit, wiring, sockets, and earthing against current standards, and results in a report grading the installation from C1 (immediate danger) to C3 (improvement recommended).
Landlords in England are legally required to have a valid EICR in place, carried out every 5 years or at change of tenancy, and to provide a copy to tenants within 28 days of the inspection. Failure to comply carries a fine of up to £30,000.
For homeowners, an EICR is not legally required but is strongly recommended when buying an older property, after any significant electrical work, or if you have not had the installation checked in over 10 years. Buyers' surveyors increasingly flag the absence of a recent EICR.
EV Charger Installation: What Drives the Cost?
A home EV charger installation ranges from around £500 to £1,500+, and the variation almost entirely comes down to cable run length and installation difficulty, not the charger itself.
The biggest cost variable is the distance from your consumer unit to where the car parks. A straightforward installation where the consumer unit is in the garage and the car parks directly outside might need 3–5 metres of cable. A terraced house where the consumer unit is upstairs at the back and the car parks on the street could need 20–30 metres, plus surface-mounted trunking or a trenched underground route across the property, which adds a half to a full day's labour. The charger hardware (a smart-capable unit such as a Zappi, Ohme, or Pod Point) typically costs £250–£500 and is often included in the installer's quote.
To qualify for the OZEV home charger grant of £350, two conditions must both be met: the charger must be an OZEV-approved smart model, and the installer must be OZEV-approved. OZEV approval is a separate accreditation from Part P. Your electrician can be fully NICEIC-registered but not OZEV-approved, so ask specifically before booking. The grant applies to flats and rented properties but not to new-build houses (which fall under a separate developer scheme).
What Electrical Work Legally Requires a Registered Electrician?
Part P of the Building Regulations covers electrical safety in dwellings across England and Wales. Certain work must either be carried out by a registered competent person (who can self-certify and issue an EIC) or be notified to and inspected by your local building control department.
Notifiable work includes: any new circuit, any work in a bathroom or kitchen (both high-risk zones under Part P), outdoor wiring, garage electrics, consumer unit replacements, and EV charger installation. Minor additions to existing circuits in lower-risk rooms (like adding a socket in a bedroom) are typically exempt, though using a registered electrician is still good practice.
The practical implication: if you use an unregistered electrician for notifiable work, you will need a building control inspection to verify compliance. When you come to sell, buyers' solicitors will ask for either an Electrical Installation Certificate or building control sign-off. Missing paperwork can delay or derail a sale.
Why Registered Electricians Cost More (and Why It Is Worth It)
NICEIC and NAPIT registration is not just a badge. Annual scheme fees run £400–£600, on top of mandatory ongoing training for the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations (BS 7671), periodic competency assessments, and updated test equipment. A calibrated multifunction tester alone costs £500–£1,500 and needs annual recalibration. These are not optional extras.
What that registration buys you as a customer: the electrician can issue their own Electrical Installation Certificate for notifiable work, which satisfies building control without a separate inspection. That certificate goes in your property file and is what buyers' solicitors check when you sell. An unregistered electrician doing notifiable work either should not be doing it at all, or leaves you needing a retrospective building control sign-off, which costs extra, takes time, and is not always granted.
The gap in hourly rate between a registered and unregistered electrician is typically £10–£20/hr. On a £500 consumer unit job that is £50–£100. The EIC you receive is worth considerably more than that if it ever prevents a problem on a house sale or an insurance claim.
How to Check an Electrician's Registration
Registration is publicly verifiable and takes 30 seconds. The main registration bodies are NICEIC (niceic.com), NAPIT (napit.org.uk), and ELECSA (elecsa.co.uk). Search for the company or individual by name or postcode. If they do not appear, they are not registered, regardless of what any certificate on their van says.
For EV charger installation, OZEV approval is a separate requirement from Part P. Your electrician must be OZEV-approved for you to qualify for the government's home charger grant. Ask specifically before booking.
What Affects an Electrician's Rate?
- NICEIC or NAPIT registration: Part P self-certification requires registration. The annual cost of maintaining this is built into an electrician's rates.
- Specialist qualifications: 18th Edition amendment training, OZEV approval, MCS for solar, inspection and testing (City and Guilds 2391) all add real cost and take time to acquire.
- Job complexity: A full rewire on a Victorian terrace with lath-and-plaster ceilings is significantly more complex than swapping a consumer unit in a modern house.
- Location: London and South East rates are 40–60% above the national average. Van costs, parking, and congestion charges contribute significantly.
- Emergency work: Out-of-hours call-outs typically attract a separate call-out fee of £100–£280 in addition to the standard hourly rate.
- Materials: Most electricians charge materials at cost plus 15–25%. Ask for materials to be itemised on the quote.
How to Find a Reliable Electrician
- Verify registration yourself: Check NICEIC, NAPIT, or ELECSA directly. Do not take a card or sticker on a van at face value
- Ask what certification you will receive: Any notifiable work comes with an EIC or a Minor Works Certificate. If they cannot tell you which applies, that is a concern
- Get a written quote with materials itemised: Labour and materials should be listed separately. A quote that just says "rewire: £4,000" gives you no way to check the material markup
- Check public liability insurance: Minimum £2m for electrical work given the fire and electrocution risks
- For EV chargers, check OZEV approval separately: NICEIC registration and OZEV approval are different things. You need both if you want the £350 grant
Red Flags When Getting Electrician Quotes
- Cash only: A registered electrician has no reason to avoid a paper trail. Cash-only almost always means unregistered
- Cannot tell you their registration number: NICEIC and NAPIT members know their number. An electrician who cannot tell you or deflects the question is not registered
- No written quote: For any job over a few hundred pounds, a written scope of work protects both parties
- Unwilling to specify materials: If a quote does not tell you what consumer unit, cable spec, or parts are being used, you have no way to compare it with others
- Doing notifiable work without mentioning certification: Any registered electrician doing notifiable work will tell you upfront what certificate you will receive
Are you an electrician? Know your real rate.
Use our free calculator to find the minimum you need to charge based on your actual costs, tax, and target income.
Calculate My Electrician Rate ›Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does an electrician charge per hour in the UK?UK electricians typically charge £45–£85/hr nationally. London and South East rates run £65–£120/hr. Rates vary by qualification level, job type, and urgency.
- How much does a full house rewire cost in the UK?A full rewire costs roughly £2,000–£3,500 for a 1-bed flat, £2,500–£4,500 for a 2-bed house, £3,500–£6,000 for a 3-bed house, and £5,000–£9,000 for a 4-bed detached. These are labour-only figures. Properties with plaster ceilings or complex layouts sit at the higher end.
- How much does a consumer unit replacement cost?A consumer unit (fuse box) replacement typically costs £400–£900 including parts and labour. The price depends on the number of circuits, whether additional wiring work is needed, and the board specification. Most standard domestic replacements take 4–8 hours.
- What is an EICR and how much does it cost?An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is a formal inspection of a property's fixed electrical installation. It costs £80–£150 for a 1-bed flat and £120–£250 for a 3-bed house. Landlords in England are legally required to have a valid EICR every 5 years or at change of tenancy.
- How long does a full house rewire take?A 3-bed house typically takes 5–10 days for a qualified electrician. A 1-bed flat can be done in 3–5 days. The timeline depends on the number of circuits, ceiling access, whether the property is occupied, and the condition of existing wiring.
- Do I need an electrician to install an EV charger at home?Yes. EV charger installation is notifiable electrical work and must be carried out by a Part P registered electrician. To qualify for the OZEV home charger grant of £350, your electrician must also be OZEV-approved. Check both registrations before booking.
- How much does an EV charger installation cost?Home EV charger installation typically costs £500–£1,200. The main variable is cable run length from the consumer unit to where the car parks. A short run in a garage might cost £500. A 20–30m run with trunking or a trenched underground route can reach £1,500 or more.
- What is Part P and why does it matter?Part P of the Building Regulations covers electrical safety in homes in England and Wales. It requires that certain work (new circuits, bathroom and kitchen wiring, consumer unit replacements, EV chargers) is carried out by a registered competent person or notified to building control. Without a valid certificate, buyers' solicitors will flag the work when you sell the property.
- What is the difference between NICEIC, NAPIT, and ELECSA?All three are government-approved Part P registration bodies. NICEIC is the largest and oldest. NAPIT covers a wider range of building services trades. ELECSA is electrician-specific. For a domestic customer, membership of any of the three means the electrician can self-certify notifiable work. There is no meaningful quality difference between them.
- Can I do my own electrical work?You can do minor work like replacing a like-for-like socket in a low-risk room, but notifiable work must be done by a registered electrician or inspected by building control. Notifiable work includes new circuits, consumer unit replacements, work in bathrooms or kitchens, outdoor wiring, and EV charger installation. Unlicensed notifiable work creates problems when you sell.
- Do electricians charge VAT?Only if VAT registered, which requires annual turnover over £90,000. Many sole-trader electricians are below this threshold and do not charge VAT. Always check the quote, as VAT adds 20% to the total.
- How often should a house be rewired?There is no fixed rule, but an EICR every 10 years (or at change of ownership) will identify whether rewiring is needed. Homes built before 1966 with original wiring should be inspected. Signs that rewiring may be due include old round-pin sockets, a fuse box with re-wireable fuses, discoloured sockets or switches, and persistent circuit breaker trips.
- Why do electricians charge so much?Self-employed electricians cover all their own costs: van, tools, test equipment, NICEIC or NAPIT registration (£400–£600 per year), ongoing training, insurance, pension, and tax. A rate of £65/hr equates to roughly £30–£35/hr take-home after all costs.
- What is an Electrical Installation Certificate?An Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) is the document a registered electrician issues when completing notifiable work. It confirms the work meets BS 7671 (the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations) and satisfies building control. It is what buyers' solicitors check during a property sale. Keep it with your property paperwork.