Guides
Hiring an electrician, explained
What the trade actually does, what things should cost, what a quote ought to contain, and how to check somebody is who they say they are.
How to check an electrician is registered
A scheme logo on a van proves nothing. A registration number checked on the scheme's own search proves the business was assessed, is insured, and can certify notifiable work. It takes about a minute.
Which electrical work has to be notified
England narrowed the list in 2013. Wales did not follow and kept the wider original version. Scotland and Northern Ireland run separate regimes altogether, so the same socket can be notifiable on one side of a border and not the other.
What an electrician's hourly rate actually buys
£45 to £90 an hour is the working range for a domestic electrician, with a minimum charge that usually covers the first hour or two. The rate is the smaller half of what a short job costs.
How long common electrical jobs take
Most domestic jobs are shorter than people expect and most rewires are longer. The variable that decides nearly all of it is not the work at the end of the cable, it is the route the cable has to take.
C1, C2, C3 and FI: reading an EICR
One letter and one digit against each observation decides whether a report is satisfactory, what has to be fixed and by when. C3 looks like a failure and is not one.
Questions worth asking before work starts
Six questions, asked before anybody agrees to anything, and a different set depending on whether the job is a small one, a notifiable one or a project.
What electrical qualifications mean
Level 3, the AM2, the wiring regulations exam and the inspection and testing qualification are four separate things. Only one of them makes somebody an electrician, and the phrase Part P qualified is not any of them.
What an electrical quote should have on it
Eight lines. A quote missing any of them cannot be compared against another quote, which is usually the reason it is missing.
How to find a good electrician
Start from who is genuinely local, check one number, ask for the job they least want to do, and treat availability as information rather than as an obstacle.