Electrician Hourly Rate
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Usually, an electrician costs will operate on an hourly rate basis rather than a fixed fee and this can vary on the electrical jobs. You can find further information regarding electrician’s fees per hour and per day below.
Electricians Rates
As noted previously, an electrician rates will not usually trade on a fixed fee basis – they will more than likely hold a specific hourly or daily rate. However, the hourly/daily fee may alter depending on what the electrical jobs entail and most electricians will assess the job and advise you of a rough estimate of costs before the job commences.
Below is an estimate of an electricians hourly and daily rate:
How Much Do Electricians Charge Per Project?
The above table provides a general overview of an electricians rates, however larger projects will usually be assessed by an electrician, with an estimated cost being provided before the project embarks.
House Rewiring
The length of time a house rewire takes to complete depends upon the size of the house and how many rooms it contains. The below table will offer an estimates of the duration of a house rewire dependent on the property.
**Please note that the stated duration of the rewire is an estimate.
Helpful Article: What Is The Cost To Rewire A House?
Electrical Emergencies
An electrical emergency is most commonly defined as an electrical issue that has the potential to harm and cause further damage within the household. It would be dangerous to remain on the premises/location whilst it continues. In addition, power outages would be classified as electrical emergencies and guidance should be sought from a qualified electrician to regain power.
Obviously, an emergency is just that; usually, there is no prior knowledge of what’s to come.
Most electricians will have a standard call-out fee – ranging from £45 to £60 – meaning that you will pay them just to attend your home/location and not for any work to be undertaken.
In addition to the call-out fee, an electrician usually trades on an hourly rate, ranging from £50 -£90.
For locations in London and surrounding areas, the prices will typically be slightly higher than elsewhere.
Repair, Change or Install Plug Sockets
If plug sockets are already in existence, the cost will not be as expensive as if there are no plug sockets. Repairing and/or changing an existing plug socket shouldn’t cost too much; however, it would depend on whether you want a similar style plug socket or wish for an upgraded one with USB’s etc.
The price would be determined by your wants, needs and location of the socket, but as an estimate, this type of work would have a predict electricians cost in the region of £45 – £190.
Installing a new plug socket where any others are absent would be more expensive due to other aspects that need to be considered – nearest plug socket outlet, socket type and floor and wall condition etc.
Again, as an estimate, the price of installing a new plug socket can range from £75 – £205.
Smart Home Installation
A smart home system can be controlled remotely from a smart device or central hub, utilising your Bluetooth or WIFI connect and allowing connections to be established between smart items, allowing the opportunity to create command chains and your own unique rules.
The cost of a Smart Home installation will never be cheap, however it is worthwhile, particularly in the long run. The below table will offer an estimated price guidance when you are considering a Smart Home installation and you can pick and choose on how many devices you would like to install.
With any major home renovation, there will be pros and cons that need to be assessed, such as:
Fuse Board Replacements
A fuse box/board is an older version of a consumer unit – a consumer unit is considered to be safer than a fuse box/board as well as easier to use and in accordance with the building regulations.
An upgrade is recommended but not essential – as well as being more in line with building regulations and easier to use, consumer units come in all capacities and it may be needed for a larger unit to be installed, particularly if you are looking to extend your home.
The below costings are an estimate only, and do not cover location moves of the fuse box/consumer unit or incoming supplies:
PAT Testing
A Portable Appliance Test (PAT) is completed to ensure the safety of electrical equipment, with only an electrician being qualified to complete this.
The cost of a PAT test is determined on the number of electrical items that require testing and a discount is usually applied if a large number of items is being tested, however this is the at the discretion of the electrician.
Some electricians or PAT testing companies charge per hour, with the estimated cost being £40 – £60, however it is more common to be charged per item.
For example, if the number of items looking to be tested are between 1-50, the average cost per item would be £2. For any items between 51-100, the average cost per item would be £1.50.
There is a slight difference in process for Landlords whereby they are usually charged per set of items.
As an estimate, Landlords can be charged £35 for up to 10 items, £45 for up to 20 items and £55 for up to 30 items.
Shower Installation
The cost of a shower installation can vary depending on the shower itself – some showers may need additional wiring installed than others which will increase the cost.
The following table provides a rough guide of shower installation costs, dependent on the shower looking to be installed.
Looking for a helpful step by step guide on how to install an electric shower?
The average cost of a whole electric shower installation including screen, cubicle, shower tray, tiling etc. is estimated at around £2000+.
Electrical Safety Certificates
An electrical safety certificate provides confirmation that all electrical equipment tested complies with the related regulations and the building/home is fit and safe for human habitation.
On average, an electrical safety certificate should take between 4-6 hours. However, if it is an older or larger building, it can take longer due to the potential of outdated wiring and additional connections.
The average cost of an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) will vary dependent on the size of the house/building.
As an estimate, a one bedroom property may cost £150 whereas a four bedroom property may cost £300.
The electrician will provide a rough estimate before the project is undertaken, however the price can rise dependent on the electricians findings.
An electrician should follow the below process in order for you to obtain an Electrical Safety Certificate:
- Testing of power sockets, appliances, lighting and other fixings by the electrician to ensure safety for use on the day
- Identification of any faulty appliances, circuit hazards or electrical connections
- Testing the fuse board and checking fire alarms for efficiency
- A written summary of findings and maintenance conducted, to the required government standard, with the report submitted to the relevant body.
Below is some of types of complete electrical jobs with an estimated electrician cost and time length of the job will require.
How many electrician quotes should I get?
The number of electrician quotes you obtain is your choice, however by gathering a variety of quotes from electricians for the same job could save you money due to differences in price listings etc.
It is recommended to gather 2-4 quotes in order to assess the price and consider the electricians process for the electrical jobs looking to be undertaken.
How much does an emergency electrician cost?
An emergency electrician would usually have a call out fee, which is estimated at between £50 – £90, plus the additional costs of the work carried out.
What constitutes an electrical emergency?
An electrical emergency is most commonly defined as an electrical issue that has the potential to harm, cause further damage within the household and would be dangerous to remain in the premises/location whilst it continues.
In addition, power outages would be classified as electrical emergencies and guidance should be sought from a qualified electrician in Coventry to regain power.
Below is some further examples of what an electrical emergency could be classified as:
- An electrical fire:
In this instance, an electrician should not be called until the fire has been contained and diffused by the Fire Brigade, whereby the risk of life has been eliminated.
Once the above has been completed, an electrician can be called in order to assess the damage, determine a process in order to repair and provide a cost estimate.
- Loss of power:
If the outage is only affecting your home, an electrician be called in order to diagnose and fix the problem. However, if more than one property is affected it would be the responsibility of the UK power networks or energy supplier in order to investigate and resolve the issue. - Burning wires:
Burning wires will often indicate that wires are overheating, which could result in an electrical fire. It is imperative that the electric supply is powered off and contact with an electrician is made as soon as possible in order to reduce the risk of an electrical fire.
Most often, with burning wires, there will be a distinctive metallic or plastic smell that continues whilst the eclectics are powered on. - Vibrating/buzzing noises from the fuse/breaker box:
This can be extremely dangerous as it is clear there is a fault within the electrical system which is being stopped from cutting the power itself. If this occurs, it usually means that there is a fault within the circuit breaker that is attempting to trip off the power but something else is preventing this and an electrician should be contacted as soon as possible to prevent electrical fires or additional damage.
How can I save money on an electrician?
Generally, you can’t really save money on an electrician if the work requires a qualified electrician to complete. If you are looking to save money, it is recommended to obtain multiple quotes from differing electricians, and review what services they offer to the cost and decide upon the one that most suits your needs – hopefully saving you some money!
How much does it cost to change a light switch?
Once again, the cost of changing a light switch will depend on certain elements and your preferences on the finished product.
The estimated costs for changing a light switch are as follows:
What are the highest paid electricians?
The average annual salary for local electricians across the UK has been noted to be £35,000 – £40,000, however, it would depend on the location, country-wise, and qualifications obtained.
The below table provides a brief overview of electrician’s average hourly rate depending on their location within the United Kingdom:
