Electrical work — London
Electrical Work London
Fault finding, additional sockets, lighting, fuse board upgrades, EICR remedial work and full rewires across every London borough. Our electricians work to the 18th Edition IET Wiring Regulations (BS 7671), issue the correct certificate for every job, and notify Part P work to Building Control on your behalf. Clear scope agreed before we start — no day-rate drift.
£40–£70
Typical London electrician hourly rate (2025)
5 years
Legal EICR interval for rented homes
10 years
Recommended EICR interval for owner-occupiers
18th Ed.
Wiring regulation edition all work is certified to
On this page
What "electrical work" actually covers in a London home
Electrical work is any change or repair to the fixed wiring of a property — the cabling, circuits, consumer unit (fuse board), sockets, switches and light fittings that are built into the fabric of the building. It is separate from plug-in appliances. Under Part P of the Building Regulations, certain electrical work in dwellings is notifiable, which means it must be carried out by a registered competent person or signed off by Building Control. Using an unregistered electrician for notifiable work can cause problems at the point of sale and can invalidate insurance.
In London, the housing stock creates specific electrical challenges. Victorian and Edwardian terraces frequently still carry rubber or fabric-insulated wiring that has passed the end of its safe life. 1930s semis often have circuits that have been extended repeatedly by different trades. Purpose-built flats and ex-local-authority blocks may share supply arrangements and rising mains that require co-ordination with a managing agent. A competent electrician reads these signs before quoting, rather than pricing blind.
The single most useful document you can hold for a London property is a satisfactory Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). It grades the installation and tells you, in plain codes, what is dangerous, what is potentially dangerous and what is merely a recommendation. Almost every electrical decision — repair, upgrade or rewire — flows from what an EICR reveals.
Scope of work
Electrical jobs we carry out across London
From a single stubborn tripping circuit to a whole-house rewire, the same qualified electricians handle the full range. Every job is scoped, priced and certified.
Fault finding and fuse board tripping
Systematic diagnosis of RCD tripping, circuits that will not reset, intermittent faults and burning smells. We isolate the affected circuit, test insulation resistance and earth loop impedance, and identify the specific appliance, joint or cable causing the fault rather than guessing.
Additional sockets and USB points
Adding double sockets, USB-C outlets, outdoor weatherproof sockets and dedicated points for appliances. We assess whether the existing ring final circuit can carry the additional load or whether a new radial is the safer route, and we chase in cleanly and make good.
Lighting circuits and downlights
LED downlight installation, additional switch drops, two-way and intermediate switching, dimmer compatibility and outdoor lighting. In older London properties we replace the high-resistance junction-box joints that cause flickering and heat.
Consumer unit (fuse board) upgrades
Replacing outdated rewireable fuse boxes and split-load units with a modern metal consumer unit fitted with RCBO protection to the 18th Edition. Individual RCBO protection means a fault on one circuit no longer plunges the whole property into darkness.
EICR remedial work
Correcting the C1 and C2 observations that make an EICR unsatisfactory — inadequate earthing and bonding, missing RCD protection, undersized cables and dangerous accessories. We provide a line-by-line quote mapped to each observation code so you can see exactly what you are paying for.
Rewires and part rewires
Full property rewires and targeted part rewires (kitchen, bathroom, single floor) where the rest of the installation is sound. Every rewire ends with an Electrical Installation Certificate and Building Regulations notification.
When to act
Warning signs your London property needs an electrician
Electrical faults rarely announce themselves politely. If you recognise any of the following, book an inspection before the problem escalates — most of these indicate a genuine shock or fire risk.
Repeated RCD or breaker tripping
A breaker that trips once may be a passing fault. A breaker that trips repeatedly, or one you cannot reset at all, indicates a persistent fault such as moisture ingress, a damaged cable or a failing appliance. Do not tape it in the on position — that defeats the safety device.
Scorch marks or a burning smell
Brown discolouration around a socket, a faint fishy or burning smell, or warmth from a switch plate all point to a loose connection arcing behind the accessory. This is one of the most common causes of domestic electrical fires and needs same-day attention.
A rewireable fuse box with ceramic fuses
An old fuse box with rewireable ceramic fuse carriers and no RCD offers none of the shock protection required by modern standards. Any property still relying on one should be assessed and, in most cases, have the consumer unit upgraded.
Rubber, lead or fabric-covered cables
Cabling with a rubber, lead or woven-fabric outer sheath predates 1966. The insulation becomes brittle and cracks, exposing live conductors. This is a defining sign that a London period property has never been fully rewired.
No RCD protection anywhere
If nothing in your consumer unit resembles a test button, the installation likely has no residual current device protection. RCDs are what disconnect the supply quickly enough to prevent a fatal shock, and their absence is a standard C2 observation on an EICR.
Flickering lights and dimming under load
Lights that dim when the kettle or shower runs, or that flicker persistently, suggest loose connections, an overloaded circuit or a deteriorating supply. It is worth diagnosing before it develops into intermittent power loss or worse.
How it works
How we handle an electrical job, step by step
Whether it is a two-hour repair or a five-day rewire, the sequence is the same: understand the installation, agree the scope and price, do the work, test it and certify it.
01
Assessment and quote
We inspect the relevant part of the installation, check the consumer unit and earthing arrangement, and confirm what the job actually requires. You receive a clear price and scope before any work starts — labour, materials and certification set out separately.
02
Isolation and safe working
The circuit or installation is safely isolated and proven dead before work begins. Where the whole property must lose power, we agree timing with you in advance so freezers, home working and tenants are considered.
03
First fix and cabling
New cables are run through floor voids, wall chases and ceiling voids as needed. Back boxes and accessory positions are set to the correct heights. On smaller jobs this stage is short; on rewires it is the bulk of the work.
04
Second fix and accessories
Sockets, switches, light fittings and the consumer unit front are installed and connected. We use quality accessories as standard and offer decorative finishes (brushed steel, brass) where you want them.
05
Testing to BS 7671
Every affected circuit is tested — continuity, insulation resistance, polarity, earth fault loop impedance and RCD trip times. The installation is only re-energised once the full test schedule is complete and satisfactory.
06
Certification and notification
You receive the correct certificate — a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate for smaller jobs, or a full Electrical Installation Certificate for larger work. Notifiable work is registered with Building Control under Part P, and you receive the compliance certificate for your records.
Buyer guide
How to hire the right London electrician (and avoid being overcharged)
Electrical work is one of the easiest trades to get wrong as a customer, because the quality is largely hidden behind plaster. Use these checks to separate a competent, registered electrician from someone who will leave you with an uncertified, unsafe installation.
Check the competent-person registration
A genuine electrician is registered with a Part P scheme — NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA or STROMA. Ask for the registration number and check it on the scheme website. Registration is what allows them to self-certify notifiable work; without it, your job legally needs a separate (and costly) Building Control sign-off.
Insist on a written, itemised quote
A vague "day rate plus materials" invites scope creep. A trustworthy electrician gives a written quote that separates labour, materials and certification. For EICR remedials, insist the quote maps each price to a specific observation code so you are not paying to fix things that were only advisory (C3).
Do not pay large sums up front
For a domestic job, paying for materials on account is reasonable; paying most of the labour before any work is done is not. A staged payment on a rewire (deposit, first fix, completion) is normal. Full payment demanded up front is a warning sign.
Confirm the certificate before you pay in full
The certificate is the product. No certificate means no proof the work is safe, no Part P compliance and a problem when you sell. Agree that the final payment is made on receipt of the certificate, not before. Any electrician confident in their work will accept this.
Beware the "your whole house needs rewiring" upsell
A full rewire is sometimes genuinely necessary — but it is also the most common overselling in the trade. Ask for an EICR first. If the report shows isolated C2s rather than failures across every circuit, targeted remedial work is usually the honest and cheaper answer.
Get the scope of "make good" in writing
Chasing cables into walls creates plaster damage. Clarify before work starts whether the quote includes making good to a paintable finish, or whether you are arranging a plasterer separately. This single point causes more London electrical disputes than any other.
2025 pricing
Electrical work costs in London (2025)
The following are indicative London price ranges for 2025, including labour, standard materials and certification. Actual prices depend on access, the age of the installation and the accessories chosen. We quote a fixed price after assessment — you approve it before we start.
| Job | Detail | Price range (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Fault finding / diagnostic visit | Isolate and identify a single fault | £90 – £180 |
| Add a double socket | Spur from existing circuit, make good | £110 – £180 |
| Replace consumer unit | Modern RCBO board, 18th Edition | £450 – £800 |
| EICR (per property) | Full inspection and report | £120 – £300 |
| LED downlights (per room) | Supply and install 4–6 fittings | £250 – £500 |
| Full rewire (3-bed terrace) | All circuits, new board, Part P | £4,000 – £7,000 |
EICRs are often best booked alongside a gas safety certificate to save a second call-out — landlords in particular can combine visits. Consumer unit prices assume the existing earthing and bonding are adequate; where they are not, the additional work is quoted separately and clearly.
Get started
Electrical Work London — get a clear quote
Tell us about the property and the job. A qualified engineer confirms the scope, agrees a price before work starts, and issues the correct certificate on completion. All 33 London boroughs covered.
Common questions
Electrical Work London: frequently asked
Does all electrical work need to be certified?
Not every job requires notification to Building Control, but almost every job requires a certificate. Minor work — like adding a socket to an existing circuit outside a bathroom — is recorded on a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate. Notifiable work, such as a new circuit, a consumer unit replacement, or any work in a bathroom or outdoors, must be certified and notified under Part P of the Building Regulations. We issue the correct certificate for whatever work we carry out and register notifiable work with Building Control on your behalf.
What is the difference between an EICR and an electrical certificate?
An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is an inspection of an existing installation — it grades what is already there and identifies defects using C1, C2 and C3 codes. An electrical certificate (EIC or Minor Works) is issued when new work is carried out and confirms that the new work complies with BS 7671. In short: an EICR reports on the past, a certificate signs off new work. Landlords legally need a satisfactory EICR every five years; anyone having work done should receive the matching certificate for that work.
How much does an electrician cost per hour in London?
In 2025, London electricians typically charge £40 to £70 per hour, or a call-out fee of around £90 to £150 for the first hour on smaller jobs. Rates vary by borough and by the electrician’s registration and insurance. Rather than an open hourly rate, we prefer to quote a fixed price for a defined job after assessing it, so you know the total cost before we start rather than watching a meter run.
Is it dangerous to keep resetting a tripping breaker?
Repeatedly resetting a breaker that keeps tripping is not advisable. The breaker is doing its job — it is detecting a fault and disconnecting the supply to protect you. Forcing it back on, or worse taping it in the on position, defeats the protection and can allow a dangerous condition (such as an earth fault or overheating cable) to persist. If a breaker or RCD will not stay reset, unplug appliances on that circuit to see if one is the cause, and if it still trips, book a fault-finding visit rather than continuing to reset it.
Do I legally need to rewire an older London house?
There is no law that says a property of a certain age must be rewired. The legal trigger is safety: if an EICR grades the installation as unsatisfactory with C1 (danger present) or C2 (potentially dangerous) observations, those defects must be remedied. Sometimes that means targeted repairs; sometimes, where problems affect every circuit, a full rewire is the most sensible fix. The honest approach is to have an EICR first and let the report — not a sales pitch — decide whether a rewire is genuinely needed.
Can you add sockets or lights without rewiring the whole house?
Yes, in most cases. If the existing circuits are in good condition and have adequate capacity, we can add sockets, lighting points and spurs without disturbing the rest of the installation. We first confirm the circuit can safely carry the additional load and that the earthing is sound. If the existing wiring is unsafe, we will tell you honestly, because adding new accessories to a defective circuit simply extends the problem.
Will you make good the plaster after chasing in cables?
Running new cables often means chasing channels into walls, which leaves plaster damage. Our standard quotes include making good these chases to a paintable finish using bonding and skim. What we do not include as standard is full-room replastering or decorating — if you want a wall skimmed end to end or repainted, we set that out separately so there are no surprises. We always confirm the make-good scope in writing before starting.