How much do electricians cost?

The electrician costs in this article are correct as of 2022

Although electricians carry out a wide range of work, they tend to charge in three ways: per hour, per day, and via a set price for a specifc task.

• The average hourly rate for an electrican is around£40 per hour, though this is often higher in London
• Electrican day rates tend to come in at around£200 to £250 per day
• Emergency electrician prices can be twice as much as normal bookings, around£80 per hour
• The set price for certain jobs varies, from around £450 for replacing a consumer unit, to £200 for issuing an EICR

How much do electricians charge per hour?

Electricianscan charge in one of two ways - either a fixed fee for a particular job, or an hourly rate that will cover whatever they have to do within a certain space of time.

Generally, most electricians will prefer to price for a specific job, but an hourly rate for a electrician gives a good benchmark of costs.

Electrician day rate

If a job is likely to take an entire day or more, an electrician might prefer to set a day rate, which may be around£200 or £250.

The first hour will often be more expensive than subsequent hours as any travel time and taxes will be factored into this.

Emergency electrician prices

As with other jobs, such as plumbing, there may be instances where you need an electrician at very short notice, or at unusual hours, such as late at night or during holidays.

If this is the case, you may have to pay a premium for an emergency electrician, where the first hour in particular will be charged at a greater rate than a traditional job, potentially up to double the cost, at£80per hour or more.

House rewiring costs and EICR costs

Keeping our electrics going properly is a matter of safety, and if you need to change any electrics in your home, it’s important youhire the right personand have the done carried out properly.

If your question is "How much does it cost to rewire a house", then check out our dedicatedrewiring price guide, which breaks down all the details of the cost to rewire a house.

Similarly, if you're interested in an EICR certificate cost,we have a guide devoted to that.

Common electrical job prices

There are a number of relatively common electrical jobs that all experienced electricians will be used to carrying out.

Because they are generally straightforward and electricians will know how long they will take, they can be priced fairly simply. A few of the more common jobs are as follows.

Electrical light fitting costs

Changing out a ceiling light fitting is a quick job that would rarely take more than hour, and could cost around£40or whatever the standard hourly rate is, plus whatever you pay for the new light fitting itself.

Consumer unit costs

The consumer unit, more commonly known as the fuse box, helps control the flow of electricity around the home. Fuse box replacement costs are typically around£400 to £500, and will take a day to complete.

Electric shower installation costs

Another job that can take up to a day to finish, installing an electric shower would usually cost between£250 and £400. You may also need a plumber to complete the installation.

Electric cooker installation costs

A relatively small job if the power is already in place, this would cost around£50to £80, not including the cost of the oven itself.

Electrical socket installation costs

Fitting a new double power socket in a wall will usually cost around£100 to £130. Fitting an outdoor socket is similarly priced, as is the cost of installing a double socket.

Electrical survey costs

The price of an electrical inspection depends on the size of your property and the number of rooms and circuits to be inspected, but prices begin at around£80 to £100and can go up to about£300.