The average range of an electrician is roughly £35 – £70 per hour. However, we have received quotes for as low as £20-25 per hour. Typically a day rate is between £280 – £560, but can be more.
Our rates below are based on independent quotes received from contractors across several different electrical jobs.
Cost Per Hour
The average range of an electrician is roughly £35 – £70 per hour. However, some may quote for as low as £20-25 per hour. These will most likely exclude VAT at 20%.
Most electricians will have a minimum project fee that ensures that very small jobs are still worth an electrician’s time. You can expect this to be around an hour or two of the electrician’s per-hour rate.
Independent electricians may also be in the lower range simply because they have lower overheads. However, be sure to do your research and ensure you choose an electrician with sufficient experience and quality.
Whenever we have received quotes from electricians, most should be able to indicate how many hours it would take, their rate, plus any material costs.
It is best to get an electrician to do a site inspection first and get them to quote for the full job. If an electrician is working on an hourly basis, there is less incentive to get the job done quickly.
Day Rates
Typically you can expect to pay somewhere in the region of £280 – £560.
However, we have received quotes for as little as £150 for a day rate for certain jobs.
London Rates
Expect to pay closer to £75 per hour for an electrician based in London.
Electricians based in the south of England compared to the rest of the UK will also be slightly higher as well.
Factors That Affect the Cost
Distance: if the contractor needs to travel beyond a certain radius, then they may add an extra fee on top to cover the extra travel costs. Unless you live in a very rural location or want to use an electrician further afield, you shouldn’t need to pay for this.
Access: access issues within the building increase the time on site and labour costs. For example, electricians often need access to floor and ceiling voids for certain jobs and if these are inaccessible, this increases the price.
If the loft is boarded out, this causes rewiring issues upstairs. If internal wall structures are solid block, more time is needed to sink in new cables. Many issues like this can arise over various types of electrical jobs.
Size of job: An electrician may be able to offer a lower overall quote for larger jobs if he or she is pricing their works by the hour.
Emergency: if you require work to be done immediately, an electrician will usually charge extra for this.
Cost of Common Electrician Jobs
Below are the prices of common jobs that electricians undertake. All quotes were supplied independently by electricians across the UK.
Replace Fuse Box
Fuse boxes distribute electricity in your home. Consumer units are used nowadays instead. They often need upgrading when extending your home so you can use more power. Prices exclude VAT.
| Fuse Box Replacement | Average | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|
| 10 way dual RCD consumer unit (supply & install) | £440 | £270 - £650 |
| 15 way dual RCD consumer unit (supply & install) | £500 | £330 - £750 |
Larger houses typically have more circuits and therefore, need a larger fuse box. Older houses may also have wiring issues that need to be sorted to meet current Building Regulations.
Get a full cost breakdown of a fuse box replacement here.
Rewire a House
If your house is older than 30 years, a rewiring is probably needed to ensure it meets current Building Regulations. It is a big undertaking, so quotes will be much higher than most other electrical jobs.
| Size of House | Average | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Bedroom House | £3100 | £2700 - £3700 |
| 3 Bedroom House | £3700 | £3000 - £4400 |
| 4 Bedroom House | £4500 | £4000 - £6200 |
A good rule of thumb is £600-£1000 per bedroom. The standard and quality of the accessories used and living in the property during the rewiring can all change the cost.
Get a full cost breakdown of rewiring a house here.
PAT Testing
Portable appliance testing is used to examine electrical equipment and appliances and ensure they are safe to use.
| Number of Appliances | Total Cost |
|---|---|
| 10 | £75 |
| 30 | £125 |
| 50 | £175 |
| 70 | £205 |
| 100 | £250 |
You can expect a minimum flat fee of £50 – £100 that covers up to 50 items, then an extra £1 – £2.50 per appliance after that.
Get a full cost breakdown of PAT testing here.
Electrical Safety Certificate
An electrical safety certificate is a report that shows sockets, wiring, light switches and consumer board meet modern safety standards. Prices below include VAT.
| Property Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1 bedroom house | £158 |
| 2 bedroom house | £184 |
| 3 bedroom house | £212 |
| 4 bedroom house | £264 |
| 5 bedroom house | £304 |
The time taken is typically dependent on the number of electrical outlets, which is correlated to the size of the building.
Get a full cost breakdown of an electrical safety certificate here.
Electric Shower Fitting
Great for instant hot water, electric showers usually take between 3-8 hours to install. Prices below are for labour (installation only and don’t include the cost of a shower).
| Ranges | Average | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|
| Labour/Installation Only | £350 | £180 - £550 |
| Shower Cost | £220 | £70 - £450 |
| Total | £570 | £250 - £1000 |
Add on £50-£300 for the shower itself depending on the quality, and subtract. If an existing electric shower already exists and no new wiring needs to be completed, the installation cost will be more in the range of £70 – £150.
Get a full cost breakdown of an electric shower fitting here.
Earth Bonding
Earth bonding to water and gas pipes typically takes around 3-8 hours to complete. This typically costs in the region of £150 – £350.
Extractor Fans
If there is no good ventilation within a room, it can be susceptible to damp issues. This can range from minor problems such as mould to more worrisome problems such as rot to flooring and plaster depending on the severity.
An extractor fan can help prevent these problems by removing excess moisture in the air within the room.
| Average | Typical Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | £155 | £85 - £220 |
| Materials | £65 | £55 - £85 |
| Total Cost | £220 | £140 - £305 |
Bathroom extractor fans need to be more powerful because of the extra moisture caused by baths and showers. Expect to pay £15 – £30 more.
Moving an extractor fan to a new location where extra wiring is required will also add somewhere in the region of £150 – £300.
Ceiling fans can also cost more, as well as larger fans and better quality fans.
Get a full cost breakdown of an extractor fan cost here.
What Qualifications Should I Look Out For?
A Level 3 industry qualification is needed for a qualified electrician to call themselves a “competent person”. Without this qualification, they can not work unsupervised.
Organisations and certifications that can help prove the credentials of an electrician you contact. Some of these include the following:
- National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC)
- ELECSA
- NAPIT
- Blue Flame Certification
- Stroma
Why You Can Trust This Data
We got quotes from over 150 electricians for the different jobs stated. Many of these electricians also shared what they charge per hour and their dayrates depending on the circumstances. We were then able to find minimum and maximum ranges and give averages based on these.
The specific jobs had their own methodology for collecting that data, which you can find in the specific examples.
Get Pricing From Electricians Near You
We’ve done our best to give you a good idea of what you can expect to pay for an electrician and various types of jobs.
However, our guides are not a substitute for a fixed quote specifically for you.
We work with all the best electricians ready to price your job. Get free, no-obligation quotes in your local area and compare prices using the form below.
- Compare Multiple Quotes & Save Up to 40%
- Certified & Vetted Electricians
- Free & No Obligation
- Local Electricians Near You