Find Electricians in the UK

If you are not experiencing electrical issues or adding to your electrical infrastructure, completing thorough electrical inspections every 10 years should be sufficient. In the UK, though, many properties have electrics with wiring and components cobbled together from previous decades of work.

This is why having electrician inspect your property after first moving in is always a smart idea. From there, regular inspections will help you keep ahead of problems and avoid more expensive repair and maintenance bills in the future.

Older homes that are more likely to have electrical issues should be inspected more frequently, but this is still only needed every 5 years, assuming you are not experiencing electrical problems. Once problems start to emerge, you should take them seriously.

There are several factors to consider when deciding if your home needs an electrical inspection. The age of the home, existing and previous electrical issues, ownership changes, and ongoing or completed home renovations and extensions could all be cause for electrical inspections.

While you would expect newly built homes to have fine, working electrical systems, that's not always the case. It’s prudent to have an electrical inspection completed after moving in to ensure everything is in working order and no flaws exist.

Generally, it’s a bad idea to try to fix electrical issues yourself, unless you’ve undergone formal training and gained a qualification as an electrician. If you are not educated in these matters, you could cause yourself serious injury or damage your property – and then still have to pay for a professional electrician for a fix.

Besides the matter of safety, you should also remember that only electricians can carry out certain types of work in properties. Building regulations state that in certain matters, work must be carried out and confirmed by a qualified electrician. You can get specific advice on what is permitted from your local authority.

With that said, there are some tasks you can handle on your own. You probably won’t need an electrician to change lightbulbs, nor to reset circuit breakers. Handy homeowners might be able to change light fittings, outlets, and switches – providing they follow safety guidelines in the strictest manner – but if you’re unsure, it’s better to hire an electrician.

Many people use the terms electrician and electrical contractor interchangeably but, despite the common misconception, they aren’t the same thing. Electricians are professionals you hire for electrical installation, repair, and maintenance tasks. Electrical contractors are business entities – from small businesses to large firms – that work on larger projects.

Electrical contractors oversee projects and, in many cases, employ electricians to carry out the required work. As such, some individuals are both licensed electricians and operate as electrical contractors. This is part of why there's confusion between the two terms.

Yes, many electricians are equipped to assist with home automation and smart home installations. In fact, these are increasingly common requests for electricians, as the spread of smart thermostats, smart lighting, and smart doorbells has accelerated.

While many electricians can install or repair these systems, that isn’t always the case. When hiring an electrician, make sure you choose one who has experience in home automation and a familiarity with the specific smart systems you want to integrate.

Pro tip: want to add a smart thermostat to your home? Find out what you'll need to spend with our guide on smart thermostat installation costs.

Many people underestimate the importance of electrical inspection and testing, but it’s something you ought to care about. In short, these processes ensure the safety, reliability, and compliance of your electrical installations.

When you have inspections and testing carried out, you can feel sure that your electrical systems do not pose a safety threat – including the risk of electrical shocks, fires, and other accidents – that they meet safety standards, and that you’re aware of any possible upcoming issues.

This is important for living in your home with peace of mind and for identifying opportunities to make your home more energy efficient. This will, along with helping you avoid repairs, result in you saving money.

Outdated, faulty wiring commonly leads to faults and accidents that undermine the safety of you and your property. But how can you know that your home’s wiring needs to be replaced? Here are a few key warning signs:

• Circuit breaker trips. If your circuit breakers trip frequently, it might indicate that your electrical system is overloaded or there’s a fault in the wiring. An electrician can take a closer look and find out what's going on.

• Flickering or dimming lights. When lights flicker or dim regularly, it’s sometimes a sign that there’s loose or damaged wiring – though it could also be a problem with your electrical panel.

• Hot or discoloured outlets and switches. Faulty wiring or overloaded circuits are often to blame for outlets or switches that feel hot to touch. These could result in a fire, so deal with this quickly.

• Burning smells. Persistent burning smells – particularly near switches and power outlets – are a serious indication of overheating electrical systems. Turn off the power and call an emergency electrician immediately.

• Frayed or chewed wiring. If you see frayed or chewed wiring, this could be hazardous. You’ll need to replace the faulty wiring after removing the rodents that have caused the issue.

• Inadequate electrical capacity. Frequent power outages might be a sign that your electrical system cannot handle your modern appliances and electronics – and that it’s time for an upgrade.

If you note any of these signs, hiring an electrician to rewire your home is probably needed.

Want to know more about what you'll need to pay? Read our guide on the cost of rewiring a home.

Yes, many electricians are happy to install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. As with other electrical installations, EV charging stations require careful wiring and compliance with specific UK safety standards and regulations.

While some residential electricians will be happy to install EV charging stations, it’s best to find a professional with specific knowledge or qualifications in EV charger installation work. Naturally, many EV charging station providers offer installation as part of your purchase agreement, too.

The rules about adding hardwired smoke detectors to your home or replacing your existing detectors with new hardwired smoke detectors vary by local regulations. Still, generally, you'll need a qualified electrician to handle the work and deliver a working smoke detector.

Most of your local electricians will have installed hardwired smoke detectors at some point. While hiring an electrician is an additional cost, you'll have real peace of mind knowing that your smoke detectors work, having been fitted by an experienced professional.

Certain electrical works can only be completed by qualified electricians. For these types of work, electricians must always provide an electrical installation certificate (EIC) to the person who ordered the work. This gives you confidence that the work is safe and compliant.

It doesn't matter whether the electrician has completed a large or small job. Whether they rewired your entire home or simply changed a couple of light fittings, you're entitled to an electrical installation certificate. Every time.

This certificate confirms that the work meets the British Standard for Electrical Safety (BS 7671) and that it was carried out by a qualified electrician. All licensed electricians can self-certify their work, so there's no need to bring in a third party for validation.