Electrician rates vary by location and job difficulty. An electrician may charge you an hourly rate or a day rate, and sometimes they will charge a fixed rate depending on what the job is. If you need an electrician urgently, for example, if your entire home is without electricity, they may charge a call-out fee too.

HaMuch’s database of hourly and daily rates for electricians all over the UK can help give you an estimate of how much an electrician will charge you. Keep reading to find out the latest average electrician rates across the country. 

Electrician hourly rates

The average hourly rate for an electrician is £34, not including any materials they need. An electrician will usually charge you by the hour for small jobs such as installing a light fitting or fitting a new plug socket. For an emergency call-out, the average hourly rate is £90.

Electrician hourly rates can vary between £23 and £49 depending on their experience and their location. Rates are usually highest in the south - the average rate is £48 per hour in London, whereas in Redcar and Cleveland in Yorkshire, the average is £33.

Electrician day rates

If your job is large, such as a full house rewire or replacing a consumer unit, your electrician is more likely to charge you a day rate. The average electrician day rate is £237, but it can be as little as £179 or as high as £307.

For very large jobs, your electrician may charge you a fixed rate for the entire job. This can help you keep costs down if the job takes longer than expected, as you won’t pay any more. However, you may end up paying a higher hourly or daily rate if the electrician finishes the job sooner. 

See our UK electrician rates table to get a more accurate estimate for hourly and daily rates in your area. Our members display their rates so you can see how much they charge before you make contact with them.

Rates for common electrical jobs

Install or fix a light fitting

Average rate: £42 per hour

Average time: 1 hour

Average material cost: £30

An electrician will usually charge an average of £42 per hour to install or fix a straightforward light fitting. As long as you don’t want a current fixture moved to a new location or replace a current pendant fitting with spotlights, this should only take an hour. With materials, the whole job costs an average of £72. You can buy pendant light shades for as little as £5, but you could spend £100 or more on light fittings.

Repair an electric hob

Average rate: £50 per hour

Average time: 2 hours

Average material cost: £35

Electric and induction hobs can be tricky to fix, so the average rate for repairing one is £50 per hour. Common faults include faulty connections, a burnt-out heating element or a faulty thermostat. The average material cost for these parts is £35. In total, the job should cost an average of £135.

Rewire a room

Average rate: £300 per day

Average time: 2 days

Average material cost: £30

Rewiring a room is a difficult task. The average rate for rewiring a room or faulty circuit is £300 per day and could take 2 days. An electrician may also bring an apprentice with them to help with the job. Material costs are minimal, especially if you don’t need new plug sockets or switches, but if you do you’ll pay an average of £30, making the total cost £630.

Emergency electrician call-out rates

If you’re suddenly without electricity or a water leak means you need to isolate your electrical supply, you’ll probably need an emergency electrician. In an emergency, especially if it’s outside normal working hours, electricians tend to charge more. Emergency electrician call-out rates start at around £80 per hour, but can be as much as £150.

Your checklist for finding and comparing electrician rates

1. Think about what you want 

It’s a good idea to consider exactly what you want your electrician to do before they come to quote. If you want new plug sockets, how many do you want fitted and in which rooms? If you’re looking for new downlights, what type do you want and where do you want them fitted?

If it’s an emergency and you require an urgent call out because the mains have tripped or you’ve lost power, make a note of the time the incident happened and what power sources you were using at the time to tell the electrician. For example, did the lights trip as you plugged in an appliance? 

2. Consider self-employed electricians

Self-employed electricians are just as qualified and experienced as those working for a big company - often more so. Self-employed electricians have fewer costs, which usually means they can charge less for an electrical job and still provide the same quality of service and work. 

Plus, if you do end up with any issues with the work, you will usually be able to get back in contact with the electrician quickly so they can rectify it, rather than having to have another electrician from a larger company come to inspect the work and find out what was done previously. 

3. Get a range of quotes and look at reviews

When choosing an electrician, try to get at least 3 comparison quotes so you can get an idea of the value of the service and what is being offered for the price. 

Make sure you check out the reviews for each electrician you get a quote for. Most electricians, even self-employed ones, will have an online presence that allows you to see what their service and quality of work is like. You can also ask for examples of previous jobs, especially if you want them to carry out a big job like a house rewire, to help you get a feel for their work. 

4. Discuss payment terms

It’s always a good idea to ask your electrician how they expect to be paid. Most should take bank transfers and some will take cards as well as cash. Be wary of any tradesperson who says they only take cash - if you decide to pay this way, make sure you get a receipt so there is a record of payment. 

Ask if your Electrician is VAT registered and if so, whether VAT is already included in the quote. This prevents any nasty surprises later down the line if VAT is suddenly added to your bill when the work is complete.

5. Be clear about what’s included in the quote

Make sure you always get an itemised written quote so you understand what is included. Discuss if the quote includes materials or what materials you still need to purchase. Certain items British General fuse boards, Schneider circuit breakers, Wago lever connectors or sensor light switches are all products the electrician will often source for you or already have onboard in their van.

More luxury products, like electric showers, towel rails or LED downlights, will usually be up to you to purchase so you can browse and find the ones you want. 

6. Check qualifications, insurance and experience

Choosing a skilled electrician is far more important than with most trades as faulty wiring could burn your house down and put your life at risk, so don’t take choosing an electrician lightly. Make sure they have the correct insurance, including public liability, in case anything goes wrong.

Ask the electrician how many years they’ve been in the business and ask what their qualifications are. In the UK an electrician must have either completed an apprenticeship programme or taken the City & Guilds or EAL’s Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Installing Electrotechnical Systems & Equipment (Buildings, Structures & the Environment). They should be able to provide evidence of this qualification. 

How to prepare for your electrician's visit

• Clear access: Make sure there’s plenty of access to the area the electrician will need to see to give you a quote. For example, if you want lights installed in your shed ensure they can get into it easily, or provide a ladder for the loft or let them know they will need to bring one if they need to access your lighting rigs. 
• Organise parking: Make sure you can offer your electrician a permit if they will need one to visit you or organise parking for them in advance if there’s no parking immediately outside your home. 
• Be ready with details: If your electrician is coming to fix a fault, make sure you can tell them how long you’ve noticed the problem and whether you’ve had any repair work done before. 
• Find your consumer unit: Make sure you know where your consumer unit (also known as a fuse box) is so you can clear access for your electrician. 

If you’re ready to find an electrician for your project, get rates and quotes from reliable local electricians by posting your job on HaMuch now.