Hiring an electrician in London is straightforward — once you know what to check for. The risk isn't paying too much; it's hiring someone unqualified who leaves work that fails a future inspection, voids your insurance, or creates a fire hazard. This guide covers what to verify, fair 2026 London rates, what questions to ask, and the six red flags that mean walk away.
1. Verify Part P certification before anything else
Any electrician working in a UK dwelling on "notifiable" jobs (consumer units, bathroom circuits, garden electrics, EV chargers, full rewires) must be — registered with NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, or STROMA. This isn't optional. Work done by an uncertified electrician on these jobs:
- Doesn't get notified to Building Control
- Won't pass when you come to sell (your conveyancer will ask)
- Can void your home insurance if there's a fire
- Can land the homeowner in trouble, not just the electrician
Ask for the electrician's registration number and check it on the relevant scheme's online portal. NICEIC has a free public search at niceic.com/find-a-contractor. Takes 30 seconds. Always do this for any electrician in London before booking.
2. What does an electrician charge in London?
Realistic 2026 rates:
| Service | London cost |
|---|---|
| Hourly rate | £80-120 |
| Day rate | £350-550 |
| Emergency callout | £120-200 (first hour) + hourly after |
| Consumer unit replacement (18th edition with RCBOs) | £650-1,200 |
| EV charger install (7kW, standard) | £900-1,600 |
| Full house rewire (3-bed) | £4,000-7,000 |
| EICR (electrical safety inspection) | £150-350 |
Anything dramatically cheaper than this in London is either an unqualified worker, an under-quote with extras coming later, or someone cutting corners on certification.
For larger jobs, always get a fixed-price quote rather than hourly. Hourly billing on a multi-day job benefits the electrician, not you.
3. What to ask before booking
- — Should be NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, or STROMA
- — For notifiable work, yes
- "Do you have public liability insurance?" — Minimum £2m
- "Can you handle the Building Control notification?" — Should be included
- "What's your guarantee period?" — 12 months on workmanship is standard
- "For an EV charger install, do you handle the OZEV grant paperwork?" — A competent EV installer does this
4. EV charger installation in London — what to know
Demand for EV charger installs in London has tripled since 2023. What to look for:
- OZEV-approved installer — Required to claim the £350 EV chargepoint grant (for flats and rental properties)
- Smart charger — Mandatory in the UK since 2022 (must support off-peak scheduling)
- Tethered vs untethered — Tethered is convenient (cable always attached) but limits future-proofing. Untethered (you bring your own cable) is more flexible.
- Permission for off-street parking — On-street is largely not possible in London; you need driveway or assigned parking
Most home installs in London take half a day. Brand-name chargers (Pod Point, Wallbox, Easee, Ohme, Andersen) all cost roughly the same when installed — the differences are software and looks.
5. When does my house need a full rewire?
Telltale signs a London property needs rewiring:
- Round-pin sockets or any sockets without modern shutters
- Fuse box uses rewireable fuses (not MCBs/RCBOs)
- Cabling visible behind sockets shows rubber/lead-sheathed insulation
- Lights flicker, fuses blow frequently, breakers trip without obvious cause
- Brown / scorch marks around sockets or the consumer unit
If the house was last wired before about 1985, a rewire is probably due. The give-away: cables in TRS (tough rubber sheath) or VRI (vulcanised rubber). Both degrade and become fire risks after 50-60 years.
An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) for £150-350 will tell you definitively whether the existing installation is safe or needs work. Get this before assuming a rewire is needed — many properties only need partial remedial work, not a full rewire.
6. The 6 red flags — when to walk away
- Won't show NICEIC/NAPIT/Part P registration
- Cash-only or won't issue VAT invoice — Usually means they're trading below VAT threshold OR not declaring income
- No insurance documentation
- Suggests "no need to notify Building Control" for notifiable work
- Dramatically below market price — under £50/hour in London is a warning sign
- Vague about which scheme they're registered with — A real electrician knows this instantly
What to do in an electrical emergency
If you smell burning, see scorch marks, have exposed live wiring, or experience repeated tripping:
- Turn off the main isolator at the consumer unit if safe to do so
- Don't touch any suspect wiring
- Call a Part P-registered emergency electrician — most London electricians offer same-day callout for £120-200
- If you can smell burning and can't isolate, call the fire brigade (999) — don't gamble
Final thought
Pick an electrician who is happy to put pricing in writing and explain what they're doing. The wrong one is cheap, vague, and reluctant to put anything in writing. The cost difference is usually £50-100 on a job — not worth the risk to your home.
TrustBuilt Projects covers rewiring, EV chargers, consumer units, emergency callouts, and full commercial fit-outs across London. See our electrical service page or book a free visit.