What does an electrician cost in the UK? (2026 price guide)

Electrician pricing is one of the most opaque areas of home maintenance. Quotes for the same job can differ by hundreds of pounds depending on region, the electrician's overhead, and how the job is scoped. Here's what the market actually looks like.

Typical hourly and callout rates

Most UK electricians charge either a callout fee (£40-80) plus an hourly rate, or a fixed price for common jobs. Hourly rates range roughly from £35-50/hour outside major cities to £60-90/hour in London and the South East, though many jobs are quoted as a fixed price rather than time-and-materials.

Common jobs and rough price ranges

• Socket or switch replacement: £60-100 per fitting, less if bundled into a larger job
• Consumer unit (fuse box) replacement: £350-800 depending on the property and number of circuits
• Full house rewire: £3,500-8,000+ for an average 3-bed home, heavily dependent on access and how much replastering is needed afterward
• EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report): £120-300, often required for landlords and increasingly requested by mortgage lenders
• EV charger installation: £600-1,200 depending on cable run length and whether a new circuit is needed

Why quotes vary so much

Three things drive most of the variation: region (London and the South East run 30-50% above the rest of the UK), whether the electrician is a sole trader or part of a larger firm with more overhead, and the condition of your existing wiring: old or non-standard wiring adds diagnostic time that shows up in the final bill even on a "simple" job.

What to check before hiring

Confirm the electrician is registered with a competent person scheme (NICEIC, NAPIT, or similar). This means their work can be self-certified as compliant with Building Regulations without a separate council inspection, which saves you time and a separate fee. Ask whether the quote includes a certificate for the work (it should, for anything notifiable under Part P).

Fixies shows an AI-estimated fair price range for your specific job and postcode before any electrician quotes, based on real completed jobs nearby, so you know if £450 for a consumer unit swap is a fair price or an inflated one before you agree to anything.