The Short Answer
On our estimates, an electrician charges about £45 to £65 an hour, or £250 to £500 a day, with London and the South East at the top. Emergency and out-of-hours work is £80 to £110 an hour, and some charge a minimum call-out of a couple of hours.
For small jobs you'll usually get a fixed price rather than an hourly one: a new socket is £120 to £250, swapping a light fitting £60 to £130. I'd batch small jobs into one visit to make the call-out go further.
Electrician rates
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Hourly rate | £45 to £65 |
| Day rate | £250 to £500 |
| Emergency or out-of-hours, per hour | £80 to £110 |
What common jobs cost
| Job | Typical fixed price |
|---|---|
| Replace a socket | £65 to £110 |
| Add a socket | £120 to £250 |
| Swap a light fitting | £60 to £130 |
| Outdoor socket | £100 to £250 |
| EICR, 2 to 3-bed house | £150 to £280 |
Registered electricians and certificates
Electrical Safety First says all electrical work in a home, garden or outbuilding must meet the Building Regulations, and apart from some minor tasks it has to be done by a registered electrician or reported to building control. When the work's done you should get an Electrical Installation Certificate or a Minor Works Certificate, and a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate for notifiable work. A new circuit, a new consumer unit, or work in a bathroom's special location is notifiable: use an electrician registered with Blue Flame, Certsure (NICEIC and ELECSA), NAPIT or OFTEC, who certifies it, or tell building control. See what you should get at the end.
Why rates you see differ
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Frequently asked questions
How much does an electrician charge per hour?
On our estimates, about £45 to £65 an hour, or £250 to £500 a day; emergencies £80 to £110 an hour.
How much does an electrician charge for a day rate?
About £250 to £500 a day on our estimates, with London and the South East at the top.
How much does an electrician charge to change a light?
About £60 to £130 to swap a light fitting like for like with a basic fitting, on our estimates; a pricier fitting is extra.
Do electricians charge a call-out fee?
Some charge a minimum, especially for emergencies, where a couple of hours' minimum is common. Ask before they come.
Do I need a registered electrician?
For notifiable work (new circuits, consumer units, bathrooms), a registered electrician is the simplest way to get it certified. For any electrical work, Electrical Safety First recommends one.
How we priced thisView sources (5, 2 official)
Rules come from the legislation and official guidance, read at source. Prices are our estimates: we check them against trade price data, retailer shelf prices and specialists' price lists, then build them up from their parts so the totals add up. Below are the sources behind the page; the trade price guides we only compare against aren’t listed. Where sources disagreed, we've said so. More on our method.
- OfficialThe Building Regulations 2010, regulation 12(6A) and (9): notifiable electrical work and 'special location' (England), legislation.gov.uk. Checked 14 Oct 2026.
- OfficialThe Building Regulations 2010, Schedule 3: self-certification schemes (para 16, roof coverings), legislation.gov.uk. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- IndustryBuilding Regulations for electrical installations, Electrical Safety First. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- Trade guideElectrician hourly rate, Checkatrade. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- Trade guideCost of adding a plug socket, Checkatrade. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
