Electricians

What an electrician can do for you

• Replace sockets and switches, or add new ones where you need them
• Fit ceiling lights, wall lights, and outdoor or garden lighting
• Find and fix the fault behind a breaker that keeps tripping
• Replace an old fuse board with modern circuit breakers and a residual current device (RCD)
• Rewire a room or a whole flat during a renovation
• Connect ovens, hobs, electric water heaters and other fixed appliances
• Install a home charger for an electric car

When it can't wait

Call an electrician straight away if you notice any of these:

• A burning smell from a socket, switch or the fuse board
• Sockets or plugs that feel warm or show scorch marks
• A breaker that trips again as soon as you reset it
• Sparks, crackling or buzzing from a fitting
• Water anywhere near wiring or fittings after a leak

Until help arrives, switch off the power at the fuse board if you can reach it safely, and don't touch the affected fitting.

Describing the job

A clear description gets you faster replies and quotes that hold. Include:

• What is wrong, or what you want installed
• Roughly how old the building and the wiring are, if you know
• How many sockets, lights or rooms are involved
• Whether walls can be opened, or cables need to run on the surface
• Photos of the fuse board and of the problem area
• When you need the work done

Before you hire

• Ask whether they work as a registered business and will give you an invoice
• Get the price in writing before work starts, including materials and any call-out fee
• Ask what testing they will do when the work is finished, and whether you get a written record of it
• Read reviews from people who actually hired them for similar work