Electricians

What does an electrician do?

You never have to think about electricity when you do something as mundane as popping the kettle on or powering the TV, but without it, our lives would be completely different.

Thankfully, electricity is here and not going anywhere, but what happens when something goes wrong? It’s at this point that you’ll need the help of a recommended electrician.

In simple terms, an electrician is someone who lays and maintains electrical equipment but to put the job that they do in simple terms would be doing them a disservice, it's at times a complicated and dangerous profession that's vital to ensuring that essential systems that help with security and our day-to-day lives stay in tip-top condition. The importance of electricians really can't be underestimated but what is it that they do?

Well, an electrician can help you with a variety of tasks both at home and at your place of work, including:

• Electrical repairs
• PAT testing
• Rewiring a house or place of work
• Electrical maintenance
• Safety checks
• Electrical installations
• Electrical lighting

You'll find more information on these tasks and others on this very page.

While it's almost impossible to simplify the roles that electricians do, in general, there are three types of areas electricians specialise in: installation, maintenance and production. The former will test and install wiring (usually to do with security or lighting), maintenance electricians help to maintain equipment while production electricians will work more on constructing electric wiring in often complex devices. Electricians can work on CCTV installation, rewiring a property, working on cables at a building site or something as simple as testing an alarm system. An electrician can be involved in a plethora of jobs and is able to not only upgrade your home or place of work but also ensure it is safe.

Not just anyone can become an electrician though. It takes years of studying, training and assessment to become a qualified and trustworthy electrician. An apprenticeship scheme is the most common route for many professional electricians, a process that can take around four years of both theory and practical work to complete.

All of the extensive studying and assessment that's required results in the fact that when you hire an electrician in your area, you can put your utmost faith and trust in their work, especially important if they're needed to help with a dangerous or faulty device. The rigorous training and development that they undertake means that a professional electrician knows what they're doing to the highest and safest possible standard.

When looking for local electricians in your area, you'll be able to find a high percentage who are members of trade and regulatory bodies quickly and easily right here on Thomson Local. This allows you to find an approved electrician, who is local to you, with relative ease.

Our layout not only allows you to find comments and reviews from people within the local area but also discover whether they are members of an approved regulatory body. All of which is important to consider when hiring an electrician and allowing them to conduct work in your home.

If you need expert help with your home or business electrics, you can search for an electrician on Thomson Local.

How much do electricians charge?

The answer to how much electricians charge is a tricky one to answer as it depends on a variety of factors. The cost of many electricians will depend significantly on the area that you live in as some areas of the country will have higher rates than others based on a variety of local factors, so be aware that the same job could have a significant difference in price in two different locations.

In general, electricians will charge by the hour and can also charge for an initial call out fee. The rate of both can change depending on the time of day, the day itself and also whether or not there's stringent testing or certification required.

One thing to request to ensure that you know what you're paying for is a thoroughly broken down quote that details the individual costs. This breakdown will allow you to see exactly how you're spending your money and potentially save a few pounds in your pocket, especially if there's something on the itemised quote that you might not need or want.

If you require a simple job, then it goes without saying that naturally, this will cost less, but it may also depend on your property. Newer properties may be easier for electricians to work in when compared to older, more complex houses where the electrical wiring is in poor condition.

The cost of an electrician will depend on:

• The scope of the job
• The time that the work will need to take place
• The location of the job
• Whether any extra materials or equipment is needed

One thing that you can be sure of is that prices in the south of the UK, especially in a location like London, will face a higher charge for local electricians than the rest of the UK.

The only way to truly know what the average price for an electrician is in your area is to gather quotes and estimates. You can do this quickly and easily by finding the phone number of locally listed electricians near you on this page.

You'll find all the information that you need to do this, plus some local comments and reviews, address information and those all important contact details.

Common electrical services offered by electricians

There is a wide range of services and standard procedures that electricians can offer to ensure that your home is either electrically safe or install wiring or an appliance that helps to take it to the next level. The most common services that electricians take out are:

• Emergency call-out
• Appliance testing
• Inspection and fault finding
• Installations
• Rewiring and repairs

A locally recommended electrician can offer any of the above services, all of which are vital to ensuring that your home or office runs not only efficiently but also safely. By carrying out regular electric maintenance and safety checks, you can ensure that your home is not only safe for yourself but also for your friends, family and work colleagues. Only by hiring a qualified electrician can you be confident that the work meets the necessary safety standards and quality that you expect.

An electrician can offer expert safety advice, not just for the job at hand, but also further on down the line, especially when you're not sure about some aspects of your home wiring and electricals.

If the worst happens and you require immediate assistance, then most local firms can send out an emergency electrician 24/7. This service is vital when you need an electrician as soon as possible, especially if your safety is at risk.

Here are some of the other services that most electricians can provide.

PAT testing

PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) is the name of a process which allows electrical appliances to be checked to ensure safety. A domestic electrician carrying out the PAT testing process will mean that the most-used appliances in your home are not only ready to be used but also safe.

This type of testing will involve not just a visual inspection but also a verification that all sections are working as they should be and not in danger of either breaking down now or in the near future. The type of tests that an electrician would conduct during PAT Testing differs depending on the category of the device. It's a fundamental part of ensuring that the electrics in your home or place of work are safe and meet the standards that they need to.

Electrical rewiring

One of the most common answers people are looking for when it comes to electricians is the cost of how much to rewire a house.

You may need electrical rewiring to upgrade your home or office up to traditional standards, or to strengthen the safety of your property further. Either way, a fully qualified electrician in your area will be able to undertake this with no issue at all.

At times, due to the scope of the work, electrical rewiring a house or office can be a monumental task and has the potential to cause disruption. If your home or office has not been rewired in the last 25 to 30 years, then there's a good chance that your property needs upgrading to bring it up to modern-day standards.

Electrical inspections

An electrical inspection is a detailed look at the electrics in your home or place of work to ensure that everything is safe and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. All of it is completed to ensure that you can keep using the electrics without any on-going concerns in the short to mid-term.

It's good practice to conduct an electrical inspection in your home or office on a regular basis. This inspection will take into consideration whether or not there are any potential shock risks or fire hazards, uncover any overloaded circuits, identify faulty work and reveal any areas that have a lack of earthing. It's a thorough test that will give you peace of mind when it comes to ensuring the electrics in your home or place of work is safe and secure.

Shower installations

A handy electrician can help you with an electric shower installation. Naturally, water and electrics shouldn't mix, which is why you'll need to talk to a professional electrical engineer when it comes to getting your brand new shower installed.

An electric shower installation can help you to run a more energy efficient home as they only heat the water that is being used, helping you to save a few pounds on your energy bills and put that money to better use elsewhere.

Electrical appliance installations

Whether it's an oven, cooker, dishwasher or any other large kitchen appliance, an electrician can help you to ensure that your new piece of equipment is not only working but also installed safely and securely. Most electricians will be able to complete an electrical appliance installation.

For some, buying an appliance can be quite exciting. While a brand new dishwasher or washing machine may not play the latest TV show, what it should do is make your life a little bit easier and more efficient.

When it comes to the day of delivery of your brand new appliance, what you don't want is for the installation to be difficult, so make sure you look to get help from a domestic electrician who's an expert in electrical appliance installations and gain a little bit of peace of mind.

Commercial electricians

A commercial electrician will work with businesses of varying sizes, helping them to keep up with electrical maintenance, ensure safety and to minimise disruption to the business during the electrical work process.

Commercial electricians can often take on jobs that far exceed standard domestic situations, so they'll be used to checking, installing and repairing electrical systems on a much larger scale.

The work that a commercial electrician carries out is often vital to ensuring a smooth running operation, especially if the business is heavily reliant on IT, which many are in this day and age.

Electrical repairs

If you have damaged electrical wires or electrical products, it can be hazardous to leave them be, therefore make sure you get in touch with a local electrician to allow them to not only isolate the issue but also carry out the electrical repair quickly and efficiently.

Even if you're not sure that there is a fault, at the very least, an electrical tester can confirm that your property is safe and secure, with the worst-case scenario being that the electrician finds and isolates the fault and then can commence an electrical repair.

Many electrical testers also offer emergency electrical repairs 365 days of the year, vitally important if you feel that you or your family are in danger in your property.

Electrical socket installation

If you feel that you don't have enough plug sockets to connect your electrical appliances or equipment, then you can hire an electrician to help you to install more sockets where you need them.

Whether you've identified exactly where you need extra sockets or need help to work out the most optimal place, an electrician near you will be able to assist you in getting the most out of the electrical structure of your home or place of work.

Having the appropriate number of plug sockets in the right locations means that you can put your TV, kitchen appliances or computer exactly where you want without needing extension cables running through your home or office.

Electrical lighting

Whether you want to install new lights, get advice on where you should place new electrical lighting in your home or need a repair or safety check, electricians who specialise in lighting can help you with all of this and much more.

Whether the source of the electric light is fluorescent, LED, incandescent or anything else, you'll be sure to get the answers you need thanks to a professional electrician. The work they carry out will be to industry standards and leave you basking in the glow that they'll provide for months and years to come.

Find an electrician near you

Whether you need a domestic electrician for PAT Testing, shower installations, rewiring a house, or any other electrical installation, simply search for an electrician on Thomson Local.