How Much Do Electricians Charge Per Hour UK (2026 Rates)
27 October 2026
How Much Do Electricians Charge Per Hour in the UK? 2026 Rates
Electricians in the UK typically charge between £40 and £75 per hour for standard domestic work in 2026. Rates in London and the South East are commonly between £55 and £75 per hour, while prices in the Midlands, North and Wales are more often between £40 and £55 per hour.
A short visit may also have a one-hour minimum and a call-out charge of approximately £40 to £80. For planned work lasting most of a day, a calculated electrician day rate is roughly £300 to £600, although many electricians provide a fixed quotation instead.
Quick answer:
Typical electrician hourly rate UK: £40 to £75
London and South East: £55 to £75 per hour
Midlands, North and Wales: £40 to £55 per hour
Short-job call-out charge: £40 to £80
Calculated electrician day rate UK: approximately £300 to £600
Prices checked against InstantCost electrician pricing data on 27 October 2026. They are budgeting estimates rather than fixed quotations. Labour, materials, travel, certification and VAT treatment can vary between providers.
Electrician hourly and day rates in 2026
Rate or charge | 2026 guide price | What to check |
|---|---|---|
Standard electrician hourly rate | £40 to £75 per hour | Ask whether travel, testing and VAT are included. |
London and South East hourly rate | £55 to £75 per hour | Parking, congestion and longer travel can increase the final bill. |
Midlands, North and Wales hourly rate | £40 to £55 per hour | Specialist and urgent work can still cost more. |
Short-job call-out | £40 to £80 | Confirm whether this includes the first hour or is added to it. |
Fault finding, first hour | £40 to £100 | This may cover diagnosis only, with repairs charged separately. |
Calculated day rate | Approximately £300 to £600 | Confirm the number of working hours and whether materials are separate. |
How much do electricians charge per hour?
For normal domestic work, the typical answer is £40 to £75 per hour. However, the rate shown on a quotation does not always tell you the final cost.
An electrician may charge for:
A minimum of one hour, even if the repair takes 20 minutes
Travel to the property
Time spent diagnosing the fault
Collecting specialist materials
Testing the circuit after completing the work
Preparing certificates or Building Regulations notifications
Parking, congestion charges or difficult access
Materials, fittings and waste disposal
Some businesses charge in 15-minute or 30-minute increments after the first hour. Others round every visit up to the next full hour. Ask how chargeable time is calculated before accepting the quotation.
What is the electrician day rate in the UK?
A reasonable planning range for an electrician day rate in the UK is approximately £300 to £600. This range is calculated from InstantCost’s hourly figures:
Lower calculation: £40 × 7.5 hours = £300
Upper calculation: £75 × 8 hours = £600
This is a calculated budgeting range, not a guaranteed published day rate. An electrician may offer a lower effective hourly price when you reserve a complete day because less travel and administration are needed between jobs.
Before comparing electrician day rates, ask:
How many working hours are included?
Is travel included within those hours?
Is time spent buying materials chargeable?
Are materials included or added separately?
Does the price include testing and certification?
What happens if the work finishes early?
What happens if the work continues into a second day?
Important distinction: A domestic customer day rate is not the same as the rate advertised for a subcontractor on a construction project. Contract work may have different hours, tax arrangements, tools, travel requirements and insurance responsibilities.
Hourly rate, day rate or fixed price: which is better?
Pricing method | Usually suitable for | Main risk to check |
|---|---|---|
Hourly rate | Fault finding, minor repairs and work with an uncertain scope | The final time is unknown until the fault is located. |
Day rate | Several small jobs or planned work lasting most of a day | The quote must define the hours, tasks and excluded work. |
Fixed quotation | Consumer units, rewiring, EICRs, EV chargers and defined installations | Check which materials, certificates and repairs are included. |
An hourly rate can be fair for a problem that must be investigated before it can be priced. A fixed quotation is often easier to compare when the electrician can inspect the job and define the complete scope in advance.
If you have several small tasks, such as replacing switches, checking a faulty socket and installing a light fitting, ask whether completing everything during one visit would be more economical than arranging separate call-outs. Read the InstantCost guide to changing a light fitting safely before deciding whether the work needs professional help.
Compare the cost of your electrical job
Choose the type of work, region, urgency and certification requirements to see a personalised UK estimate.
Typical fixed electrical job prices
Many electricians do not calculate every job by multiplying the working time by an hourly rate. The following InstantCost figures show why a complete job price can be more useful.
Electrical job | Typical UK price | Important scope check |
|---|---|---|
Add or replace a socket | £90 to £150 | Check whether the socket, testing and minor works certificate are included. |
Light fitting or spotlights | £120 to £280 per room | Confirm the number of fittings and whether they are supplied. |
Consumer unit replacement | £550 to £950 | Check testing, protective devices, certification and notification. |
EICR inspection | £150 to £350 | The property size and number of circuits affect the price. |
Home EV charger installation | £800 to £1,400 | Cable length, groundwork and consumer unit upgrades may cost extra. |
Partial rewire | £1,800 to £4,000 | Define the rooms, circuits, accessories and making-good work. |
Full rewire of a three-bedroom home | £3,500 to £6,500 | Confirm the number of points and whether plastering and decoration are included. |
Worked examples of electrician labour costs
Example 1: A two-hour repair
At £40 to £75 per hour, two hours of labour would cost approximately £80 to £150. If a separate £40 to £80 call-out fee applies, the labour and call-out total could become £120 to £230 before materials and any applicable VAT.
Example 2: Five hours of planned work
Five hours at the standard rate would produce a labour estimate of £200 to £375. A fixed half-day or full-day quote may be different, particularly if the electrician must collect materials, complete testing or return after another trade has finished.
Example 3: A full planned day
Using the broad hourly range, 7.5 to 8 hours produces a calculated labour cost of £300 to £600. The written quote should state whether the day includes travel, breaks, materials, testing and certificates.
Do not add every possible charge automatically. Some electricians include the first hour within the call-out price, while others charge the call-out and labour separately. Request an itemised quotation so you do not count the same charge twice.
Why does the electrician hourly rate vary?
Your location
London and South East rates tend to be higher because of operating costs, parking, congestion and travel time. Prices elsewhere can still reach the top of the national range when the work is urgent or highly specialised.
The type of work
Replacing an accessible accessory is different from tracing an intermittent fault through several circuits. Fault finding requires methodical testing and the cause may not be visible when the electrician arrives.
Urgency and appointment time
Same-day, evening, weekend and emergency attendance normally costs more than a planned weekday appointment. Ask for the call-out and hourly rates before the electrician travels.
Qualifications and specialist equipment
Inspection, testing, EV charging, solar equipment, three-phase supplies and industrial controls may require additional knowledge and equipment. A specialist rate should be compared with the complexity and responsibility of the work, not only with the lowest general labour price.
Certification and notification
Some work requires testing, a certificate and possibly Building Regulations notification. The time needed for inspection and paperwork should be included in the quote rather than treated as invisible work.
Access and the condition of the property
Flooring, fitted furniture, solid walls, restricted lofts and concealed cable routes can extend the job. Older or altered wiring may also need investigation before new equipment can be connected safely.
What does an electrician’s hourly rate include?
The customer’s hourly charge is a business rate. It does not go directly into the electrician’s pocket as wages.
The rate may help pay for:
The electrician’s gross pay
A van, fuel and travel time
Tools, test equipment and calibration
Public liability and professional insurance
Training, qualifications and scheme membership
Quotations, scheduling and customer administration
Bookkeeping, tax administration and payment fees
Unpaid holidays, sickness and gaps between jobs
Guarantee visits and correcting unexpected problems
This is why an electrician charging £50 per hour is not necessarily earning £50 per hour as personal income.
How much do electricians make in the UK?
The question “how much do electricians make?” has a different intent from asking what an electrician charges a homeowner.
Public career guidance currently gives a broad employed electrician salary benchmark of approximately £26,000 for a starter to £45,000 for an experienced electrician. Actual earnings depend on qualifications, location, overtime, shift patterns, employment sector and responsibility.
An industrial electrician, testing specialist, supervisor or electrician working regular overtime may earn more. An apprentice or newly qualified employee may earn less while completing training and building experience.
Electrician pay rate versus customer charge-out rate
Term | What it means | Does the electrician keep all of it? |
|---|---|---|
Electrician pay rate | The gross wage paid to an employed electrician | No. Income tax, National Insurance and other deductions may apply. |
Customer hourly rate | The amount charged by the electrical business for labour | No. It also covers business expenses and non-billable time. |
Subcontractor day rate | A gross rate paid for contract work | No. The subcontractor may pay for travel, tools, insurance and tax. |
Self-employed turnover | The total amount invoiced before expenses and tax | No. Turnover is not take-home profit. |
Self-employed turnover example
Consider a self-employed electrician who invoices £50 per billable hour, completes 25 billable hours each week and works 46 weeks in a year:
£50 × 25 billable hours × 46 weeks = £57,500 annual turnover
That £57,500 is not a salary or take-home income. The electrician must still cover fuel, the van, tools, insurance, accountancy, training, unpaid administration, holidays, sickness, tax and other business costs.
The example also uses 25 billable hours rather than assuming every working hour can be invoiced. Time spent travelling, preparing quotations, buying parts and completing paperwork may not appear as a separate charge on the customer’s bill.
How to compare electrician quotations properly
Comparing only the headline electrician hourly rate can produce the wrong result. A £45 hourly rate with a separate call-out, travel and certificate charge may cost more than a £60 rate that includes everything.
Ask every electrician to confirm:
The exact work included
The hourly, day or fixed labour charge
The minimum charge
Whether the call-out includes the first hour
How additional time is rounded
Whether materials are included
Whether VAT is included or added
Whether parking and travel are included
Which tests and certificates will be supplied
Whether Building Regulations notification is required and included
Who completes plastering, filling and decoration
How unexpected additional work will be approved
Ask for photographs or a written description of any additional fault found after work begins. The electrician should obtain approval before carrying out substantial work outside the agreed scope.
Common quotation mistakes to avoid
Assuming the cheapest hourly rate creates the cheapest final invoice
Comparing a labour-only quote with a quote that includes materials
Not checking whether the first hour is included in the call-out
Assuming a “day” always contains eight working hours
Forgetting to ask about testing and certification
Leaving the number and specification of sockets or fittings undefined
Accepting expensive extra work without a revised written price
Paying the complete cost before the work and required documents are provided
When should you book fault finding?
Book fault finding when the electrician cannot reasonably price the repair without testing the installation. Examples include repeated circuit breaker trips, intermittent power loss, unexplained burning smells, hot accessories and lights that continue flickering after the bulb has been checked.
The first visit may diagnose the problem without completing the repair if specialist parts or further access are required. Ask whether the diagnostic charge will be credited against the repair price.
If your lights are unstable, the guide to fixing flickering lights explains the simple checks and warning signs that justify professional investigation.
Electrical safety and UK rules
Electrical work can cause electric shock, burns and fire if it is completed incorrectly. Do not work on live wiring or rely only on a wall switch to isolate a circuit. Stop using an accessory that is scorched, unusually hot, crackling or giving off a burning smell, and arrange an assessment by a competent electrician.
In England, Part P of the Building Regulations covers electrical safety in dwellings. Some domestic work is notifiable and requires the correct testing, certification and notification route. The official GOV.UK Approved Document P guidance explains the requirements and when notification is needed.
Building standards and notification systems differ in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Ask the electrician which rules apply to your location and which certificate you will receive. Do not assume that every minor replacement is notifiable or that every electrical task follows exactly the same process throughout the UK.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average electrician hourly rate in the UK?
The typical electrician hourly rate in the UK is approximately £40 to £75 in 2026. London and South East rates commonly fall between £55 and £75 per hour. Small jobs may also have a one-hour minimum or a separate call-out charge.
How much do electricians charge per hour for a small job?
A small job may still cost more than one hour of labour because the electrician must travel, inspect the installation and test the completed work. Expect the normal £40 to £75 hourly range, plus a possible £40 to £80 call-out or minimum charge.
What is a typical electrician day rate?
A calculated electrician day rate is approximately £300 to £600, based on 7.5 to 8 hours at InstantCost’s £40 to £75 hourly range. Actual day quotations can be lower or higher depending on the location, job type, included hours, materials and certification.
Is an electrician day rate cheaper than paying hourly?
It can be cheaper when you have enough planned work to fill most of the day. The electrician spends less time travelling between customers. However, confirm the included hours and tasks so you do not pay a full day rate for a short, undefined job.
What is the difference between an electrician pay rate and hourly charge?
An electrician pay rate is the wage received by an employee. The customer’s hourly charge is the electrical business’s selling price. It also supports travel, tools, insurance, administration, testing equipment, training and non-billable time, so it should not be treated as personal earnings.
How much do electricians make each year?
Public career guidance gives a broad employed salary benchmark of approximately £26,000 for a starter to £45,000 for an experienced electrician. Overtime, specialist work, supervision and location can change earnings. Self-employed invoices represent business turnover rather than personal take-home pay.
Does an electrician’s hourly rate include materials?
Not always. An hourly rate usually refers to labour, while fittings, cable and other materials may be added separately. Some fixed quotations include both labour and materials. Check the written scope and ask whether VAT, testing, certificates, parking and waste removal are included.
Do electricians charge for travelling and collecting materials?
Some electricians include local travel within their call-out or job price. Others charge for longer journeys, parking or time spent collecting unexpected parts. Ask how these costs are handled before work starts, particularly if your property is remote or has restricted parking.
Should I choose the electrician with the lowest hourly rate?
Not automatically. Compare the total estimated cost, qualifications, insurance, scope, materials, testing and certificates. A higher hourly rate that includes travel and paperwork may be better value than a cheaper rate with several separate charges or an unclear completion standard.
Get a price based on your actual electrical work
Use the InstantCost calculator to compare regional prices for repairs, sockets, lighting, consumer units, EICRs, rewiring and EV charger installation.