Electrician Costs in Reigate - What You Need to Know Before You Pick Up the Phone

Published August 2026 | How much does an electrician cost in the UK

If something electrical has gone wrong at home and you're dealing with it for the first time, it can feel pretty daunting. You're not sure if it's dangerous, you don't know who to call, and you have no clear idea what it's going to cost. This guide will walk you through everything - what's probably happening, what you can safely do yourself, how to find a reliable electrician in Reigate, and what to expect to pay.

What Is Actually Happening - The Basics Explained Simply

Your home's electrical system works a bit like a network of roads. Power comes in from the street via the main supply, travels through your consumer unit (the fuse box - usually a grey or white box fixed to a wall near your front door or under the stairs), and then branches out to every socket, light fitting, and appliance in the house.

Inside that consumer unit are circuit breakers and RCDs (residual current devices). These are safety devices designed to trip and cut the power the moment they detect something wrong - an overloaded circuit, a faulty appliance, or a wiring fault. When a breaker trips, it's doing exactly what it should. It's not broken. It's protecting you.

Most common electrical problems fall into a few clear categories:

• Tripped circuit breakers - a circuit has been overloaded or a fault has triggered the safety cut-off
• No power to a room or area - often a tripped breaker, but sometimes a wiring fault further along the circuit
• Flickering lights - can be a loose connection, a failing light fitting, or occasionally a more serious wiring issue
• Dead sockets - could be a tripped circuit or a faulty socket that needs replacing
• Burning smell or scorch marks - this is urgent and needs immediate professional attention

Knowing which category you're in helps you work out your next step - and whether you need someone out today or can comfortably book a regular appointment.

Is This an Emergency or Can It Wait?

Getting this right matters for both your safety and your wallet. Emergency call-outs typically cost significantly more than a booked appointment, so it's worth being clear on what actually needs urgent attention.

Call an electrician immediately if you notice any of the following:

• A burning smell from a socket, switch, or your consumer unit
• Scorch marks or discolouration around any outlet or switch plate
• Sparks or a buzzing sound from any electrical point
• An electric shock - even a mild tingle when touching a switch or appliance
• A breaker that keeps tripping again within minutes of being reset
• A complete loss of power with no obvious cause

If you suspect a serious fault, do not keep resetting the breaker hoping it will sort itself out. Switch off the affected circuit - or the whole board if you're unsure - and call a qualified electrician as soon as possible.

These situations can usually wait for a scheduled appointment:

• A single dead socket in a room where other sockets are working fine
• A light fitting that has stopped working
• You want to add a new socket or USB outlet
• You're buying or selling a property and need an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report)
• You want outdoor power or an EV charger installed

When in doubt, ring and describe what you're seeing. A good electrician will help you assess the urgency over the phone rather than just sending someone out for the sake of it.

What You Can Safely Check Yourself (With Zero Experience)

There are a handful of checks any homeowner can do safely before calling anyone. You don't need tools or technical knowledge - just a bit of confidence and the following steps.

Step 1: Find your consumer unit and check for tripped breakers.
Look at the row of switches inside the unit. If one is pointing in a different direction to the others, or sitting in a middle position, it has tripped. This is almost always the starting point when something stops working.

Step 2: Try resetting the tripped breaker.
Switch it fully to the off position first, then push it firmly back to on. If it trips again immediately, something on that circuit is causing it. Don't keep resetting it. Unplug everything connected to that circuit and try again. If it holds, plug appliances back in one at a time to find the culprit.

Step 3: Test your sockets with something simple.
If a socket seems dead, plug in a lamp or phone charger you know works. If it's still dead, check the breaker again. If other sockets nearby are working fine, it may be just that one socket rather than an entire circuit.

Step 4: Look for a separate RCD switch.
Some consumer units have a large switch labelled "RCD" or "Main Switch" that can trip separately from individual breakers, cutting power to multiple circuits at once. Try switching it off and back on - but if it trips straight away, stop and call for help.

These checks are safe for any homeowner to carry out. What you should never do is open socket or switch plates, attempt any wiring yourself, or investigate inside the consumer unit. Certain electrical work in the UK is legally required to be carried out by a qualified professional - and for very good reason.

How to Find a Trustworthy Electrician in Reigate

Reigate has a good number of local electricians, but quality varies. Here's how to make sure you're hiring someone who knows what they're doing and won't leave you with problems down the line.

Check their registration first. In the UK, qualified electricians can register with approved competent person schemes that allow them to self-certify their work meets building regulations. The main ones to look for are:

• NICEIC registered - one of the most widely recognised electrical registration schemes in the country
• NAPIT registered - another government-approved scheme for domestic electrical contractors
• ECA member - the Electrical Contractors' Association, which requires members to meet rigorous ongoing standards

You can check any electrician's registration on the NICEIC or NAPIT websites in about 30 seconds. It confirms whether they're currently registered and what types of work they're approved to carry out.

Ask about Part P certification. Part P of the Building Regulations covers electrical work in homes across England. Any significant work - adding new circuits, replacing a consumer unit, or working near bathrooms - must comply with Part P. A registered electrician handles all of this for you automatically.

Look for local reviews. For electricians in the Reigate area, check Google, Checkatrade, or Trustpilot. Pay attention to how they respond to negative reviews - it tells you more about how they'll handle any issues than the five-star reviews do.

If you're not sure what type of work you actually need, Voltrade's GoFIX diagnostic tool can help you narrow it down before you contact anyone. That means you can ask more specific questions and get more accurate quotes from the start.

Get at least two quotes for any significant job. For a simple fault-finding visit, a single quote is usually fine. For a rewire or consumer unit replacement, get two or three quotes and make sure they cover the same scope of work so you're comparing like with like.

What a Repair Visit Looks Like (So You Know What to Expect)

If you've never had an electrician in before, it's useful to know what the process looks like. Most visits follow a similar pattern.

The initial assessment. The electrician will ask you to describe what's happening - what you noticed, when it started, and whether anything changed beforehand (new appliance, recent work done, a storm). They'll look at your consumer unit and any affected areas to get an overview before they start testing.

Fault finding. For non-obvious problems, they'll use testing equipment to work through the circuit and locate the fault. This takes time, and it's the part most first-timers don't factor into their budget. Fault finding is typically billed at the hourly rate even if the actual repair, once the fault is found, turns out to be quick.

The quote or estimate. For most jobs, a good electrician will give you a clear price before starting work. For fault-finding visits where they don't yet know what they'll find, they may give you a fixed charge to diagnose, then a separate quote for the repair. This is standard - don't be surprised by it.

Most routine jobs in a Reigate home - a faulty socket, a replacement light fitting, a fault tracked down and repaired - are completed within half a day.

Typical Costs - So You're Not Caught Off Guard

Electrical work in Surrey tends to sit towards the higher end of the national average, which reflects the cost of operating a trade business in this part of the country and the demand for skilled tradespeople. The figures below are typical ranges based on what our engineers see regularly - actual quotes will vary depending on the complexity of the job, access, and the individual contractor.

Hourly rate: Most electricians in and around Reigate charge between 50 and 80 pounds per hour. Specialist contractors or larger firms may charge more.

Call-out charge: Expect to pay a call-out fee of 60 to 120 pounds for an initial visit, which typically covers travel and the first hour on site. Emergency out-of-hours call-outs commonly start from 100 to 200 pounds just to attend.

Fault finding: Diagnosing an electrical fault typically costs between 80 and 200 pounds, depending on how complex the circuit is and how long it takes to isolate the problem.

New socket installation: A single new socket typically costs between 80 and 150 pounds, including labour and materials.

Consumer unit replacement: Replacing an old fuse board with a modern consumer unit typically costs between 400 and 700 pounds for a standard domestic installation. This includes the Part P certification that confirms the work meets building regulations.

Full rewire: A full rewire of a typical three-bedroom home in Reigate typically costs between 4,000 and 8,000 pounds. Larger properties, older houses with complicated layouts, or homes needing significant remedial work will cost more.

EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report): An electrical safety inspection for a standard home typically costs between 150 and 300 pounds. Landlords in particular need one every five years - it's now a legal requirement for rental properties in England.

EV charger installation: A dedicated home electric vehicle charge point typically costs between 800 and 1,200 pounds installed, including any necessary upgrades to the supply. Prices have come down as demand has increased.

Worth knowing: labour is always the biggest cost in electrical work. Materials for most domestic jobs are relatively inexpensive by comparison. If a quote seems unusually low, ask how they're pricing their time - very low labour rates can sometimes mean corners are being cut.

Questions You Should Ask Your Electrician

You're entitled to ask questions before committing to any work. A good electrician will welcome them. These are the ones worth raising:

• "Are you NICEIC or NAPIT registered?" - If they hesitate or say no, call someone else.
• "Can I see your registration?" - Legitimate electricians carry these details and will show you without any fuss.
• "Will I receive a certificate on completion?" - For any notifiable work, the answer must be yes.
• "Is this a fixed price or an estimate?" - Know what you're agreeing to before work starts.
• "What happens if you find something unexpected?" - A professional will stop and discuss it with you rather than just carrying on and adding to the bill.
• "Do you carry public liability insurance?" - This protects you if anything goes wrong during the work.
• "How long will the job take?" - Useful for planning your day, especially if your power needs to be off for a period.

Don't feel awkward raising any of these. Any electrician worth hiring will be entirely comfortable answering all of them.

First-Timer Questions

Why does my circuit breaker keep tripping even after I reset it?

A breaker that won't stay on is telling you there's a fault somewhere on that circuit. This might be an overloaded circuit with too many high-draw appliances running at once, a faulty appliance causing a short, or a wiring fault in the circuit itself. The safe approach is to unplug everything on that circuit first and try resetting - if it holds, plug things back in one at a time to find the culprit. If it trips with everything unplugged, there's a wiring fault that needs a qualified electrician. Do not keep resetting it and hoping for the best.

Is it safe to leave a faulty socket and just stop using it?

It depends on the fault. A socket that simply doesn't provide power is unlikely to be immediately dangerous, but it does need investigating because faults can develop over time. A socket with any sign of burning, discolouration, or warmth to the touch is a different matter - that's a potential fire risk and needs urgent attention. Any faulty socket should be properly assessed and repaired rather than taped over and ignored, even if it feels like it can wait.

Do I really need an EICR or is it just extra work being suggested?

An EICR is a periodic safety inspection of your home's electrical installation - not routine maintenance, but a proper condition check carried out by a qualified electrician. As a homeowner living in your own property, you're not legally required to have one unless a lender or insurer asks. But for any property in Reigate that hasn't had electrical work assessed in 25 years or more, getting one is a sensible thing to do. Electrical installations age and degrade, and problems that develop slowly can go unnoticed until they become serious.

Can I do any electrical work myself to save money?

How quickly can I get an electrician out in Reigate?

For non-urgent work, most electricians in the area are typically booked one to two weeks ahead, particularly during busy periods. For urgent but non-emergency situations, same-day or next-day appointments are sometimes available from local sole traders who have more flexible schedules. For genuine emergencies, most parts of Surrey have electricians offering 24-hour call-out services. Expect to pay a premium for out-of-hours attendance, but the service is there when you need it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an electrician charge per hour in the UK?

Electrician hourly rates across the UK typically range from 40 to 80 pounds per hour, with rates in the South East - including Reigate and the surrounding area - sitting towards the higher end of that range. Most jobs also include a call-out charge of 60 to 120 pounds on top of the hourly rate. Always confirm both figures before agreeing to a visit so there are no surprises on the invoice when the job is done.

What qualifications should I look for in a UK electrician?

Qualified electricians in the UK typically hold a Level 3 NVQ in Electrical Installations or an equivalent approved qualification. More practically, look for registration with NICEIC or NAPIT - both are government-approved competent person schemes. Registration means the electrician has been assessed for technical competence and is authorised to self-certify their work as compliant with building regulations, which you need for any notifiable domestic electrical work.

How do I know if my home needs rewiring?

Common signs include a consumer unit with old round-pin ceramic fuses rather than modern circuit breakers, wiring insulated in rubber rather than plastic (typical of pre-1960s installations), persistent electrical faults across several circuits, or a recommendation flagged up on an EICR inspection. A qualified electrician can assess your installation and give you a clear-eyed view of what's needed - a good one will tell you if the installation is fine as it is, not just recommend a rewire by default.

Do I need to tell my council or insurer about electrical work done at my home?

You don't need to contact your local council directly - when you hire a registered electrician, they handle the building regulations notification process themselves and issue the relevant certificate on completion. However, it's worth informing your home insurer that significant electrical work has been carried out. Some policies require this, and having a certified record of compliant electrical work can be beneficial if you ever need to make a claim.