Sockets, lighting & outdoor power
Sockets, lighting & outdoor power
The everyday work: an extra socket so the extension lead can go in the bin, downlights in a kitchen, a security light that comes on when it should, or a proper supply to the garage instead of a cable out through the window.
Inside
- Extra sockets, doubles from singles, USB sockets
- Kitchen and bathroom lighting, including downlights and under-cabinet
- Dimmers that actually work with LED lamps — a lot do not, and that is the usual cause of flicker and buzz
- Extractor fans, cooker and hob circuits, electric oven installs
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm systems, interlinked
- Underfloor heating connections
- Loft, garage and cellar lighting
Outside
- Outdoor sockets, weatherproof and RCD protected
- Security lighting and PIR sensors, aimed so they do not trigger on next door's cat
- Garden and decorative lighting
- Power to garages, sheds, summer houses and garden offices — in armoured cable and buried at the right depth, with its own small consumer unit where it is warranted
- Hot tub supplies, which need a dedicated circuit and the right protection rather than an extension lead
- Electric gates, and access control and door entry systems
"No job too small" is meant literally
A single socket is a perfectly good reason to ring. Small jobs get quoted and done like any other, and if several small things have been building up it is almost always cheaper to have them done in one visit than one at a time.
Certification
New circuits get a full Electrical Installation Certificate. Alterations to existing circuits get a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate. Most small jobs — an extra socket, swapping a light fitting — are not notifiable at all.
Some work is: a brand new circuit, or anything inside a bathroom. I will tell you up front when a job falls into that category. Work like this is notifiable, which means it has to be registered with Building Control. I take care of that side for you: the building notice goes in to your council before I start, they inspect the work, and they issue the completion certificate to sit alongside your Electrical Installation Certificate. The council charges a fee for the inspection, and I will tell you exactly what it is when I quote, so it is in the price from the start rather than a surprise at the end.
Common questions
Is one socket worth calling someone out for?
Yes. It is a small job and priced as one. If you have a list of other bits that have been nagging you, mention them when you ring — doing several in one visit costs less than several separate visits.
Why do my LED downlights flicker?
Nearly always a dimmer not rated for LED loads, or a mix of lamp types on one dimmer. It is a cheap fix once diagnosed and does not mean anything is wrong with the wiring.
Can you run power to my shed or garden office?
Yes. It needs armoured cable buried at the correct depth, proper protection at both ends and usually a small consumer unit in the outbuilding. A garden office running heaters and computers needs sizing properly rather than being hung off a socket circuit.
Do I need a certificate for a new socket?
An alteration to an existing circuit gets a Minor Works Certificate, and that is not notifiable work — no council involvement, no extra fee. A brand new circuit gets a full Electrical Installation Certificate and is notifiable, so it goes through Building Control. You get the paperwork either way.
Other things I do
Fuse boards & consumer units
Old fuse box swapped for a modern consumer unit with RCBO protection on every circuit, tested and certified in a day.
House rewires
Full and partial rewires, planned around you room by room so you are never left without power or lighting overnight.
EICRs & landlord certificates
Electrical Installation Condition Reports for homeowners, landlords and letting agents — with any remedial work done by the same person who found it.
Want a price?
Tell me a bit about the job and I'll come and look. No charge for the visit, and a fixed price before anything starts.