By definition an electrician is a person who installs and maintains electrical equipment ... thinking about becoming an electrician get some advice here!
Hiring an electrician
Faulty wiring is a fire waiting to happen - reason enough to hire a qualified electrician!
IMPORTANT: Electrical safety requirements have been included in Part P of the Building Regulations since January 2005. So if you are planning to extend or alter the electrics in your home, such as providing extra sockets in the kitchen, ensure you employ a 'competent person'.
What does 'competent person' mean? The electrician must be registered with a scheme that has been approved by The Department for Communities and Local Government, find out more about Part P.
Evaluate what work needs to be done
If you are planning a full re-wire it's advisable to think extensively about how you want the system to work, what appliances you want to use and lighting solutions. It can be complicated so if you have thought about it beforehand, your electrician will be able to provide a better solution.
If an architect is planning any of your building works then the electrics will be included as part of the plans. The plans show outlet and switch locations as well as label fixture types. Often these plans are drawn up long before you've had a chance to pick the light fixtures, so you will need to supply your electrician with this information.
In order to help you decide on your electrics, you may like to draw a rough sketch of each room adding in light sockets, lights, etc. If you are carrying out extensive renovation work or if it's a new build, this might require lots of imagination but it's important you think about how the space will be used and the solutions required.
It's also important that you future proof your home and set up all the necessary cabling. This will allow you to add any extra fancy gadgets at a later stage - see our article on smart homes for more information.
Find an electrician
So how can you find an electrician?
contact one of the Part P schemes
ask neighbours or friends for recommendations
search locally on JuggleFrogs for recommended tradespeople!
If you can't find someone locally on JuggleFrogs you can let us know your requirements and we will try to source someone in your local area.
It's advisable when employing any tradespeople to get at least three quotes so you can really evaluate and make the best decisions. Base your choice on a combination of price, ability, experience and your impressions.
Each electrician will need to inspect the property, see your plans and discuss your thoughts in order to give a specific quote for the job. Questions to ask:
how long have they been in business?
do they have recent references, preferabley for similar works?
are they Part P qualified and if so what scheme are they registered with?
do they have any relevant qualifications?
what price / rate will they charge?
Once you have chosen an electrician, set up a contract specifying the work to be done, cost, payment schedule, start date and estimated completion date.