Does a £1,000 rewire actually exist?

gazza — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 23:00:00 +0000

gazza Mon, 28/07/2014

If there is ever a topic to rattle the cages of electricians up and down the country, it is the non- competitive nature of the pricing of jobs. A common problem shared by practically every electrician is being beaten on price to the point where there is no money to be made on the job.
For a professional electrician who takes pride in their work, being beaten on price can become a very familiar and disheartening game. There is a lot more to a quotation than simply the cost of materials to consider, however with many customers looking only at the bottom line, the electrician is left to justify their higher price against someone who is going to cut corners – or charge more in the longer run.
How low will you go?
As the title of this article suggests, the job in question is a standard 3 bedroom unoccupied terraced house. The property needs a re-wire comprising of new sockets in each room, 3 smoke alarms, earth upgrades and a new consumer unit all chased in. A local electrical firm think that they can do the job for £1,000.
Of course such a price in 2014 seems absolutely absurd to 99% of electricians who take pride in their work, however as we all know, there are fake electricians operating in the market place effectively touting low prices in order to gain the work.
As an electrician, would you put away your note pad and pen and wish the customer the best of luck, or would you compete on such a price. We have to say, we don't know many who would!
Householders - why a cheap price is the dearest
There are two reasons why, as a customer, you should not opt for the lowest price. What you should be looking at is value for money. So firstly you need to consider what is being included in the price you pay.

Basic price quote

Such a low price, at best, will mean you will be paying far in excess of this price for the rewire job to be completed properly. If the price is being quoted by a bona fide electrician, this will often be their labour only. In addition to this price, you will have to pay for the price of materials, re-plastering work, testing, certification and commissioning. Without knowing the price of these 'extras' in advance, you may well find that the overall price of your rewire is considerably higher than a properly produced 'all in quote' from a qualified, registered electrician. Often these quotes can be £3-4,000 in addition.

Fake Electrician quote

By far the most concerning quotation is from what is commonly termed a 'door knocking electrician'. Such people are not who they say they are and are often neither qualified or registered to do the work. Electrical work carried out (assuming the job gets finished) is often shoddy and dangerous leaving the customer to have to pay twice. Materials such as cable and sockets in jobs like these have been found to be fake in some cases and of course could lead to electrical shock or injury.
Protect you and your families safety – do not take the cheapest price
Not only are you paying hard earn t cash to someone who doesn't give two hoots about your safety and will disappear off the job as soon as you can say 'six speedy sausages' never to be found again, but you could also be receiving a death trap rewire.
A professional electrician will be including employee/public insurance, diesel, tools, van, materials, warranty liability, and certification in their quote. This means that not only will your job be completed to the high standards, in accordance to the latest electrical regulations – i.e. 17th edition, but the work will also be guaranteed for years to come.
In a nutshell, you are not paying more money for a 'piece of paper' you are paying more money for peace of mind, safety standards, warranties and genuine products.
A fake electrician carrying out electrical work is only after your money!
They do not care about your safety. When requesting quotes for any electrical work (not just rewires) always ensure that the electrician is qualified and registered. The best place to look is Registered Competent Person Electrical website which lists all electricians registered to work for householders in England and Wales.
The true cost of a £1,000 rewire
Work not carried out in accordance with electrical regulations
Possibility of fake or stolen materials
No insurance
No guarantee on work carried out
No calibration on testers (if any testing is carried out) meaning the test is not valid
There will always be someone who can do electrical work 'cheaper', however as a householder, it is important to look for good workmanship and quality standards to ensure your own safety and sanity.
There is a discussion going on about this on the My Local Electrician LinkedIn Group http://lnkd.in/dFxHdpX

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