Electrician bill?

Question

Hi, just got a bill for installation of two new electric sockets, one which was underneath a worktop and one inside big kitchen cupboard. The work took just under an hour and i have been charged £176.25 for this....I phoned another electrician when i got this bill and they quoted about £40. Is there anyone out there with knowledge of this and how much you would consider reasonable???

Many thanks...

I have a switch above my work top which enables me to switch off my freezer. The guys that done the work took a feed from this socket and fed it 3metres approx. In my cupboard in my kitchen is my fuse box where another socket was fitted approx 20cms from it. Can anyone help with what my rights are? My wife is saying i should send a cheque for £60 and see how we get on? need sound

Answer 1

You should always ask for an estimate for the work that's to be done, this is a good guide for the final bill, If the tradesman comes across any problems he will inform you, and then you can negotiate any further charges. If you think you are being overcharged get in touch with Trading Standards, They are very good, and free.

Answer 2

The price depends on a few things:
1) Which part of the country you live in, the further south the more u pay usually.
2) Is the company VAT registered, this can add quite a bit to a bill.
3) How far they are from your house they are situated, the further you are the more u will pay per mile, in mileage charge. (although not everyone charges this)
Ideally you should always get a quote upfront, which doesn't look like you have done, so you could try phoning them up and querying the bill and ask for a breakdown of the price. The other electrician you asked didn't see the job so it was probably just a rough estimate £40 seems a bit on the low side, but if hes not VAT registered is plausible. £176 seems a bit on the steep side but if you didn't get a quote, it looks like u will have to pay this time if you get no luck querying the bill. I wouldn't bother sending the £60 as they will probably send a debt collector after the remaining amount. It is not necessarily true that the more you pay the better the job will be as some company's are just rip off merchants.

Answer 3

You should ask for an itemised bill so you can see where the money went. I agree the materials - two new sockets plus over 3 metres of cable may come to over £40, check on diy.com. Was the cable surface mounted or did they hide it away neatly in the wall? By the sound of it you had more than one guy working on the job which is why they were able to do it so quickly. In England you will also need a certificate (I do not know the details but check your local council website) because this was new work - not replacing existing wiring- and must be done by suitably qualified personnel.

Parts and materials - estimated £40 (remember back boxes too)
Labour -2 men x one hour estimated @ £30 = £60
Callout fee?? or did you book in advance?
VAT ???

Answer 4

Hi - Unfortunately you will have to 'bite the bullet' and pay it. As you haven't had a written quotation for the work you have no option. If you refuse to pay then the involvement of debt collectors or the courts will only end up costing YOU considerably more than the debt. £40 for this job is unrealistic, probably somewhere between the two figures you mention would be closer to the mark. Sending only part of the payment will antagonise the contractor and may well lead to legal action sooner rather than later.
The assumption that all contractors are crooks is no longer valid. I know from personal experience that there are far more 'crooked' customers than contractors. I'm NOT suggesting that YOU are crooked, just perhaps a little naive in how the system works.

Answer 5

Any work in a kitchen now comes under Part P of the Building Regulations. This means that the electrician should also have completed an EIC (Electrical Inspection Certificate) and given it to you. He should also ensure that your Main Equipotential Bonding is in order. Taking this into account on top of of the work, and £176 does seem too excessive.
Of course, if he didn't then you have just cause to either demand one or refer his name to your local council who will take legal proceedings.
Did he belong to any electrical organisation?
That may be another avenue for you.

Answer 6

YOU ALLOWED THE ELECTRICAN TO DO THE WORK AND NOTHING IS WRONG, YOU ARE OBLIGED TO PAY
I FOR ONE DO NOT THINK YOU HAVE BEEN OVERCHARGED COSTLY YES BUT NOT OVERCHARGED YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR THE PRICE BEFORE THE JOB WAS DONE
THE £40 QUOTE FROM THE OTHER ONE WAS RIDICULOUS AND SHOULD BE TREATED WITH CONTEMPT MATERIALS WOULD HAVE COST THAT MUCH IF NOT MORE IF YOU HAVE GOT DECENT QUALITY SOCKET OUTLETS THE QUESTION YOU HAVE TO ASK ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE WORK AND DO THE SOCKETS DO THE JOB YOU REQUIRE

PAY THE MAN THE FULL PRICE ASKED AND DONT BE STUPID ENOUGH TO SEND A CHEQUE FOR £60
. ANOTHER THING TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE TOTAL PRICE INCLUDED VAT WHICH WOULD PROBABLY BE £30 APPROX ESTIMATE MATERIALS AT £40 THEN TRAVELLING TIME TO AND FROM YOUR HOME PLUS PETROL THEN HE AS TO PAY TAX ON THE AMOUNT AT THE END OF THE YEAR APPROX 32% IN TOTALSHALL I GO ON YOU HAVE NOT GOT A GRIPE THAT HOLDS WATER AS STATED PAY THE MAN

Answer 7

It sounds a tad expensive, but, you will pay more if you don't get an estimate, if your job is going to ruin a morning or afternoon, you could be charged for the whole of the morning. Most firms have overheads, I know a company who have to charge 500 per day per engineer, this is because they have an expensive showroom, do a lot of bespoke work and have all the necessary credentials, a one man band working from home will have minimal overheads, but, could move house, then your guarantee is worthless. Material costs vary massively, dependent on quality, qualifications vary, and cost money, you can always check credentials and your work must be certified, if all this is in order, you are probably going to have to pay!

Answer 8

While it isn't cheap, i wouldn't necessary say that it is overpriced. For instance, did he come at short notice?. How can you (a customer) how much it's cost or inconvenienced him to leave whatever other work was going on.

Trading standards can't involve themselves with the price charged, only the quality of the service/workmanship.

Pay up and get a quote next time..

Answer 9

expect about £40 per hour labour,10 pence a mile millage, i would say £20 for the sockets and cable , trunking etc on top maybey top line about £100 at a proper company.
its like everything else you have ford mechanics and back street garages. plus its more expensive in the south.

Answer 10

did he quote this before, cos if he did he may not have wanted the job and quoted high so he wouldnt get it, my bro was an electrician n hated doing house stuff because you had to charge so much for such a little job to make it worth driving over there (£40 sounds a tad lol btw)