Completely depends on size of C/U, number of circuits which will mean longer to test properly, longer to replace neatly. £395 was very, very reasonable if he also supplied new all RCBO and SPD C/U and new tails, terminations.
Best
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You mean individual pull out and rewireble fuses where you buy fuse wire down the local Wilco and figure out which thin or thick fuse wire to put back into the porcelain holder ?!!! all mounted in dark green or dark grey metal fusebox with ‘MEM’ stamped into the metal, fuse cover may be bakalite? That will be fuses to design BS88-2, BS1361 or BS1362, popular in the 1950’s -1980’s
yes well old, wiring could be old too but report does not refer. Perfectly fine if Insulation Resistance readings is up to spec.
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I know I shall get shot down for adding these comments but hey.
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£150 per hour . Is that London?
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Surely It all depends on the existing intallation and if its liable to ‘nuisance trip’ when RCD/ RCBO’s installed. those faults have to be fixed first and then there is no gurantee customer is not going to suffer intermittent trips post installation of shiny new C/U. Can take hours to track down earth leakage faults.
£395 + Vat which part of the country are you in ?
Well done for tackling a C/U rewire. Is you sparky happy to sign it off ?
Best.
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yep, its getting that way!
Best.
£2700 is way too high, 80% of the observatiions will be sorted by fitting a new Consumer unit to a 2 bed flat with cooker and new Tails from the meter, anything up to £800 + Vat. New Bath light, grommets on sockets and some trunking - sorted for £1000. Just an Guesstimation so get quotes and provide photos of current C/U and problem areas to other electrian Co’s
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How much risk are you prepared to take or do you want the job done properly, not risk life and of course the consequences.
Recently sparkies have had to do a weeks course at great cost to gain certification to the latest standards. Lost income for a week needed to be covered, as their lifetime experience, cost of running their vehicle, cost of tools and specialised equipment, cover their tax, accountant, pension, NI, possibly staff , insurance the list goes on.
Do you challenge your doctor? Albeit you may want a second opinion.
Non London rates a replacement 10 way CU will be around £600 +. It goes up as more things are needed, i.e replacement of all light fitting, switched, cooker switch, immersion switch, sockets. Any extl sockets must be of the external standard. I would recommend you do this even if the wiring is classed as safe. Sockets etc get worn and the insulated wiring can creep back.Also mixed coloured insulated cables need sleeving.
Older wiring should have RCBO on all circuits
It isn’t as someone has said - just changing the CU, earthing and the main feeds have to brought up to the latest standards, all circuits must be tested by a certified electrician.
Get your quotes but don’t cut corners. If you have a boiler you need it tested, likewise an EPC. Do you have a Water tank if so more tests.
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I do totally agree, Safety, Safety, safety. by Testing, Testing, Measuring and Testing.
Ah yes the C&G 2391, that was a stressful exam day.
The EICR should take care of the testing, charged extra over @ £120 +VAT, for the 1 & 2-bed flats.
If it’s an existing CU why would you need new tails, all they would need on the OP’s scenario is an insulation sleeve, IMH (unqualified) O.
I don’t know if he supplied all RCBO’s, I’ve not seen it, I didn’t on my 2 new installations, one new and one mixed old and new wiring - individual MCB’s via 2 block circuit RCB’s.
W. Yorks.
Yes, the same current electrician signed off on both flats for new EICR’s.
I’m assuming, from your post, that you are an electrician, so please tell me how long it takes an experienced sparky to replace a 6-way CU with existing wiring in an average 1-bed flat?
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London.cnx bakery, Thailand, air fare included… 
£150/hr x 8hrs /day x 5 days/wk x 46 weeks/year = £276,000/ann. Prices surely need to go up … 
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Sell the property, if its rough just clear it and put in auction asap
There is no benefit in being a private landlord now only grief stretching out in front of you
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I reckon 4 Hours should do it with the testing. What do you reckon?
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I would think that’s fair including the EICR re-test.
Our agents electrician charges £45/hr + VAT, hence my earlier opinion it was high at £395+VAT including materials.
Quite frankly I was shocked at the prices of materials and labour during my recent involvement in remodeling / refurbishing a few of our properties in UK. I would have said an upper average for trained / experienced tradesmen is in the £20-25/hr. range, in West Yorkshire, even our gas safe professional plumber balked at a rate a joiner charged us of £27.50/hr. reduced by the way from £35/hr. on negotiation.
I wouldn’t think an electrician could rate their complexity or safety risk any higher than a gas plumber, so I don’t know where these rates have come from. First hour fair enough, but every hour thereafter…
I had intended building a new block of 6 x 1-bed flats but the construction estimates came to more than the sale value, not including the land value which I already own. This cannot be sustainable!
I think I’ll stick to developing in our overseas home area where the day rate is often less than the hourly rate in UK…
Agreed. I wish, in hindsight, I had done that. The above scenario cost us dearly, retirement on hold, time away from my wife and life, actual cost, disputes, physical damage and mental stress - simply not worth it…!
I wish some of the misguided and inconsiderate tenants had to suffer the trials of being a landlord just once in their lives. Not saying the OP is any of these but perhaps will now have an understanding of why some landlords are reticent to take any unnecessary risks anymore.
Financial or otherwise. Cost / risk to reward ratio is no longer feasible.
I will, hopefully, be getting out before the next round of EICR’s become due. 
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Electricians must be cheap round your way.
Checkatrade have 50/h
Electrician cost per hour £50
Electrician cost per day £400
Emergency electrician cost per hour £90
Last updated: May 2026
Copyright Checkatrade. Using this information in an article or blog? Please add a link back to https://www.checkatrade.com/blog/cost-guides/electrician-hourly-rate/
Electrical safety certificate: around £212.50
Socket installation: around £65
Replacing a light fitting: around £65
Electric shower installation (install only): around £325
Replacing a fuse box: around £625
Rewiring a house: around £6,950
Copyright Checkatrade. Using this information in an article or blog? Please add a link back to https://www.checkatrade.com/blog/cost-guides/electrician-hourly-rate/
And the VAT ontop? so all +20% VAT
Cost per job Cost + VAT (Range low - high) Average cost
Electrical safety certificates £125 (one bedroom) £300+ (five bedrooms+) £212.50
Socket installation cost £55–£75 £65
Shower installation cost £250–£400 £325
Replacing a fuse box £450–£800 £625
Replacing a light fitting £55–£75 £65
Rewiring a house £3,900–£10,000 £6,950
Last updated: May 2026
Copyright Checkatrade. Using this information in an article or blog? Please add a link back to https://www.checkatrade.com/blog/cost-guides/electrician-hourly-rate/
And OP is in london so it’ll all be rather more than the checkatrade averages.
Informal quote from the sparky of 500-1000 sounds right for a new consumer unit. For the rest we don’t know how much else needs doing but sounds like some replacement external sockets plus isolation switches for bathroom and kitchen/oven.
OP needs to get some other quotes
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Thanks for all of your replies guys. They are really appreciated and I am learning a lot quickly as I go along. I copy and pasted David240’s very kind post going through each item and asking questions about the cost and remedial works required for each item. I sent this to the electrician and he has now come back with the following which will allow me to get further quotes. I would like your thoughts on it please. Thanks in anticipation.
"Please accept our apologies for any confusion caused.
After reviewing the quotation and the EICR observations, we have identified that our electrical engineer made an error in the way the consumer unit replacement was presented. The replacement of the obsolete consumer unit located below the other flat consumer unit should have been included within the C2 remedial works, as this replacement directly addresses several of the C2 observations.
My apologies for this oversight.
We have now corrected this and issued a revised quotation for your review.
Our electricians attending site for inspection and testing are there to assess the condition of the electrical installation and identify any non-compliances. They are not responsible for preparing final quotations or providing confirmed costs to clients, as remedial pricing needs to be reviewed by the office.
The verbal figure mentioned on site may have referred only to a basic replacement of an RCD or a limited repair. However, the quotation provided covers the full remedial works required to address the listed C2 and C3 observations, including the replacement of the obsolete consumer unit located below the main consumer unit, circuit protection upgrades, cable entry protection, enclosure protection, accessories, labels, testing and certification.
Please note that, due to the replacement of the obsolete consumer unit located below the main consumer unit, the following observations will be rectified/eliminated as part of the consumer unit replacement works:
C2 items: 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10
C3 items: 3, 4 and 5
The C3 observation regarding the existing consumer unit not being metal or installed in a non-combustible cabinet has now been included within the C2 remedial section, as the proposed works include replacing the obsolete consumer unit with a modern metal consumer unit.
The new consumer unit installation will include a modern metal consumer unit, suitable enclosure protection, cable entry protection, cable gland/termination arrangements, 30 mA RCD/RCBO protection where required, SPD protection where applicable, and suitable testing/certification upon completion.
Please note that the cost does not only cover the electrician attending site and carrying out the physical works. It also includes materials, testing, certification, administration, company overheads, insurance, NICEIC membership/compliance obligations, warranty responsibility and the professional liability associated with carrying out remedial electrical works.
Please see below an itemised explanation of what is included against each item.
C2 Remedial Works – Total: £1,860.00
1. Meter tails PVC sheath stripped back at termination – £120.00
Issue:
The meter tails have had their PVC sheath stripped back too far, leaving the inner insulation exposed and increasing the risk of mechanical damage.
Works included:
Inspect the meter tail entry and termination area.
Make safe the exposed meter tails where accessible.
Provide suitable mechanical protection and correct cable entry/termination arrangement where required.
Ensure the cables are suitably protected and supported at the point of entry/termination.
2. Excessive opening at the top of the consumer unit – Included within consumer unit replacement works
Issue:
An excessive opening was identified at the top of the consumer unit near the earth bar/cable entry. This compromises the enclosure IP protection and may present a potential risk of access to live parts.
Works included:
This item will be rectified/eliminated as part of the replacement of the obsolete consumer unit located below the main consumer unit. The new consumer unit installation will include suitable enclosure protection, blanks, gland plates, grommets, bushings and cable entry protection as required.
3. No cable gland termination / conductors not protected against strain – Included within consumer unit replacement works
Issue:
Cable entries are not correctly glanded and the conductors are not protected from mechanical strain at the terminations.
Works included:
This item will be rectified/eliminated as part of the consumer unit replacement works. Suitable cable glands, grommets, bushes or cable entry protection will be installed where required, and cables will be secured to reduce strain on terminations.
4. LV cables installed without suitable support against premature collapse – £150.00
Issue:
Low voltage cables have not been provided with suitable support to prevent premature collapse in the event of fire.
Works included:
Install suitable fire-rated cable supports where required and where accessible.
Secure loose or unsupported LV cabling in accordance with current requirements.
This will be carried out where practical without major building disruption.
5. Cable entry into metal back box without grommet/protection – Included within consumer unit replacement works, where related to the consumer unit
Issue:
Cable entry into a metal back box is not provided with suitable grommet or edge protection, which may lead to damage to the cable insulation.
Works included:
This item will be rectified/eliminated as part of the consumer unit replacement works where the observation relates to cable entry into or around the consumer unit area. Suitable grommets, bushes or cable protection will be installed where required.
6. Damaged back box with no live exposed parts – £95.00
Issue:
A back box has been damaged. Although there are no live exposed parts, it still requires remedial attention to ensure the accessory is properly supported and safe.
Works included:
Replace or repair the damaged back box where accessible.
Secure the accessory correctly.
Check that there are no exposed live parts or damaged conductors after repair.
7. No RCD protection to PVC/PVC cables concealed in walls and liable to damage – Eliminated with consumer unit replacement
Issue:
PVC/PVC cables concealed in walls are not provided with suitable 30 mA RCD protection.
Works included:
This item will be rectified/eliminated as part of the replacement of the obsolete consumer unit located below the main consumer unit. The new consumer unit will provide suitable 30 mA RCD/RCBO protection where required, subject to circuit condition and test results.
8. Cable entry into metal back box without grommet/protection – £85.00
Issue:
A further metal back box has cable entry without suitable protection, which may damage the cable insulation.
Works included:
Access the affected accessory.
Install suitable grommet, bush or cable protection.
Inspect cable condition and refit the accessory safely.
9. Bathroom light with less than IPX4 ingress protection – £195.00
Issue:
The light fitting installed in the bathroom does not appear to have the required IP rating for its location.
Works included:
Remove the unsuitable bathroom light fitting.
Supply and install a suitable bathroom-rated light fitting with appropriate ingress protection.
Test the lighting circuit after replacement.
10. Circuit supplying bath/shower location with no 30 mA RCD protection – Included within consumer unit replacement works
Issue:
A circuit supplying a location containing a bath or shower has no 30 mA RCD protection.
Works included:
This item will be rectified/eliminated as part of the consumer unit replacement works by providing suitable 30 mA RCD/RCBO protection to the relevant circuit, subject to circuit condition and test results.
11. Replacement of obsolete consumer unit located below the main consumer unit – £1,215.00
Issue:
The existing consumer unit located below the main consumer unit is obsolete and does not provide suitable modern protection for the affected circuits.
Works included:
Isolate and remove the obsolete consumer unit.
Supply and install a modern metal consumer unit.
Provide suitable RCBO/RCD protection to the relevant circuits where required.
Include SPD protection where applicable and compatible with the new board arrangement.
Provide suitable cable entry protection, gland/termination arrangements and enclosure protection.
Reconnect and identify circuits.
Carry out inspection, testing and certification upon completion.
C3 Remedial Works – Total: £25.00
1. Missing “Safety electrical connection – do not remove” label – £25.00
Issue:
The main earth terminal has not been provided with the required safety warning label.
Works included:
Supply and install the correct safety electrical connection label at the main earth terminal.
2. Socket-outlets with no RCD protection where equipment may be used outside – Included within consumer unit replacement works
Issue:
Socket-outlets that may reasonably be used to supply equipment outdoors do not have 30 mA RCD protection.
Works included:
This item will be rectified/eliminated as part of the consumer unit replacement works by providing suitable 30 mA RCD/RCBO protection to the relevant socket circuit, subject to circuit condition and test results.
3. Lighting circuit supplying Class I luminaires with no 30 mA RCD protection – Included within consumer unit replacement works
Issue:
Lighting circuits in a domestic dwelling, including Class I fittings, do not have 30 mA RCD protection.
Works included:
This item will be rectified/eliminated as part of the consumer unit replacement works by providing suitable 30 mA RCD/RCBO protection to the relevant lighting circuit, subject to circuit condition and test results.
4. Absence of SPD at the origin of the installation – Included within consumer unit replacement works
Issue:
There is no surge protection device installed at the origin of the installation.
Works included:
This item will be rectified/eliminated as part of the consumer unit replacement works, as the new consumer unit will include SPD protection where applicable.
Summary of Costs
C2 Remedial Works: £1,860.00
C3 Remedial Works: £25.00
Total Remedial Works: £1,885.00
We hope the above provides a clearer breakdown of what is included within the quotation."
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Well you have my vote for the longest post 
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Brilliant !, you have elisited a much clearer picture of what work is ACTUALLY required.
You have not said or shown how many circuits are on the Obsolete Consumer unit. This will be detailed on the original EICR.
This is important ! More circuits mean a lot more testing work to check all is good or not with the wiring.
A 4 x way fuseboard will take less time to rewire than a 10 way Fuseboard.
A 2 bed flat in North London would potentially have:
Sockets Ring 32A, Lights 6A , Cooker 32A, Smoke Detectors 6A, Electric Shower 40A , If there is Electric Storage Heaters then single Radial circuits for each but have seen no reference. otherwise a CH Gas Boiler feed 6A.
A sum total of 6 fuses or ’ ways’
I would not expect this to cost £1215 , i’d say £500 - 600. What say others ???
Get more quotes for ‘changing an X way Consumer unit and testing same’- where X is the number of final ‘ways’ you wish to end up with.
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