Emergency Electrician Cost in London 2026: What Affects the Price
What changes the price of a call-out
The biggest single factor is the time of day. The same fault costs very different amounts depending on when the electrician turns up. This is how the rates compare across the week.
| When | How the rate compares | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Weekday, 8am to 6pm, same day | Lowest. Normal daytime rate | Many firms fit these in at normal rates |
| Weekday evening, 6pm to 10pm | Higher than daytime | The typical "emergency" rate |
| Night, 10pm to 8am | Highest | Few electricians genuinely work these hours |
| Weekend and bank holiday | Highest | Parts suppliers are shut, repairs often finish Monday |
Parts are extra. A replacement RCD or RCBO, or a whole new consumer unit, goes on top of the labour. An out-of-hours job also usually needs a second daytime visit to finish properly. Count that second visit when you weigh up a night call-out against waiting until 8am.
The other things that move the price are the fault itself, how long it takes to trace, how easy the board and wiring are to get at, and whether the supplier has to attend as well.
What is a real electrical emergency
Call straight away, and if there is fire or smoke call 999 first, for any of these: a burning smell or scorch marks at a socket, switch or the consumer unit; sparks or a bang from the board; exposed live wires anyone could touch; water running into electrics; a power cut in your property only, when the supplier confirms the street is on, and you cannot reset it; anyone who has had a shock, however small.
Not an emergency, however annoying: one circuit tripping that stays off when you leave it off, a single dead socket, a light that will not work, a cooker or shower that has stopped. Those are next-morning jobs and there is no reason to pay emergency rates for them.
What to do before you call anyone
- Go to the consumer unit. If one switch has dropped, that circuit has tripped. Switch off everything on that circuit, then try the switch once. If it holds, plug things back in one at a time until you find the item that trips it. Usually it is a kettle, a lamp or an outdoor extension.
- If it will not hold, leave that circuit off and use the rest of the house. That turns a night call-out into a morning booking.
- If the main switch or the RCD for everything keeps tripping, switch off every circuit, reset the main, and turn circuits back on one by one. The one that trips it is the fault. Leave it off.
- Check the street. Your supplier's power cut line (105 from any phone) tells you if the outage is theirs. If it is, no electrician can fix it.
- Photograph the board with the covers on. Send it with your message and you will get an accurate quote instead of a guess.
The most common call-outs and what affects the fix
| Fault | Usual cause | What affects the cost of the fix |
|---|---|---|
| RCD trips and will not reset | A faulty appliance, damp in an outdoor socket, or a damaged cable | How long it takes to trace and isolate. The repair is quoted once the cause is found |
| One circuit dead | A blown fuse in an old board, a loose connection, a failed MCB | Which of these it is, and the age of the board |
| Burning smell at a socket | A loose connection arcing behind the faceplate | Replacing the socket and checking the rest of the ring |
| Whole house off, supplier says street is live | Main switch, a failed RCD, or the cut-out fuse (supplier only) | Whether the fault is yours or the supplier's. A supplier visit for their own fuse is free |
| Lights flicker or dim when appliances start | A loose neutral, sometimes at the supplier side | Where the loose neutral is. It may need a supplier call as well |
| Shower or cooker dead | Failed isolator switch or element | Which part has failed, plus the part itself |
How to avoid paying emergency rates
Three things cut the bill. First, isolate at the board and wait until morning whenever the list above says you can. Second, book with a firm that offers a fixed-price fault visit rather than an open hourly rate plus parts. Fault finding billed by the hour with no limit is how a small job turns into a big bill. Third, keep your EICR current. Almost every emergency we attend is something an inspection would have flagged as a C2 a year earlier. Energy North does a fixed-price fault visit within 48 hours at daytime rates, and quotes for an EICR free on request.
How to compare quotes and spot red flags
When you ring round, ask each electrician the same questions so the answers line up. A fair quote for a fault visit should tell you:
- Whether the visit is a fixed price or charged by the hour.
- What the price covers: finding the fault, making it safe, or the full repair.
- How parts are charged, and whether common parts are carried on the van.
- Whether a second daytime visit is likely, and how that is priced.
- Which rate applies, daytime, evening, night or weekend.
Be wary of an hourly rate with no idea of the total, a phone price that changes as soon as someone arrives, or pressure to do work that is not urgent on the same night at the emergency rate. A good electrician will make the fault safe, explain what they found and quote the rest in writing.
Landlords and emergency repairs
A landlord must keep the electrical installation safe and in repair, and a tenant with no power or an unsafe installation is a repair the law expects to be dealt with quickly, usually within 24 hours for a total loss of power. Under the 2020 electrical safety regulations a C1 or C2 found at any time must be fixed within 28 days. Give tenants the number of your electrician, tell them what to try at the board first, and keep the EICR on file so the fault history is known.
Where this guide applies
This guide is written for London. It covers the boroughs we work in most, Barnet, Enfield, Haringey, Camden, Islington, Hackney, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Redbridge, Westminster, Ealing, Brent, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, and the rest of Greater London within a small travel allowance. Outside the M25 prices are usually a little lower because day rates and parking cost less.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an emergency electrician cost in London?
It depends on when you call, what has gone wrong and the parts needed. Daytime visits cost the least, weekday evenings cost more, and nights, weekends and bank holidays cost the most. Parts are extra. Ask for a fixed-price fault visit and a written quote before any work starts.
What counts as an electrical emergency?
A burning smell or scorching at a socket or the consumer unit, sparks or a bang from the board, exposed live wires, water in the electrics, a power loss in your property alone that you cannot reset, or anyone getting a shock. A single tripping circuit that stays off is not an emergency.
Should I call an electrician if my RCD keeps tripping?
First unplug everything on that circuit and reset it. If it holds, plug items back one by one to find the faulty one. If it will not hold, leave the circuit off and book a fault visit for the morning at normal rates.
Can I get an emergency electrician the same day in London?
Yes. Many firms fit same-day daytime visits at normal rates. Energy North books fault visits within 48 hours across North, East and West London at daytime rates, with a free quote on request.
Who pays for an emergency electrician in a rented property?
The landlord, for anything to do with the fixed installation. The tenant may be liable if their own appliance caused the fault, which is why tracing the cause matters.
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Related guides
- How much does an electrician cost in London?
- How much does an EICR cost in London?
- Consumer unit replacement cost in London
- Landlord electrical safety certificate cost in London
Updated 21 October 2026. We do not publish prices on this page because they change. Every job is quoted on its own, free and in writing, and other electricians may quote differently. Nothing on this page changes the legal duties described, which come from the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 and BS 7671.