Capital Electrician
Emergency Lighting Testing: What UK Businesses Must Do
The law says maintain it but never says how often. Here's where the monthly and annual tests actually come from, who carries the duty, and what inspectors check.
Read moreElectrical Advice & Updates
Straightforward guidance on electrical safety, certificates, and home upgrades from our NICEIC registered team across London.
Capital Electrician
Immersion Heater Not Working? How to Find the Fault
No hot water from the immersion? The thermostat trips out far more often than the element fails. Here's how to tell them apart before you pay for the wrong part.
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Electric Shower Not Working? Here's What's Usually Wrong
Dead shower, cold water or one that cuts out mid-wash. The faults behind each symptom, the two safe checks you can do, and when to stop and call someone.
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Electric Shower Installation: Cost, Circuits and the Catch
What an electric shower install actually involves in a London home, why the consumer unit decides half the price, and the questions to ask before you book.
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Which Electrical Certificate Do You Actually Need?
EIC, Minor Works and EICR are three different documents for three different jobs. Here is which one your electrician should hand you, and when.
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AFDDs and Surge Protection: What Modern Fuse Boxes Need
Arc fault detection and surge protection are the two devices changing what goes in a consumer unit. Here is what each does and whether your board needs them.
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Bathroom Electrical Zones Explained: 0, 1, 2 and IP Ratings
Bathrooms are split into electrical zones by how close they are to water. Here is what goes where, which IP rating you need, and why sockets are banned.
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Does an Electric Cooker Need Its Own Circuit?
Most electric cookers and every electric hob need a dedicated circuit. Here is how to work out whether yours does, and what a proper cooker circuit involves.
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Earthing and Bonding Explained: What Yours Should Look Like
Earthing and bonding do two different jobs and both get flagged on inspections. Here is what each one is, what good looks like, and why yours may be missing.
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EICR Codes Explained: What C1, C2, C3 and FI Mean
Your EICR came back with codes against it. Here is what C1, C2, C3 and FI actually mean, which ones make a report unsatisfactory, and what you have to fix.
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Fixed Wire Testing: What UK Businesses Actually Have to Do
No law sets a fixed testing interval for business premises. Here is what the Electricity at Work Regulations really require and how to build a defensible schedule.
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Kitchen Socket Rules: How Many, Where, and the Sink Myth
There is no legal minimum distance between a socket and your kitchen sink. Here is what the rules actually say, how many sockets you need and where to put them.
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Power Cut or Your Own Fault? How to Tell in Two Minutes
Lights out and no idea why? Here is the two minute check that tells you whether it is a network power cut or a fault inside your own home, and who to call.
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Running Power to a Garden Office, Shed or Garage
A garden office needs a proper buried supply and its own small board, not an extension lead. Here is what the job involves, what it costs and what the rules are.
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Smart Light Switches and the Missing Neutral Wire
Most UK light switches have no neutral, which is why smart switches fail. Here are the four ways round it and which one suits your house and your lights.
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Outdoor Socket Installation and Garden Lighting: A Safe Guide
Adding an outdoor socket or garden lighting isn't a weekend DIY job. Here's the safe, legal way to do it, from RCDs and IP66 sockets to SWA cable and Part P.
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Can I Do My Own Electrical Work in the UK? Part P Explained
Swapping a like-for-like socket is legal DIY. New circuits, consumer units and bathroom wiring are notifiable under Part P and need a competent person to sign them off. Here's where the line sits.
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Do You Have to Move Out During a House Rewire?
Usually no. Most house rewires can be phased room by room, so you can stay put. Here's what to expect on timeline, dust, power and living in it.
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Do You Need Planning Permission for an EV Charger?
Most home EV chargers are permitted development, so no planning permission is needed. But London listed buildings, conservation areas and flats are the catch.
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The Electrical Checklist for Buying a House in London
A standard survey won't test the wiring. Here's the electrical checklist to run before buying a house in London, the red flags in older homes, and why an EICR pays for itself.
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How Many Downlights Do I Need Per Room? A Spacing Guide
Work out how many downlights you need per room with a simple spacing rule, a lumens-per-square-metre guide by room, and a worked example for a London kitchen.
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How Often Should You Get an EICR? Rules by Property Type
How often you need an EICR depends on the property. Homeowners are advised every 10 years, landlords must test every 5 years by law, businesses follow a risk cycle.
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How to Reset a Tripped Fuse Box or RCD Safely
Your fuse box has tripped and half the house is dark. Here's how to safely reset the main switch or RCD, trace the faulty appliance, and know when to stop and call us.
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MCB vs RCD vs RCBO: What's Actually in Your Fuse Box
MCB, RCD or RCBO? Here's what each switch in your consumer unit does, how to spot which one you've got, and why one of them keeps tripping. Plain advice from London electricians.
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Why Do My LED Lights Buzz, Hum or Glow When Off?
That faint glow or low hum from your LED lights is usually harmless, but not always. Here's how to tell a cheap driver from a real wiring fault, and when to call an electrician.
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The Best Consumer Unit Brands in the UK (2026 Compared)
The leading UK consumer unit brands for 2026 compared, from Hager and Wylex to Fusebox and MK, plus what actually matters more than the badge: metal, RCBO and SPD.
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Bathroom Extractor Fan Regulations: Zones, Ventilation and the Rules
What UK law actually requires for bathroom extractor fans: Part F ventilation rates, Part P notifiable wiring, and the BS 7671 zones and IP ratings that decide what goes where.
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What Is an RCD? RCD, RCBO and MCB Explained
An RCD trips fast to stop a fatal shock, an MCB protects the cable, and an RCBO does both. Here's how they differ and what to do if yours keeps tripping.
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The Best Downlights for a Kitchen: 2026 Buyer's Guide
A 2026 buyer's guide to the best kitchen downlights by type: fire-rated, IP65 over sinks, integrated LED vs GU10, dimmable and CCT, plus how many you need.
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Part P Explained: What Electrical Work Needs Building Regs Sign-Off
A plain-English guide to Part P: what it covers, which electrical jobs are notifiable, who can sign the work off, and why the certificate matters.
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The Best Outdoor and Garden Lighting for UK Homes (2026)
A buyer's guide to the best outdoor lighting for UK homes in 2026, from wall lights and path bollards to festoon, PIR floodlights and smart garden lighting.
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Smoke Alarm Regulations UK: What Homes and Landlords Must Do
What UK smoke and heat alarm law requires in 2026, where alarms must go, and why mains-wired interlinked units beat battery ones for homeowners and landlords.
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PAT Testing Explained: The Law, The Cost and How Often You Need It
What PAT testing actually is, what UK law really requires, how often to do it, and what it costs as a general London range for landlords and businesses.
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How to Choose the Best Electrician in London: The Complete Checklist
The complete checklist for choosing an electrician in London: scheme registration, Part P, insurance, written quotes and certificates, plus the cowboy red flags to avoid.
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The Best Home EV Chargers in the UK for 2026 (7 Units Compared)
The best home EV charger for 2026, ranked by what each one is genuinely best at, from smart tariff units to solar diversion, plus how to pick the right one.
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How Much Does It Cost to Add Extra Plug Sockets in London?
What it really costs to add plug sockets in a London home, from a simple spur to a new circuit, plus what drives the price and why it beats extension leads.
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How Much Does an Electrician Cost in London? 2026 Rates Guide
London electrician costs explained: hourly, call-out, half-day, day and emergency rates for 2026, plus how to compare quotes properly.
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EICR Cost in London: What Landlords Pay and Why It Matters
What an EICR actually costs in London, what moves the price up or down, and why every landlord is on the hook for one every five years.
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How Much Does It Cost to Rewire a House in London?
Realistic London rewiring costs by property size, what changes the price, how long it takes, and the warning signs your wiring is overdue.
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EV Charger Installation Cost in London (Plus the £500 Grant)
What a home EV charger costs to install in London, the £500 government grant for renters and flat owners, and what the job actually involves.
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Consumer Unit Replacement Cost: When You Need a New Fuse Box
What a new consumer unit costs in London, the difference between a modern board and an old fuse box, and the signs yours needs replacing.
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Why Does My Fuse Box Keep Tripping? A London Electrician Explains
The real reasons a fuse box keeps tripping, how to safely track down the culprit yourself, and when to stop and call an electrician.
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Burning Smell From a Socket or Plug? What It Means and What to Do
A burning smell from a socket can be an early sign of an electrical fire. Here is what to do right now and what is causing it.
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Landlord Electrical Safety Certificate: The 2026 Legal Requirements
What England's landlord electrical safety law requires in 2026: 5-year EICRs, the deadlines you must hit, and fines now up to £40,000.
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How Much Does It Cost to Install Downlights in London?
What downlights really cost to fit in London, from per-light prices to a kitchen of six, plus the factors and fire-rating rules that affect the price.
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Why Do My Lights Keep Flickering? Causes and When to Worry
From loose bulbs and old dimmers to a dangerous loose neutral, here are the real causes of flickering lights and when to call an electrician.
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What You Need to Install an EV Charger at Home in London
Off-street parking, board capacity, open-PEN earthing, a DNO notification and a registered installer: what a London home EV charger really needs.
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Is Your Fuse Board Safe? Signs You Need a Consumer Unit Upgrade
Old fuse board or modern consumer unit? London electricians explain the safety signs that mean it's time to upgrade.
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10 Warning Signs Your House Needs Rewiring (London)
The 10 warning signs a London electrician looks for to tell whether your house needs rewiring, and which signs mean turn the power off now.
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Do I Need an EICR to Sell My House?
An EICR is not legally required to sell a home, but London buyers, solicitors and lenders increasingly ask for one. Here is when sellers really need it.
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