How much does an electrician cost?

We shed some light on an electrician’s prices and rates in Newcastle.

Updated April 2019

From routine electrical installation or repair work to emergency call-outs, you’re probably going to need the services of an electrician at some point in your life.

When power failures and issues occur, your first priority is to get the issue fixed. Pricing, however, is easily a close second.

You want to get a fair price for electrical work, whether it’s for your home or business – but before jumping the gun and taking the cheapest offer available, there are various elements you need to consider.

For example, you need to consider whether your electrician is fully qualified. A fully qualified electrician will ensure:

• A safe electrical installation which complies with the latest electrical wiring regulations.
• A fully verified, inspected and tested electrical installation – complete with a signed electrical certificate which validates the job.
• Where required, submission of work to council authorities and/or inspectors.

There’s no use getting electrical work done if the electrician is unprofessional, unqualified and inexperienced – no matter how cheap their rates are. An unqualified electrician can cause more harm than good, putting you, your family or your team in danger. Before hiring an electrician, make sure to check out our blogs on getting the best from your electrician:

• How to find fair electrician rates & still get a quality job
• Tips for dealing with dodgy electrical work

Now, the next most important consideration – costs for good, reliable electrical work. We’ve compiled an extensive guide to electrical costs to help you make an informed decision for you and your family, plus ensure you have some knowledge about our prices prior to engaging our electricians in Newcastle.

Emergency & repair work (non-quoted)

Let’s face it – accidents and emergencies happen.

Some emergencies like a blown fuse or changing a light bulb can usually be attended to without the assistance of an electrician. However, it’s important to put your safety first and if in doubt, it’s best to let a qualified emergency electrician assess the situation for you.

Below is a basic outline of our costs (inside and outside of business hours).

Basic electrical tasks

Install a double power point

Source: Masters

With the increasing number of electrical gadgets in everyday life, it seems like there’s never a power point when you need one. Most people can get by using powerboards but these can become unsafe and you risk an overload if you’ve got more than one powerboard plugged into any one socket.

To overcome your power shortfalls, we recommend installing double power points.

Bear in mind – certain things may affect the price of your installation including location, underfloor, wall and ceiling access, style of powerpoint, or distance from the closest power point.

Supply & install LED downlights

Source: Sal

Over the last few years, LED lighting has developed to a point that lighting quality is now far superior to traditional incandescent, fluorescent or halogen equivalents. As costs have now dropped for quality LED downlights to below $25, replacing or installing LED downlights is both cost-effective and energy efficient. Most LED downlights come with a 3-5 year warranty and are tested up to 50,000 hours.

Things that may affect cost:

• Amount of fittings that need to be replaced
• Size or style of the downlight
• Ceiling access
• Age of the existing wiring
• Current circuit protection

Install ceiling fan

Source: Masters

Ceiling fans are still the most cost-effective method for air movement. They can help warm air to circulate in winter, as well as reduce the stifling effects of heat in summer. Ceiling fans can be installed easily into existing rooms or can be installed to replace an existing light fitting. Options for switching include both wall control and remote. Things that may affect cost:

• Existing wiring standard
• Installation of timber batten in the ceiling to hang the fan
• Ceiling access
• Wall access
• Style of fan
• Current wiring

General kitchen electrical fit out – includes connection of oven and cooktop plus 5 power points

Depending on the size of the installation, we can usually complete a fit-out over 2 visits. We can pre-wire before the kitchen is installed, then fit out on completion of the kitchen.

Things that may affect cost could be:

• The style of kitchen
• Island benches
• Wall material
• Underfloor and ceiling access
• Existing circuit protection (RCD Safety switches)

Replace double power point with USB double power point combination

Source: HPM

As more electrical products turn to USB for power or charging, new products that incorporate USB are coming on to the market. These days, you can install double power points complete with handy USB ports to charge and connect your favourite electronic gadgets. These can replace existing power points or be installed anywhere a power point will fit. It is a great way to limit amounts of cables plugged into wall sockets. Things that may affect cost are the type of powerpoint chosen.

Install an additional TV point

Source: HPM

Need an extra TV socket somewhere? Our team can install them anywhere, including bedrooms, living rooms, offices, kitchens or any room in a home or office. Things that may affect price could be the distance from the antenna, or underfloor and ceiling access.

Install an additional phone point

Source: Homewired

Perhaps you need a new phone socket installed, or have issues with a crackly line or static noise. We are fully licensed to carry out any cabling within your home or office, to multiple locations. Things that may affect price could include distance from existing phone sockets, or underfloor and ceiling access.

Replace the circuit breaker or fuse with RCD Safety switch (Residual Current Device)

Source: Clipsal

An RCD (residual current device) is an electrical safety device that cuts off electricity when it detects electrical faults to earth and is usually installed in the electrical box. It’s commonly referred to as a safety switch and it is now law to have these installed to protect all lights and power outlets, (light and power circuits) to help prevent electric shock.

Safety switches are far more convenient and safer than the old school ceramic plug-in fuses which required having to find the blown fuse, then manually replace the fuse wire. Things that may affect price could be main switchboard location, the standard of existing wiring, switchboard enclosure type and size.

Remember – jobs are typically quicker in new build homes, but will take longer in older houses – so be prepared to pay a little extra depending on your property type.

To get an accurate idea about electrician costs in Newcastle, contact the experienced team from GKT Group on 1300 766 324.