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A Day in the Life of an Electrician in the UK

💷 £35,000 - £45,000⏱ 3-4 years📈 Demand: Very High

Overview

Ever wondered what electricians actually do all day? It's not just wiring plug sockets — the job is varied, challenging, and genuinely satisfying. We followed a day in the life of Tom, a 32-year-old domestic electrician based in Manchester. Tom switched careers from retail management at 26, completed his apprenticeship at 29, and has been running his own business for three years. Here's what a typical day looks like.

6:30 AM — The Early Start

Tom's alarm goes off at 6:30. He's not a morning person, but the early starts are part of the deal. A quick shower, strong coffee, and he's checking his schedule on his phone. Today he's got three jobs: a consumer unit upgrade in Didsbury, a new circuit installation for a garden office in Chorlton, and an EICR (electrical inspection) in Salford.

He loads his van — already stocked with cable, consumer unit components, and test equipment from last night's prep. His van is his mobile office and workshop. "If your van's not organised, you're losing money," he says. "I wasted half my first year looking for tools."

7:30 AM — First Job: Consumer Unit Upgrade

Tom arrives at his first job — a 1970s semi-detached needing its old fuse box replaced with a modern consumer unit with RCBOs. He introduces himself to the homeowner, explains what he'll be doing, and lays dust sheets throughout the hallway.

The existing fuse box is a relic: rewirable fuses, no RCD protection, and some questionable wiring from previous occupants. He isolates the supply, photographs the existing connections, and starts the changeover. The work requires intense concentration — every circuit needs to be identified, tested, and reconnected correctly.

"This is the bread and butter of domestic electrical work," Tom explains. "It's about £600-800 per job and takes 4-6 hours. I do about three a week."

12:00 PM — Testing and Paperwork

The new consumer unit is in. Now comes the part many people don't know about — testing and certification. Tom uses his multifunction tester to check every circuit: insulation resistance, earth fault loop impedance, RCD trip times, and ring final circuit continuity.

The testing takes about an hour. He records everything on his electrical installation certificate, which the homeowner needs for their records and any future house sale. "The paperwork is the bit no one tells you about," he laughs. "But it's what separates a qualified electrician from a cowboy. If you can't test it and certify it, you shouldn't be doing it."

He uploads the certificate to his Part P notification body and packs up. Job done, customer happy, invoice sent from his phone.

1:00 PM — Lunch and Admin

Lunch is a meal deal from Tesco eaten in his van. He uses the break to reply to enquiries (he gets 4-5 calls a day), schedule next week's jobs, and order materials from Edmundson Electrical for tomorrow's rewire. He also checks his bank — three payments have come in overnight.

"Self-employment is brilliant but you're never truly off," he says. "Evenings and weekends I'm quoting, invoicing, doing my VAT return. It's worth it for the freedom, but you need to be organised."

2:00 PM — Second Job: Garden Office Wiring

His afternoon job is running a new circuit from the main house to a garden office — a job that's exploded in popularity since the work-from-home boom. He needs to install an outdoor SWA (steel wire armoured) cable, a small consumer unit in the garden office, sockets, lighting, and a dedicated circuit for an electric heater.

The trench for the SWA cable was dug by the homeowner (Tom always recommends this to save the customer money). He runs the cable, makes off the connections in the house, and starts wiring the garden office. The satisfaction of seeing a space go from empty shell to fully powered is what he loves about the trade.

4:30 PM — Wrapping Up

By 4:30, the garden office has power, light, and heat. Tom tests everything, issues the certificate, and has a cup of tea with the homeowner who's delighted. He's pushed the EICR to tomorrow — three jobs was ambitious.

Back home by 5:15, he spends 20 minutes restocking his van for tomorrow and answering two more enquiry calls. Dinner with his family by 6. "I wouldn't go back to retail for anything," he reflects. "The money's better, every day is different, and I'm building something for myself. Yeah, it's physical and sometimes stressful, but I genuinely enjoy going to work. How many people can say that?"

What Tom Earns

Tom is self-employed and in his third year of trading. His typical earnings:

• Consumer unit upgrades: £600-800 each, 3 per week = £1,800-2,400/week
• Garden office circuits: £800-1,200 each, 1-2 per week
• EICRs (inspections): £150-250 each, 2-3 per week
• Rewires: £3,000-5,000 each, 1-2 per month

After van costs, materials, insurance, and tax, Tom takes home around £45,000-£55,000 per year. Three years into self-employment.

Want to follow Tom's path? Start with our complete electrician guide or browse electrician jobs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time do electricians start work?▼

Most electricians start between 7:00-8:00am. On construction sites, a 7:30am start is typical. Self-employed domestic electricians can set their own hours but most start by 8am to fit in multiple jobs.

Is being an electrician physically demanding?▼

Moderately. You're on your feet all day, working in lofts, under floors, and sometimes at height. It's not as physically demanding as bricklaying or scaffolding, but you need reasonable fitness.

How many jobs do electricians do per day?▼

Self-employed domestic electricians typically do 1-3 jobs per day depending on size. A full rewire might take 3-5 days. Consumer unit upgrades take half a day. Small jobs like socket additions take 1-2 hours.

Do electricians work weekends?▼

Employed electricians typically work Monday-Friday. Self-employed electricians often work Saturdays by choice (weekend rates are higher) but this is optional. Emergency electricians may work any day.