Electrical questions, answered

NAPIT is a government-approved competent person scheme. Registered electricians are assessed every year and can self-certify notifiable work under Part P of the Building Regulations, so you get a compliance certificate without paying for building control. Read more about NAPIT.

It depends on the size of the job. A new light fitting and a full rewire are very different. We give clear, fixed quotes before starting, and sending photos by WhatsApp often lets us give you a rough idea straight away.

Some minor work, like replacing a socket or light switch like-for-like, can be done by a competent person. But new circuits, consumer unit changes and work in bathrooms are notifiable under Part P and must be done by a registered electrician or signed off by building control.

The whole of the Wirral, plus much of Merseyside and Cheshire. We're based in Spital. See the areas map.

Usually either an overloaded circuit, a faulty appliance, or moisture getting into an outdoor socket or light. Unplug everything on that circuit and reset it. If it trips with nothing plugged in, there's a wiring fault and you should call an electrician. Try our step-by-step troubleshooter.

Both protect a circuit from too much current. A fuse has a wire that melts and must be replaced, while a circuit breaker (MCB) is a switch that trips and can be reset. Modern consumer units use breakers.

A residual current device switches off the power in a fraction of a second if current leaks to earth, for example through a person. It's the main protection against electric shock and is required on most circuits in modern installations. It's recommended to press its test button every six months: it should switch off straight away. Then switch it back on.

An arc fault detection device spots the tiny electrical arcs from damaged cables or loose connections that ordinary breakers miss, and cuts the power before they can start a fire. They're increasingly recommended, especially in higher-risk properties.

When current finds a low-resistance path it shouldn't, such as damaged insulation letting a live conductor touch neutral or earth. A large current flows, and the breaker or fuse should trip immediately.

Common causes are loose connections in the fitting or lampholder, poor-quality bulbs, or LEDs on an incompatible dimmer. Worth getting checked if it keeps happening in the same fitting.

Dimmers get slightly warm in normal use. A switch that's hot to the touch, discoloured or buzzing usually has a loose connection or is overloaded, often from an old dimmer driving too many LED lamps. Switch it off and get it checked.

Yes, it's worth a look. It may just be a tripped circuit or a spur that was never connected, but a dead socket can also mean a loose or burnt connection, which is a fire risk.

An underground cable or overhead line brings a 230 V supply to your service head (the main fuse), then through the meter to your consumer unit, where it's split into protected circuits for lights, sockets and appliances.

Typically 1.5 mm² for lighting circuits, 2.5 mm² for socket circuits, 6 to 10 mm² for cookers and electric showers, and 16 to 25 mm² meter tails from the meter to the consumer unit. The right size depends on the load and how the cable is installed.

A fused connection unit takes power from a circuit through its own fuse, usually to feed a fixed appliance such as an extractor fan, boiler or towel rail, or to add a single extra socket to a circuit.

An EICR is recommended every 10 years for owner-occupied homes, every 5 years for rented homes (a legal requirement in England), and every 3 to 5 years for most businesses. Also get one when you buy a property.

Plug-in devices, no. But hard-wired smart switches, blind and curtain motors, video doorbells on mains power, hubs in consumer units and anything on a new circuit should be installed by a qualified electrician, both for safety and so your system is reliable.

In most cases, yes, with its own inverter or a hybrid inverter. Solar and battery installs are coming soon from CAB Electrical. Size a battery.

Electric underfloor heating normally has its own circuit with 30 mA RCD protection, usually an RCBO, sized to its load. Water underfloor heating and smart thermostats don't need a new breaker. See which heating needs what.

Charged at home on an overnight tariff, an EV typically costs a few pence a mile against 12p or more for petrol. Try the savings calculator with your own mileage.

Yes. A charge point needs a dedicated circuit, earthing checks and notification to the network operator. We install and certify home and workplace chargers and set them up for smart tariffs.

Yes. We install the dedicated circuit, outdoor isolator and interconnection cable, and work alongside your F-gas certified AC installer, who connects the pipework and commissions the system. See how AC is powered.

Yes. Swapping a light fitting, adding a socket or moving one are exactly the jobs Carl is happy to do. Saving a few up for one visit keeps the cost down. Build a small jobs list.

It shows protection from dust and water. IP44 suits sheltered wall lights, IP65 to IP66 exposed spots and outdoor sockets, IP67 ground lights and IP68 anything underwater. See the garden guide.

Well-designed systems keep basic control local, so light switches and scenes still work without internet. It's one of the reasons we prefer wired and local-control options where possible.