If you need to complain about an electrician because their work is poor, late or overpriced, you must follow the correct steps in order. If the work looks dangerous, stop using it straight away and switch off and unplug electrical appliances if it is safe to do so. You will need to get a registered electrician to make it safe. If your dispute is about quality, price or paperwork, you should gather your evidence and contact the original tradesperson first.
Start by deciding if the work is unsafe
Your first decision is whether the installation is safe to leave as it is while you resolve the problem. If you see exposed wires, scorch marks or melting plastic, or if you get a shock from a switch or appliance, the work may be dangerous. Do not touch the wiring or try to remove covers to inspect anything yourself.
Leave the dangerous area and stop using the affected circuits straight away. Unplug any connected electrical appliances if it is safe to do so. If it is safe to reach your consumer unit, which is the main fuse box, switch off the power at the main switch. Call 999 if there is a fire or a serious electric shock, or call 105 if the fault has caused a wider power cut. Otherwise, call a different, registered electrician to make the installation safe, and keep a record of exactly what they find and what they do.
Most complaints are not immediate emergencies. They are usually disputes about untidy work, incomplete jobs, missing certificates or final bills that are higher than agreed. For these problems, give the original electrician the chance to put things right.
Common problems that lead to complaints
Many electrical disputes follow familiar patterns. Homeowners and landlords who cannot judge electrical work themselves often worry about being overcharged or paying for work that is not needed. The most frequent reasons for a complaint include the following issues.
- Very cheap inspections used to sell long lists of remedial work
- Advisory items presented as immediate failures
- Being told a full rewire or a new consumer unit is compulsory with no test evidence
- Unregistered work with no certificate and no official notification to building control
- Vague quotes that leave out making good the plaster, certification or VAT
- Emergency call outs with no price given before attendance
- Large cash deposits taken with no paperwork
Disputes over inspections are especially common. Landlords have legal duties to have installations inspected at least every five years, with nation specific rules and substantial penalties in England. For owner-occupiers, periodic inspection is a recommendation, not a legal duty.
Choosing an electrician on price alone often leads to hidden extras. Out-of-hours work carries a premium, but the hourly rate and any call-out fee should be stated upfront. If you are asked for a large cash deposit with no written agreement, it is a warning sign.
Gather evidence before you complain
Before you contact the electrician or any official body, you need to prove what was agreed and what was actually done. Having clear records makes it much easier to argue your case if the dispute goes further. You should put together everything related to the job from start to finish.
- The original quote or estimate
- Photos of the work and any problems you can see without removing anything
- Written records of all communication including text messages and emails
- Invoices, receipts or proof of payment
- Estimates from other registered electricians to fix the problem
When looking back at your paperwork, it helps to understand how to compare electrician quotes and spot hidden extras so you know exactly what was agreed. Do not rely on phone calls for your evidence. If you do speak to the electrician by phone, follow up immediately with an email summarising what was said and agreed. This creates a paper trail that you can show to a registration scheme or a court later.
Raise it with the electrician in writing
You should take the problem up with the trader who arranged the work first. Send your complaint by email or letter so you have a permanent record of it. If the business has its own formal complaints procedure, make sure you use it exactly as they ask.
State exactly what the problem is and how you want them to fix it. Set a realistic timescale for them to reply and give a final deadline for the work to be corrected. Include the estimates you gathered from other traders to show what it will cost to put the poor work right.
You might be tempted to stop paying them, but you should not withhold payment. Doing this could put you in breach of contract. Pay what is owed for the work done so far, and use the formal routes to claim a refund or get the rest of the job finished properly.
Your rights if the work is poor
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a trader must do the work with reasonable care and skill. Citizens Advice states that if they do not meet this standard, you can ask them to fix it at no extra cost. If they only provided the service, you can ask for a refund.
If the electrician cannot or will not fix the poor work, you can ask for a partial or full refund depending on how serious the problem is. Once you and the trader agree on the refund amount, the law says you should get your money back within 14 days.
Price disputes often happen when the final bill is higher than expected. Small jobs and fault finding are usually charged by the hour, while defined jobs like an EV charger or a rewire are quoted as a fixed price based on property size, access and specification. Where you have a quote, it is a fixed price and the trader generally cannot charge more unless there is a good reason, such as extra work that you both agreed to. With an estimate, the final price is not fixed but it should be reasonable for the work done.
Complaining to a registration scheme
If the electrician is registered with a government-authorised competent person scheme, you can escalate your complaint to them. Schemes check work against BS 7671, the national wiring standard often called the Wiring Regulations. You can learn more about the main bodies in the guide on NICEIC or NAPIT and how to check an electrician is registered.
Both major schemes require you to try resolving the matter with the contractor first. You must put your complaint in writing. NICEIC asks you to allow at least 10 days for a reply before coming to them. NAPIT recommends you allow a minimum of 14 days for the member to respond.
If the issue is still unresolved, use the scheme's online complaint form. NICEIC requires clear evidence of unsafe or non-compliant work. If you are complaining about an Electrical Installation Condition Report, known as an EICR, NICEIC can only act on a specific code or observation that you can identify.
NICEIC expects you to allow the original contractor to come back and put things right as part of its process. If you do not want the original electrician back, NICEIC suggests Citizens Advice or the small claims court instead. Finally, if you have not received a certificate within a month of the job finishing, you should follow the complaints procedure. You can read more about this in the guide on what to do if your electrician never gave you a certificate.
What schemes can and cannot do
Registration schemes exist to uphold technical safety standards. They are not financial regulators or customer service mediators. They have strict limits on what they can investigate and what they can force a contractor to do.
This table sets out the main things the two largest schemes, NICEIC and NAPIT, can and cannot do when you make a complaint.
|
Action or outcome |
NICEIC |
NAPIT |
|---|---|---|
|
Investigate unsafe or non-compliant work |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Run an internal review of the contractor |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Award compensation or damages |
No |
No |
|
Award refunds |
No |
Not stated |
|
Fund rectification work by another firm |
Not through a complaint (see the Platinum Promise below) |
No |
Check the exact terms with the scheme directly. NICEIC cannot help with how a contractor runs its business, and NAPIT does not investigate financial, contractual or compensatory matters. NAPIT will impartially review all documentation and coordinate technical referrals to determine compliance. NICEIC will run an internal review that may lead to suspension or removal from the register, but it will not share the outcome of internal reviews with you. If your complaint is about an ongoing installation, NICEIC cannot handle it because the work must be completed first.
If the electrician has stopped trading
Sometimes a business goes bankrupt or ceases trading before they can fix a problem. If the electrician was registered with a scheme when they did the work, you might still have some protection to get the installation made safe and compliant.
NICEIC operates a Platinum Promise that applies where the business was certified by them when it did the work but has since stopped trading. It can support with complaints up to six years after the completion date. If your claim succeeds, NICEIC appoints another certified business to fix the issue at no extra cost to you.
To use the Platinum Promise, you must show you have tried other routes first. This includes checking your home insurance, warranties or claims against third parties. You will also need to provide invoices, receipts or proof of payment.
NAPIT offers a Work Quality Guarantee that also lasts six years. This specifically covers work that falls under a valid Building Regulation compliance certificate issued by a NAPIT member. Part P of the Building Regulations covers electrical work in homes in England and Wales, though Scotland has its own building standards system and Northern Ireland differs.
Using payment protection to get money back
If you paid for the work by card, your bank or credit card provider might be able to help you get your money back when the electrician refuses to refund you.
If you used a credit card and the work cost over £100 and under £30,000, you may be covered by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. Ask your card provider whether Section 75 applies to your payment.
If you paid by debit or prepaid card, or the cost falls outside the Section 75 limits, you can ask your bank about chargeback. The bank must agree liability. The chargeback time limit is 120 days from the transaction processing date, or from when you expected the service, so act quickly if you want to use this route.
Alternative dispute resolution and the small claims court
If the registration scheme cannot help, or if the electrician is unregistered, you will need to take the legal route. You cannot usually report the trader to Trading Standards directly. Instead, you must contact the Citizens Advice consumer service, which will contact Trading Standards on your behalf.
Before going to court, you should try alternative dispute resolution, often called ADR. Traders are not required to join an ADR scheme, but they must point you to an accredited one and say whether they will use it. Conciliation and mediation are voluntary and usually free, while ombudsman services are free for consumers.
If all else fails, you can take the electrician to the small claims court. You must first use the free Small Claims Mediation Service before a judge will hear your case.
There are limits on how much you can claim through this route. The small claims limits are £10,000 in England and Wales and £5,000 in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Taking legal action takes time and money, so it should always be your last resort after trying to talk to the electrician and using their registration scheme. A scheme complaint is not a substitute for advice on your own legal position.
Common questions
Can I refuse to let the original electrician back in?
NICEIC expects you to allow the original contractor to come back and put things right as part of its process. If you do not want that, its page suggests Citizens Advice or the small claims court instead.
What happens if the electrician was not registered?
If the electrician is not part of a scheme like NICEIC or NAPIT, you cannot use scheme complaint forms or guarantees. You will have to rely on your consumer rights, card payment protection, alternative dispute resolution or the small claims court to get a refund or a repair.
How long do I have to complain about electrical work?
You should raise the issue as soon as you notice it. For card payments, the chargeback limit is 120 days. NICEIC says it can support with complaints up to six years after the completion date, and NAPIT's Work Quality Guarantee lasts six years, so check the terms with the scheme.
Do I have to pay if the electrician did a bad job?
You should not withhold payment for work that has been completed, as this can put you in breach of contract. You should pay the agreed amount for the work done so far, and then use formal complaint routes to claim a refund or ask for the poor work to be fixed at no extra cost.
Will a scheme help me get a refund?
Not through a complaint. NICEIC cannot award compensation, damages or refunds, and NAPIT does not pay compensation or fund rectification work. For money, look at your consumer rights, card payment protection, alternative dispute resolution or the small claims court.
Your next steps
Complaining about a tradesperson is stressful, but following the right process helps you keep your rights and your evidence in order. Work through these steps in order.
- Switch off the power and call a different electrician if the work is dangerous
- Gather your quotes, invoices, messages and photos
- Email the original electrician asking them to fix the problem by a set deadline
- Contact their registration scheme if they ignore you or refuse to help
- Speak to Citizens Advice to reach Trading Standards or start a small claims case
This site lists independent tradespeople to help you compare local options, but it does not employ, vet or guarantee them. If you are dealing with unsafe work and need someone properly registered to make your home safe, you can search the directory to find an electrician near you.
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