Electricians in Caversham

Electrical work is not something to DIY. Use a registered electrician who can test the work and give you a certificate. Most new circuits, consumer unit replacements and work in bathrooms are notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations. An electrician registered with a scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT can sign the work off for you.

Caversham's housing ranges from Victorian and Edwardian terraces and villas in Lower Caversham to 1920s and 1930s houses in Caversham Heights and Emmer Green. Many of these homes have been rewired once, often decades ago, and some have been extended and altered piecemeal since. Signs worth checking include an old fuse box with rewireable fuses, round-pin or skirting-board sockets, black or brown bakelite switches, and old rubber-insulated cable in the loft or under floors. An EICR is the best starting point. It tells you which circuits are fine and which need work.

In Lower Caversham, near the river, it's worth thinking about flood resilience if you're rewiring or renovating. Raising sockets and the consumer unit above likely flood levels, and running cables down from the ceiling rather than up from the floor, can make recovery much quicker if water ever gets in.

Larger houses on the hill often need more than a basic upgrade: more sockets for home working, outside lighting for long gardens, and power to garden offices and garages. Each new circuit needs testing and certifying. If you're planning an EV charger, check your consumer unit has room, and remember that a charger needs off-street parking.

When you compare quotes, check whether testing and certification are included, and how any extra faults found during the job will be priced. For a rewire, ask who will do the plastering and making good. Reviews on Trade Pilot come from real, invoiced jobs, so you can see the work an electrician has actually completed.