Whenever you have an emergency related to electricity, you might want to know where to get an electrician prices guide. Electricity is a sensitive issue that needs to be handled by only a licenced electrician.

You need to budget for the labour and materials required to finish any electricity project whether it is a renovation or routine maintenance, you need to plan.

The law makes it clear that if you want to be safe, you should hire a licenced electrician to handle any electrical work. From this article, you will find out what electricians do and how much it might cost to hire one.

What do electricians do?

Electricians can perform the following tasks.

• Handling emergencies. Emergency electricians handle unexpected problems that need immediate attention at odd hours.
• Alarm installation. Some electricians have undergone a specialised training to handle installation of alarms at home.
• Home automation. Electricians who have expertise in home automation can help you control your lighting security and other things.
• Electrical data cabling. As a modern homeowner, your home has the latest technology. Electricians help you manage everything as it should be.
• Home entertainment system. You need a skilled technician to integrate your home entertainment system. An electrician has the necessary skills to deal with this.
• An electrician ensures that your house has the right amount of light both in and out.
• If your home needs improvement, you might need an electrician to deal with electrical wires.
• New homes. Do you plan to build a new home? An electrician will ensure that your home has enough light by installing cables, power points, and lighting.
• Maintenance and repairs. If you need electrical items or regular maintenance an electrician can fix that.
• Safety switches. Your electrical system has safety components that protect you. An electrician fixes damaged wiring, power surges, and faulty appliances.
• If you have an old home, you might need to upgrade your switchboard.

How can you plan the electrical system of your home?

You might need to consider the following factors if you are building a new home.

• What is the type of lighting needed in each room?- Is it ambient, task or general?
• Number of lighting switches, data outlets in all rooms, power points and their position
• Do you want the functionality of your home automation system?
• Do you need a home security system?

Regulation and licencing of electricians

Unlicenced electricians are not permitted in Australia. Apart from that, they are a threat to the safety of your home and your health.

While each state has different classes of electricians and regulations, a licence is a must for them to handle anything in your home.

Licence classes determine the work an electrician can carry out legally. You need a qualified person to handle your electricity related issues. Their physical licence has their name, number, registered address and expiry date.

In case you hire a trainee electrician, he/she should be supervised by a licenced contractor.

Who is a master electrician?

A Master electrician is a member of Master Electricians Australia (MEA). This is a national leading accreditation body that places the national benchmark of excellence for the Australian electrical industry.

Members of the M.E.A have access to the latest advice of the industry and skills to uphold high standards and offer top quality services to you. Master electricians have the MEA logo in front of their vehicles, website and work gear.

Can you hire them? Even though they have a licence that is similar to that of other electricians, they might have more knowledge than other electricians.

Factors to consider when hiring an electrician

Before hiring an electrician, let him/her answer the following questions.

• Do you have a licence?
• Do you have insurance to work in my home?
• Do you have references that I can follow up?
• Can you give me a written quote?

How much does it cost to hire an electrician?

Most electricians will charge a fixed price or an hourly rate. Their service fee covers the first 30 minutes that the work on your job. You should expect an electrician hourly rate of $70-$130 and $70 - $95 which is calculated with increments of 15 minutes. If an electrician fails to charge a call out fee, he may include extra charges for the first working hour.

What factors determine the final cost of their service?

• Your area of residence
• How easy is it to access the work site?
• What is the complexity of the job?

A good example is installing wiring on a new home which is going to take a shorter time than an old house. New buildings have better access than old buildings.

What do electricians charge for different jobs?

Electricians charge depending on the tasks and jobs that need to be done. Here is an electrician price guide:

PowerPoint installation

Electrical services based in Sydney

GLENCO Electrical services charge $150 for installation of a new powerpoint inclusive of labour materials.

LED lighting installation

The RJ and AM Lawrence Electrical Contractors have a price range of $60-$75 on every point for lead downlights installation.

Installation of hard-wired smoke alarm

Bronte electrical services charge approximately $150 for installing a smoke alarm, but this figure might be higher if accessing the working area is difficult.

Installation of a home automation system

The charges of Sep Electrical are around $20,000 to install your home automation system that is on a small home of 3 bedrooms. It might cost 50k-100k on a larger home.

Wiring and connections installation (kitchen renovation)

It could cost you $450-850 if you hired the GTK Group to install connection appliances and do wiring if it is a project on a kitchen renovation if you want to install five power points.

Installing a deducted heating system

It could cost you $3000 to $4000 to fix basic star deducted heating system for a small home if you hired Advantage Air Conditioning and Electrical Company.

You can also get a cheap electrician Melbourne depending on the type of work needed.

If you want official electrician prices guide, get quotes from electricians who have a licence in your area. The electrician price guide given here was sourced at the time when this article was written. However, they are estimation and can only be used as a guide.

Looking for an electrician to help with a home project or emergency? Jump on the Bricks+Agent homeowners hub and post a job. It's quick, easy and free!