If you need an electrician in Bristol, here is the short version: Shortman Electrical is a small, owner-run firm based in Downend (BS16), covering the whole city and strongest in the north and east. As a guide for 2026, electricians in Bristol typically charge £40–£60 an hour, an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report, the standard safety inspection of a home’s wiring) for a 1–3 bed home costs £150–£250, and a fuse board (consumer unit) replacement runs £450–£700.
This guide covers what we do, what jobs typically cost, how to check any electrician’s credentials before you let them near your wiring, and exactly which parts of Bristol we serve, so you can quickly work out whether we are the right fit.
Need an electrician in Bristol? Get a free fixed-price quote or call Mark on 07973 782 821 — based in Downend, covering Bristol and surrounding areas. No call-out charge for quotes, and no obligation.
A one-man firm, not a call centre
Shortman Electrical is run by Mark, a qualified domestic electrical installer with over 30 years’ experience. When you ring, you speak to the person who will price the job and then turn up and do it. There is no sales team and no subcontractors.
The work we handle across Bristol:
- Fuse board (consumer unit) upgrades with RCBOs (individual trip switches that protect each circuit separately, so one fault does not black out the whole house) and surge protection
- Full and partial rewires
- Extra sockets and dedicated circuits, including for induction hobs and garden offices
- Kitchen and bathroom electrics: showers, IP-rated lighting, extractor fans
- Lighting: downlights, LED upgrades, outdoor and PIR (motion-sensor) security lights, smart lighting
- EICRs, landlord certificates, and mains-interlinked smoke, heat and CO alarms
- Fault finding and repairs, with 24/7 emergency call-out
- EV charger installation
Quotes are free, with no call-out charge and no obligation. We agree a clear price up front, and the price we agree is the price you pay. We are fully insured, hold a 5.0★ Google rating, tidy up after every job, and certify all work to BS 7671, the current Wiring Regulations. No job too small: a single dead socket is a perfectly good reason to call.
What an electrician in Bristol charges in 2026
These are typical ranges for the Bristol area, as a guide only. Every house is different, which is exactly why we quote a fixed price before any work starts.
| Job | Typical price in Bristol (2026) |
|---|---|
| Hourly rate | £40–£60 per hour |
| Day rate | £250–£350 |
| New double socket (existing circuit) | £80–£150 |
| Emergency call-out | £80–£120 for the first hour |
| EICR, 1–3 bed home | £150–£250 (larger homes £250–£350) |
| Mains-interlinked smoke/heat alarms | £70–£120 per alarm fitted |
| Electric shower fitting | £300–£500 plus the shower unit |
| Fuse board (consumer unit) replacement | £450–£700 |
| EV charger installation (7kW) | £800–£1,200 before any grant |
| Partial rewire | £1,000–£3,000 |
| Full rewire, 3-bed semi | £4,000–£8,000 |
Two of those figures deserve a closer look: our EICR cost guide for Bristol explains what an inspection covers and why the cheapest ones often cut corners, and our guide to electrician hourly rates in Bristol explains when you should insist on a fixed price instead.
One honest note on price: a lone tradesman with low overheads will often quote less than a firm with an office and a fleet of vans. But the lowest quote is only good value if it includes certification, making good, and someone who answers the phone if anything niggles afterwards.
How to choose an electrician in Bristol
Whether you use us or not, run these checks before you hand over your fuse board to any Bristol electrician. A bad electrical job is not like a bad paint job; you often cannot see the problem until it becomes dangerous.
- Ask about qualifications. Anyone can buy a van and a tester. Ask how long they have been doing domestic work and what qualifications they hold; a competent electrician will not be offended.
- Check they are insured. Public liability insurance protects you if something goes wrong in your home. Any established electrician can show you proof.
- Expect certification to BS 7671. Every notifiable job should end with a certificate confirming the work meets BS 7671, the national wiring standard. New circuits, fuse board changes and electrical work in bathrooms are notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations, so the paperwork is not optional. If someone shrugs at the question, walk away.
- Get the price in writing before work starts. A fixed written quote protects both sides. Be wary of anyone who will only give a vague day rate for a defined job like a fuse board change.
- Read the reviews, but read them properly. Look for reviews that mention tidiness, punctuality and how problems were handled, not just the star count. Electrical Safety First publishes good plain-English guidance on electrical safety and on finding someone competent.
We are happy to be measured against every item on that list.
Our patch: strongest in north and east Bristol
We are based in Downend and cover Bristol generally, but the north and east of the city is home turf. That means we can get to you quickly, especially on an emergency call-out, and we know the housing stock well enough to have a fair idea what is behind the wall before we open it up.
We have a local guide for each area we cover most:
- Downend and Mangotsfield — our home ground. Mostly interwar semis, where old fuse boards, missing bonding and too few sockets are the usual finds.
- Fishponds and Staple Hill — Victorian and Edwardian terraces alongside 1930s semis, where older wiring that has never been touched still turns up.
- Kingswood — a similar mix of period terraces and interwar homes, with plenty of extensions and loft conversions adding load to older circuits.
- Emersons Green — 1990s–2000s new builds including Lyde Green. Newer wiring, but a generation of consumer units now missing modern RCD and surge protection, and lots of EV charger work.
- Hanham — post-war semis and bungalows, where partial rewires and kitchen upgrades are the bread and butter.
- Frenchay and Winterbourne — village character, with period cottages and later estates side by side, so no two jobs are quite alike.
Further into central and south Bristol we take jobs case by case. If you are outside the areas above, ring and ask; if we cannot get to you sensibly, we will say so rather than pad the quote.
Frequently asked questions
Do you cover all of Bristol?
We cover Bristol generally from our base in Downend. Our core patch is Downend, Fishponds, Staple Hill, Kingswood, Emersons Green, Mangotsfield, Hanham, Frenchay and Winterbourne, with central and south Bristol taken case by case. Call with your postcode and we will tell you straight away.
How much does an electrician cost per hour in Bristol?
As a guide for 2026, expect £40–£60 an hour in the Bristol area, or £250–£350 as a day rate. For defined jobs a fixed quote serves you better than an hourly rate, because the risk of the job running long sits with us, not you.
Will I get a certificate for the work?
Yes. Notifiable work such as a new circuit, a fuse board change or electrics in a bathroom must comply with Part P of the Building Regulations, and every job we do is certified to BS 7671 with the paperwork to prove it. Keep the certificates safe: solicitors ask for them when you sell, and landlords need them for compliance.
Do you offer an emergency electrician service in Bristol?
Yes, we run a 24/7 emergency call-out across our patch. As a guide, expect £80–£120 for the first hour, agreed with you before we set off. If you have a burning smell or scorching at a socket or the fuse board, switch off at the main switch if it is safe to do so and call straight away.
Ready to get it sorted? Request your free fixed-price quote or call Mark on 07973 782 821 — a local electrician in Bristol you can actually get hold of. No call-out charge for quotes, no hidden extras, and no job too small.