If you need an electrician in Downend, there is one based right here: Shortman Electrical is run by Mark from Downend itself, covering all of BS16 and the surrounding areas. As a guide for 2026, a replacement double socket typically costs £80–£150, an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) for a 1–3 bed home £150–£250, and a fuse board (consumer unit) replacement £450–£700. Whatever the job, we agree a free fixed-price quote before any work starts.
Plenty of firms list Downend as an area they “cover” from the other side of Bristol. We are a local electrician in BS16: we live and work here, and quotes are free with no call-out charge.
Need an electrician close by? 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.
Based in Downend, not just covering it
Choosing an electrician in Downend, Bristol, who is actually based here matters in practical ways:
- No travel padding. We are not pricing in a drive across the city, and if a fault cuts your power we are not stuck on the ring road.
- We know the houses. After years working on Downend’s interwar semis, we usually know what is behind the wall before a floorboard comes up.
- Reputation is local. When you work where you live, word of mouth is everything. We hold a 5.0★ Google rating and tidy up after every job — we will probably see you at the shops.
- Proper credentials. Mark is a qualified domestic electrical installer with over 30 years’ experience, fully insured, and all work is certified to BS 7671, the current Wiring Regulations.
No job too small: if a single socket has stopped working, we would still rather you called.
What Downend’s houses mean for their electrics
Most of Downend was built between the wars. Semis from the 1920s and 1930s make up the bulk of the housing stock, with a smaller pocket of older Victorian properties near the old village centre. That age profile shapes what we find when we open things up.
The common issues in Downend homes are:
- Old rewireable fuse boards. Many semis still run on rewireable fuses with no RCDs (residual current devices) — the fast-acting safety switches that cut the power during a fault. A modern board with RCBOs gives every circuit its own RCD, and far better protection against electric shock and fire. Electrical Safety First has good plain-English guidance on why RCDs matter.
- Missing or undersized bonding. Main protective bonding is the green-and-yellow earth cable connecting your gas and water pipes to the electrical earth. In older Downend homes it is often missing or too thin, and without it a fault can make your pipework live. It is usually a quick, inexpensive fix.
- Lighting circuits with no earth. Homes wired before the mid-1960s often have two-core lighting cable with no earth, which rules out metal light fittings and switches until it is sorted.
- Original rubber-insulated cable. In houses never rewired, the original rubber (VIR) wiring may still be in place. By now it goes brittle and crumbles, and needs replacing, not patching. Our guide to the signs a house needs rewiring covers what to look for.
- Too few sockets. Interwar homes were built for a wireless and a standard lamp, not a kitchen full of appliances and a desk full of chargers. Extension leads breeding behind the sofa is the classic symptom.
None of this is cause for panic. Most of it is routine work for us, and an EICR will tell you where your house stands. We have a separate guide to EICRs in Downend covering the inspection and the cost.
Jobs we handle in Downend
We are a small, owner-run domestic firm: the person who quotes the job is the one who does it. Typical work in and around Downend:
- Fuse board (consumer unit) upgrades with RCBOs 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 (splash-protected) 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
What an electrician in Downend charges in 2026
These are typical ranges for the Bristol area, as a guide only. Every job is different, so we quote a fixed price up front — and that is the price you pay.
| Job | Typical price (2026) |
|---|---|
| Hourly rate | £40–£60 per hour |
| New double socket (existing circuit) | £80–£150 |
| Emergency call-out | £80–£120 for the first hour |
| EICR, 1–3 bed home | £150–£250 |
| 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 |
For the biggest jobs, see our fuse board replacement cost guide for Bristol, which explains what is included and what moves the price.
Worth knowing: a fuse board change or a new circuit is notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations — building control must be told about it — so make sure whoever you use certifies the work. Every job we do leaves you with the right paperwork.
Nearby areas we cover
Downend sits in the middle of our patch, so the neighbouring suburbs are just as quick to reach. We have separate local guides for Fishponds and Staple Hill, and we also cover Mangotsfield, Emersons Green, Kingswood, Hanham, Frenchay, Winterbourne and Bristol generally.
Frequently asked questions
Do you charge a call-out fee in Downend?
Not for quotes: they are free, with no call-out charge and no obligation. For genuine emergencies we run a 24/7 call-out service; as a guide, expect £80–£120 for the first hour, agreed with you before we set off. Being based in Downend, there is no travel cost to build in either way.
My Downend house still has an old fuse box with rewireable fuses. Is that illegal?
No. There is no law forcing you to upgrade a working fuse board. But an old board offers no RCD protection — the fast automatic trip designed to protect you from a fatal shock. If you are having other electrical work done, or an EICR flags it, upgrading to a modern board with RCBOs is usually the single best safety improvement you can make.
Should I get an EICR before buying an older house in Downend?
It is not a legal requirement for buyers, but with interwar and Victorian stock we would strongly recommend it. A standard survey barely looks at the electrics. An EICR typically costs £150–£250 for a 1–3 bed home and tells you whether you are facing minor improvements or a rewire, which is worth knowing before you exchange.
Can you fit an EV charger at a Downend semi?
Usually, yes. Many interwar semis in Downend have a driveway or garage, which makes a 7kW home charger straightforward provided your fuse board and incoming supply can support it. We check that as part of the free quote. As a guide, installation typically runs £800–£1,200 before any grant you may qualify for.
Ready when you are. Request your free fixed-price quote or call Mark on 07973 782 821 — your local electrician in Downend, BS16. No call-out charge for quotes, no hidden extras, and no job too small.