Frequently asked questions
The questions below are the ones that cut across every job. Questions about a specific job — what an EICR costs, whether you qualify for an EV charger grant, how long a rewire takes — are answered on the page for that job, and each is linked from here.
About this site
Do you carry out electrical work yourselves?
No. This is an independent information and quote-routing site published by SEO Dons Ltd (company number 16766013). We do not do electrical work and hold no trade accreditation — which is why there is no accreditation badge, insurance claim, review score or testimonial anywhere on this site. Enquiries go to electricians covering CM17–CM20. See about this site, including how it is funded.
How do you make money?
Enquiries are passed to electricians who cover your area, and that referral funds the site. We say so plainly because it is the obvious place a bias could sit. What we have done about it is write the pages as though the referral did not exist — PAT testing explains that annual testing is not legally required, and do I need to rewire my house tells most readers no.
Certificates and paperwork
What is the difference between an EIC, a Minor Works Certificate and an EICR?
They are three different documents and the distinction matters commercially:
| Document | What it is | When you get one |
|---|---|---|
| EIC Electrical Installation Certificate | Certifies new work | New circuit, rewire, consumer unit replacement |
| MWC Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate | Certifies a small addition or alteration to an existing circuit | An extra socket, a light moved — no new circuit involved |
| EICR Electrical Installation Condition Report | A report on an existing installation — not a certificate for work | Inspections; the document a landlord must hold |
The practical trap: a consumer unit replacement should produce an EIC, not a Minor Works Certificate. A board change is not minor works. If you are offered an MWC for one, ask why.
What paperwork should I end up with?
- Notifiable work — an EIC, a schedule of test results circuit by circuit, and a Building Regulations compliance certificate from the electrician's scheme (usually arriving separately within a few weeks).
- A small alteration — a Minor Works Certificate.
- An inspection — the EICR and its schedule of test results.
The schedule of test results is the item most often not asked for, and it is the part that evidences the installation was tested rather than merely worked on. Ask for it every time.
Judging a quote
How can I tell whether a quote is fair?
Compare scope, not rate. One question does most of the work:
Then confirm two things that account for most of the apparent gap between quotes: whether certification and Building Control notification are included, and whether making good — plaster and decoration — is included or yours. On a rewire the second one is thousands of pounds. See electrician hourly rates for why comparing hourly rates tells you almost nothing, and house rewiring cost for the all-in figure rather than the electrical-only one.
Should I get the remedial quote from whoever did the inspection?
Get at least one from someone else. The engineer who codes the observations on a report has an obvious commercial interest in the size of the remedial job. That is not an accusation — it is a reason to compare, and with a 28-day clock running on a landlord report it is worth lining the second quote up the day the report lands rather than on day 26.
Practical
Which areas does this site cover?
Harlow (CM17, CM18, CM19, CM20) and the surrounding West Essex and East Hertfordshire belt — Sawbridgeworth, Old Harlow, Church Langley, Potter Street, Roydon, out toward Epping and Bishop's Stortford. Local prices track the published South East band rather than the UK average, because Harlow sits inside the London commuter belt.
How quickly will an electrician get back to me?
We cannot guarantee it — they are independent businesses and we neither employ nor control them. A clear enquiry gets answered faster: postcode, property type, what the job is, and anything you already know about the existing installation, such as how many circuits are on the board.
Do I need to be there while the work is done?
Someone needs to give access, and for testing work you want to be reachable, because an electrician who finds something will need a decision. On a job producing certificates, being present at the end is worth it: that is when you can ask to see the readings behind anything you are being charged for, which is much harder to do a week later by email.
Job-specific questions
Answered on the relevant page: EICR certificate cost · landlord electrical safety certificate · consumer unit replacement cost · house rewiring cost · EV charger grant · PAT testing cost · garage and outdoor electrics · fault finding · lighting installation · commercial electrician · Part P · checking registration · all guides.
Still not sure? Describe the job
Give us the postcode and what needs doing. If the honest answer is that you do not need the work, that is what you will hear back.
What we will not do: we do not sell your details on, we do not add you to a marketing list, and we do not require a phone number. If you would rather not be called, leave the phone out — email is enough.