What are electricians charging per day in 2026?
Published figures vary a lot, because each source measures something different:
| Source | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Sleepless Tradesman Rate Index 2026 | Electricians: £240/day median outside London; £320/day London and South East | Platform data and a survey of 847 self-employed tradespeople across all trades, March–May 2026 (electrician sample size not published) |
| Logic4training (2026) | £312/day average | Published guide; method not fully stated |
Taken together, these put a typical self-employed sparkie’s day rate in the region of £240 to £320, higher in London and the South East and for specialist or commercial work. None of these is an official statistic, so treat them as a rough guide. The same index found 54% of respondents were charging below what it calls a profitable floor. Undercharging is common, so don’t just copy the going rate.
How do I work out my own day rate?
Start from your costs and the days you can really bill, not from what the firm down the road charges.
- What do you want to take home? Pick a yearly figure before tax.
- Add your yearly overheads. Van, fuel, insurance, tools and calibration, test equipment, scheme fees, certificate software, phone, accountant, training and CPD.
- Count your billable days. Take 52 weeks × 5 days, then remove holidays, bank holidays, sick days, quoting time, admin and quiet spells.
- Divide (take-home + overheads) by billable days. That’s your break-even day rate.
- Add a margin for profit, and to cover the jobs that overrun.
Example (illustrative figures only):
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Take-home target | £45,000 |
| Overheads | £15,000 |
| Total to cover | £60,000 |
| Billable days (260 − 25 holiday − 8 bank holidays − 5 sick − 20 quoting/admin) | 202 |
| Break-even day rate | about £297 |
| Plus 10% margin | about £327 |
Swap in your own numbers. If your answer is well above the local going rate, look at your overheads and your billable days before you drop your price.
Why do day rates vary so much?
- Location. London and the South East pay noticeably more.
- Type of work. Domestic, commercial, industrial, testing and inspection, EV chargers and battery storage all price differently.
- Labour-only vs supply and fit. Subcontract labour-only rates are usually lower than a domestic day with your own van and materials handling.
- Experience and qualifications. Inspection and testing, design and specialist qualifications command more.
How do employed electricians’ wages compare?
The official figures are for employees, not the self-employed, but they’re a useful floor. ONS figures for April 2026 (provisional) put the median gross pay of full-time employed electricians and electrical fitters at £40,717 a year, or £19.54 an hour. An employee gets paid holidays and doesn’t pay for the van, tools or insurance. You do, so your day rate needs to sit well above that.
JIB rates are also hourly rates for employed operatives. Under the 2026–2028 agreement, graded operative rates rose 3.95% from 5 January 2026. Once you’ve added your own overheads, holidays and unpaid days, your self-employed day rate should sit well above the JIB hourly rate × 8.
How do I put my day rate up?
- Give notice. Tell regular customers and contractors a month or two ahead.
- Explain briefly. Rising material, fuel and insurance costs are easy to understand.
- Price new customers at the new rate straight away.
- Review once a year. Re-run the sum above every January.