From the Workshop
Tips, Guides & Honest Advice
Practical electrical knowledge from someone who'd rather explain it properly than leave you guessing. No jargon, no upselling.
In-depth guides
The Complete Guide to EICRs in York
What they are, when you need one, how much they cost, and what happens if something fails.
Consumer Units & Fuse Board Upgrades
Why a modern consumer unit is one of the most important upgrades you can make.
EV Charger Installation UK: 2026 OZEV Grant & Costs
The £500 OZEV grant, Smart Charge Point Regulations, and a 7-step home install walkthrough. Updated for BS 7671:2018+A4:2026.
House Rewiring Guide
What's involved, how long it takes, and how to prepare your home for a rewire.
Electrical Safety Checklist
A room-by-room checklist to help you spot potential electrical problems before they become dangerous.
Series
Understanding Your Electrics
Your home's electrics from the ground up, fuse boxes, RCDs, MCBs vs RCBOs, signs your wiring needs replacing, EICRs, and consumer unit upgrades.
View all 6 parts →What I Found
Short posts documenting real EICR findings from jobs in York. What it was, why it's a problem, and what needed doing. No padding, just the find.
Browse all finds →The Landlord’s Electrical Playbook
Everything York landlords and letting agents need to know. EICR fines, codes explained, HMO requirements, void property checklists, and working with agents.
View all 6 parts →Understanding your home
Surge Protection Explained — Do You Need an SPD?
What power surges are, what an SPD does, and why the 18th Edition made surge protection a real consideration for homeowners.
Wiring Regulations UK 2026 (BS 7671 A4 Explained)
Plain-English guide to BS 7671:2018+A4:2026. What changed, who must comply, the certificates you need, and how to verify your electrician.
Where Should Sockets and Switches Go?
Bathroom zones, kitchen splash rules, dedicated circuits, what the regulations say and why it matters.
Why Electricians Seem Expensive (And Why They’re Not)
A full cost breakdown: NICEIC fees, insurance, van, tools, and what's actually left over. The numbers might surprise you.
DIY vs Professional Electrical Work — What’s Actually Legal?
Notifiable vs non-notifiable work, the grey areas, and what Part P certification actually means.
Latest posts
How Many Circuits Has Your House Got?
Counting the circuits in your consumer unit, what the labels mean, and the range of circuit counts I have measured in York homes.
Student Let Handover York: The Electrical Checklist
What to sort while the house is empty between tenancies, the three paperwork deadlines, and when the EICR has to reach your tenants.
What Your EV Charger Installation Price Leaves Out (2026)
Headline prices cover the box on the wall. The six things that decide what a York installation actually costs, and which of them are in my price.
The £4,750 Rewire Figure, and What It Leaves Out
The averages you find online are real, but they measure something narrower than the job. What gets left out, and what a rewire actually includes.
RCD Types Explained: AC, A, F and B
RCDs come in types, and the type decides which faults the device can see. Why Type AC struggles with modern loads, and how to check yours.
The Names Behind the Wallpaper
Two pencil circles found under the wallpaper on a York rewire. Decorators who signed their work in 1968, and someone else a lifetime before them.
RCD vs RCBO: Why Half Your House Goes Off (2026)
What discrimination actually means, why shared earth leakage takes out a whole bank of circuits, and how to read your own board.
What an EV Charger Install Actually Involves
The whole job, start to finish, so there are no surprises. The survey, the safety devices, the grid notification, the grant, and the certificate you keep.
Your 2021 Landlord EICR Is Expiring in May 2026
The first wave of post-legislation rental EICRs is expiring now, with the £40,000 penalty cap already in force. What York landlords need to do this month.
Can My Electrics Handle a Heat Pump?
Supply capacity, consumer unit headroom, dedicated circuits, and the three numbers to check before the MCS installer arrives.
AFDDs Explained: What Amendment 4 Means for Your Consumer Unit
What arc faults are, why RCDs and MCBs miss them, where A4:2026 makes AFDDs mandatory, and when a retrofit is worth the spend.
Home Battery Storage: What a Proper Install Looks Like
The seven corners cheap installers cut on home battery jobs, and the compliance gap that turns into an insurance problem if you're unlucky.
Bringing a Romanian Orthodox Church to Life — A Complete Lighting Renovation
Specialist KSR lighting at 15 metres. Dual scenes for day and midnight worship. Hand-painted murals brought to life.
Before & After — Wiring a Detached Garage From Scratch
From a bare pendant light to a fully wired garage with SWA cable, consumer unit, lighting and socket circuits. The full walkthrough.
BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 Is In Force: What York Landlords Need to Know
Amendment 4 came into force on 15 April 2026. Your existing EICR is still valid. Here's what A4 actually changes and the three things to do this month.
BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 for York Homeowners: What You Actually Need to Know
Your home is not suddenly illegal. Here's what A4 actually changes for homeowners, and how to spot a sales tactic dressed up as a new regulation.
The Renters' Rights Act and Your Electrics: What York Landlords Will Need to Do
When the Act is in force, your EICR paperwork will move from compliance box to evidence. Three practical shifts landlords can start preparing for now.
BTL Insurance and Your Electrics: The Questions I'd Ask My Broker
An electrician's-eye view on what might be worth asking your BTL insurer about electrical compliance. Conjecture from client conversations, not advice.
The £40,000 EICR Fine — What Every York Landlord Needs to Know
If you let a property in England, your council can fine you up to £40,000 for breaching the electrical safety rules, a maximum that rose from £30,000 on 1 November 2025 (or on 1 May 2026 for social housing tenancies granted before 1 December 2025). A council can impose more than one. What triggers enforcement and the 28-day remedial deadline.
C1, C2, C3, FI — What Your EICR Codes Actually Mean
Each EICR code explained in plain English with real York examples. What action each requires and the 28-day deadline for C2.
What an EICR Can’t Tell You — The Limitations Most Landlords Don’t Know
What’s tested vs what’s not, why “satisfactory” doesn’t mean “perfect”, and when you need additional testing.
HMO Electrical Requirements — What’s Different and What Gets Missed
How HMO electrical requirements differ from standard rentals. More circuits, Grade D fire detection, and common findings in York.
Between Tenants — The Electrical Changeover Checklist
The void period is the best time for electrical work. An 8-point checklist for EICR, smoke alarms, sockets, PAT testing and more.
Working With Your Letting Agent on Electrical Compliance
How I work with letting agents directly, key collection, tenant coordination, report delivery, and how YRLA recognition helps.
Bathroom Electrics — What’s Allowed, What’s Not, and Why Zones Matter
Zone 0, Zone 1, Zone 2, what can go where, IP ratings, and why bathroom work is notifiable under Part P.
Smoke Alarms & CO Detectors — What Changed in 2022 and What You Actually Need
The 2022 regulation changes, ionisation vs optical, hardwired vs battery, and what gets flagged on an EICR.
Do I Need a Dedicated Circuit? Showers, Hot Tubs, EV Chargers and Other High-Draw Loads
What a dedicated circuit is, which appliances need one, and why running a shower off your ring main is a bad idea.
Consumer Unit Upgrade — What to Expect on the Day
From isolating the supply to handing over your certificate. No surprises, here's exactly how the day runs.
What Happens During an EICR?
What I test, what the codes mean, and what happens if something fails. The full walkthrough in plain English.
How Do I Know If My Wiring Needs Replacing?
Rubber cables, scorch marks, flickering lights, what the warning signs mean and whether it's urgent or plan-ahead territory.
Garden Lighting in York — What’s Worth Doing and What It Costs
What needs an electrician, the rules that matter, and honest prices for common garden electrical jobs.
MCB vs RCD vs RCBO vs AFDD: Differences Explained (2026)
The four protective devices in a modern consumer unit. What each protects against, where A4:2026 requires them, and how to spot them on your board.
Buy Cheap, Buy Twice — What Failed Sockets in a Commercial Kitchen Tell You
Budget LAP vs Hager. What the difference actually means in cost, reliability, and how I specify my work.
Why I Price EICRs by Circuit Count, Not Bedrooms
Most electricians price EICRs by property size. I don't, and the reason matters more than you might think.
What Happens If Your Electrician Goes Bust?
Your certificates, your deposit, your unfinished job, exactly what to do and how to protect yourself.
Buying a House? Get the Electrics Checked First
What every homebuyer should know about electrical inspections before committing.
Selling Your House: Electrical Certificates You Need (2026)
TA6 walkthrough, the three certificates solicitors ask for, and an 8-step pre-sale electrical checklist. Updated for BS 7671:2018+A4:2026.
Why Your RCD Keeps Tripping: 6 Causes & Fixes (2026)
The six common causes, a safe 6-step diagnosis you can run yourself, and the point to stop and call an electrician. Updated for BS 7671:2018+A4:2026.
Why I Support Menfulness
Mental health matters. Here's why I'm proud to support Menfulness and what they do for men in York.
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