Are electricians ripping us off?

[SteveRW]

Perhaps I’m being a bit harsh but had several quotes to supply and install the Zappi charger. All around £1200 to £1500. Watched the guy install - took about 3 hours (including him talking to his base). The charger itself, I believe is around £700 so these guys are on at least £100 per hour allowing for VAT. Seems like a good gig if you’re booked in for several of these in the week. Maybe I’m just out of touch with what electricians charge these days.

 

[Lovemyev]

I guess the charges can differ a lot depending on your location in the U.K. ?.
The prices have not changed that much even when the GOV grants stopped a while back.
No installs are ever the same, some installs are quick and easy due to the proximity to the CU / Meter box etc.
Others ( due to long and difficult cable run / routes ) can be very time consuming.
A wall box is no more than a giant ( but expensive ) switch .

 

[Grriff]

They will also have to fit a consumer unit, with a switch and surge protector. I was charged £558 Inc VAT for fitting a Hypervolt charger, bought separately. Labour was charged at £36 per hr plus Vat for just over 3hrs work.

 

[Jomarkh]

Perhaps I’m being a bit harsh but had several quotes to supply and install the Zappi charger. All around £1200 to £1500. Watched the guy install - took about 3 hours (including him talking to his base). The charger itself, I believe is around £700 so these guys are on at least £100 per hour allowing for VAT. Seems like a good gig if you’re booked in for several of these in the week. Maybe I’m just out of touch with what electricians charge these days.

Did they give you a full breakdown of what the quote includes?
Cable, clips, mini CU, Pen and DC protection

 

[SteveRW]

Yes, reputable company - happy that everything was included. Don’t think Zappi needs pen protection as inbuilt.

 

[Emgie 4]

Perhaps I’m being a bit harsh but had several quotes to supply and install the Zappi charger. All around £1200 to £1500. Watched the guy install - took about 3 hours (including him talking to his base). The charger itself, I believe is around £700 so these guys are on at least £100 per hour allowing for VAT. Seems like a good gig if you’re booked in for several of these in the week. Maybe I’m just out of touch with what electricians charge these days.

I'm inclined to agree, for clarity I am based in Ireland so some things slightly different, prices here do seem similar to UK (ignoring £/€)
Although every install slightly different, my own was fairly straightforward (beside meter box) I had charger installed last year for €1,300 ( I think unit itself - EO Mini, was €650), one guy + apprentice, job done in less than 90min!
In Ireland there is still a gov grant for install of €600 so that reduces the sting a bit, but my (and many others) opinion here is altho gov grants are designed to reduce cost to consumer, the reality is installers often just see as opp to jack up the prices for more profit, and consumer cost stay the same - and this isn't specific to charger install but most grant schemes. To drive home the point when my job was completed and installer filling paperwork I mentioned my background was also electrical and I thought they were on VERY good rates - he thought and looked at me for a moment (deciding whether to try and justify it I think) then just smirked and said YEP.
Full disclosure before someone points it out, tho I've electrical background I'm not a reg contractor so wouldn't have the certification and insurance to do myself - otherwise would have. Also with the purchase of new EV (Kia) at that time they were offering to cover installation costs (less grant) so cost to me was nout, don't think any car make offers that any more
But it would have irked me to shell out €1,200-€1,500

 

[Emgie 4]

I guess the charges can differ a lot depending on your location in the U.K. ?.
The prices have not changed that much even when the GOV grants stopped a while back.
No installs are ever the same, some installs are quick and easy due to the proximity to the CU / Meter box etc.
Others ( due to long and difficult cable run / routes ) can be very time consuming.
A wall box is no more than a giant ( but expensive ) switch .

You raise a point I was thinking about also, prices didn't reduce in UK even after grant was removed, makes me think if grants artificially inflate prices - that then remain high after they finish, is the whole grant process flawed and screws up what should be actual cost in the marketplace for consumers - just an opinion.
btw I do accept some jobs will be bigger and more difficult - then charge accordingly, I know people getting quotes near to €2k, that (naively) they didn't factor into new EV cost

 

[Ian Key]

It cost me £1345 for my Zappi instilation. This included the Zappi, an extra consumer unit and 10m armoured cable.
You also have to remember that they also have to pay to become electricians and to become a qualified installer as well as their tools, van, national insurance, liability insurance, pension etc etc.

 

[Rolfe]

You also have to remember that they also have to pay to become electricians and to become a qualified installer as well as their tools, van, national insurance, liability insurance, pension etc etc.

That is absolutely the point. Skilled tradesmen are worthy of a fair wage, taking into consideration all these factors including the necessity to contribute to a pension fund. I'm sure one occasionally comes across a rip-off merchant, but I wouldn't expect people to live on the bread-line and not be able to send their kids to uni just to give me a keen price.

 

[Gadget Geek]

Also if they want NICEIC registration, they have to pay for it.

 

[Ayoull]

To be an electrician it is 3yrs of college, followed by numerous exams every few years as the wiring regulations get up dated.

Then there are specific exams for testing and inspection, and a specific qualification for EV chargers.

There are also specific tools and equipment required and manufacturer specific exams to take before you can be an authorised installer.

You aren't paying for 1-3hrs work you're paying for the skills that allow for it to be a 1-3hr job which would take you a day or more to complete and most likely complete incorrectly at some point in the process from DNO notification to undertaking load calculations, to design assessments to installation to testing the installation.

Qualifications I hold are:

• City and Guilds Level 2 2330 electrotechnical services (1yr to complete)
• City and Guilds Level 3 2330 electrotechnical services (2yrs to complete)
• City and Guilds Level 3 NVQ Electrotechnical services Electrical installation (2yrs to complete run alongside L3 2330)
• City and Guilds 2380 L3 16th edition Wiring regulations
• City and Guilds 2381 L3 17th edition Wiring regulations
• City and Guilds 2382 L3 18th edition Wiring regulations
• City and Guilds Level 3 2391 Inspection, testing and certification of electrical installations
• City and Guilds Level 3 2919 EV charging Design, Installation and commission in domestic, commercial and industrial premises
• City and Guilds Level 4 2396 Design and Verification of electrical installations (2yrs to complete)

I've previously held NICEIC qualifying supervisor status for two firms which require extensive work and cost to maintaining the registrations.

All of those qualifications except for the Level 4 are what have been required for me to prove competence as an electrician, which is what keeps your home insurance valid, and makes sure the job is done correctly and safely.

As I said you're paying for skills you don't have else you wouldn't have to pay them, and the time and experience someone has to make the job look easy and straight forward.

 

[Lovemyev]

As I said you're paying for skills you don't have else you wouldn't have to pay them, and the time and experience someone has to make the job look easy and straight forward.

I agree, the same applies in many trades including the motor trade.
Rarely does a job on a car take the same time as laid down in the service guide, in fact back in day workshops would pay a premium payment for tech's who would complete the work faster than the time laid down in the guide.
A good experienced trade person can make the job look very easy, but have you ever watched a plaster at work and though that looks very easy !.
Until you try it for yourself and more plaster ends up on the floor rather than the wall .

 

[Ayoull]

I agree, the same applies in many trades including the motor trade.
Rarely does a job on a car take the same time as laid down in the service guide, in fact back in day workshops would pay a premium payment for tech's who would complete the work faster than the time laid down in the guide.
A good experienced trade person can make the job look very easy, but have you ever watched a plaster at work and though that looks very easy !.
Until you try it for yourself and more plaster ends up on the floor rather than the wall .

Or there's less waves in the Atlantic than on the wall, two things I don't do at home, plastering and tiling, attempted both with disastrous outcomes

 

[tsedge]

Perhaps I’m being a bit harsh but had several quotes to supply and install the Zappi charger. All around £1200 to £1500. Watched the guy install - took about 3 hours (including him talking to his base). The charger itself, I believe is around £700 so these guys are on at least £100 per hour allowing for VAT. Seems like a good gig if you’re booked in for several of these in the week. Maybe I’m just out of touch with what electricians charge these days.

My electrician charged me £90 to fit my Zappi. I already had a dedicated circuit in place when we had the house rewired, so all he had to do was connect the cable, CT clamp and fix the Zappi onto the wall. I did the commissioning myself (simple and documented in the manual).

I bought the Zappi online for about £650.

 

[Lovemyev]

My electrician charged me £90 to fit my Zappi. I already had a dedicated circuit in place when we had the house rewired, so all he had to do was connect the cable, CT clamp and fix the Zappi onto the wall. I did the commissioning myself (simple and documented in the manual).

I bought the Zappi online for about £650.

Great forward planning pays dividends !.

 

[tsedge]

Great forward planning pays dividends !.

Yes, I am sure it would have been a lot more if they had to run a new circuit. It only took him 20mins to fit it.

My electrician told me not to bother with a prepackaged installation as he said it would cost more and it would have.

 

[Gadget Geek]

I fortunately got my Pod-Point for free from Hyundai and free install. I needed a trench along the garden path to the garage, so I dug that myself to save money and paid £50 for the extra cable.

 

[5teep]

Added to all the above, your sparky has to comply with strict regulations, is legally responsible for it and guarantee his work. I guess it varies in different parts of the UK though, seems a bit steep to me but elsewhere where costs are higher...

 

[Alb]

My HyperVolt installation came to less than a grand and that included a Consumer Unit change.

 

[kiltox]

Octopus will supply and fit a Zappi for £999 (untethered) / £1049 (tethered) - anyone charging significantly more than that is pushing it a bit unless the install is complex/non-standard.