18 things your electrician wishes you knew

I’ve spent four to eight years in apprentice school learning how to plan, install, inspect and repair electrical products. Don’t insult my intelligence by implying otherwise.

Electricity is complicated and dangerous. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you could start a fire or get electrocuted – sometimes fatally. Pretty much anything beyond plugging something into the wall should be left to a professional. The cost of my visit is nothing compared to the price of your safety.

On the other hand, here are 11 home improvement projects you can do yourself instead of hiring a professional.

Don’t call at the end of the day if you want same-day service. After 4:30 or 5:30pm, I need to pay my workers overtime, so I’ll charge you more to make up for it. Calling first thing in the morning lets me fit your job into my day – and you’ll see a lower bill.

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Online reviews are useful when you’re on the hunt for a trustworthy electrician. If the person with the lowest quote also has the worst ratings, it’s worth shelling out a bit more. If that cheaper electrician messes up, you’ll just need to call me (and my higher price) and pay more overall.

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I don’t specialise in installing dishwashers or washing machines, so please don’t call me about them. You’re better off finding a plumber.

Discover 30 secrets your plumber won’t tell you.

The farther I need to travel to get to you, the more time is taken out of my day – and I’ll factor that into your bill. Finding someone closer to your neighbourhood might be able to charge you less.

My original quote is based on the project you called me in for. If I find out there’s actually a larger issue at hand, I’ll need to increase my price to match the scope of the project. I’m not ripping you off, I’m just making sure I get compensated for the extra work.

Some customers get sticker shock, but I’m not trying to rip you off. You only see the half-hour of work I did in your home, but that’s not the whole story. I spent years training, and now I need to pay my crew (who went out of their way to get to your home), plus deal with marketing and other costs of running a business – and my prices reflect that.

Clearing the work space and moving any furniture before I arrive means I can get in and out faster, so I can charge you for less of my time.

Installing a ceiling fan might not sound complicated, but it’s nothing like putting together a barbecue yourself. You’re trying to figure out the motor while hoisting a 30kg fan three metres above the floor. Call me up – I can finish the job faster and safer than you could.