Written by Mark Reid,
Trades Editor ·Verified 31 October 2026
Reading's housing stock is wonderfully mixed, and that matters more than you might think when you're calling an electrician. The Victorian and Edwardian terraces around Newtown, Caversham, and Tilehurst often still have older wiring layouts, including remnants of round-pin sockets, ageing consumer units, and ring mains that were never designed to cope with modern electrical loads. Meanwhile, the newer builds spreading out towards Woodley, Earley, and the developments off the A33 tend to bring their own challenges: AFDD requirements, EV charger installations, and solar PV systems that need a qualified electrician rather than a general handyman. Reading's also a university town, which means a constant churn of HMO landlords needing electrical installation condition reports, and busy households that don't want to wait three weeks for a callback. Knowing roughly what kind of property you have, and what you actually need done, will help you pick the right firm from the off.
The businesses on this page were drawn from third-party business listings and ranked primarily by their public review rating and review count, with a small lift applied to those that show a working website and phone number. Before anything appears here, we check each business's homepage to confirm that electrical work is genuinely what they primarily offer, which is how unrelated trades get filtered out. Listings flagged as permanently closed are removed automatically. Where you see a Trust Verified badge on a business, that firm has gone further and passed our full independent verification, covering trade qualifications and accreditations, public liability insurance, trading history, customer review history, and registered company information. You can see exactly what that involves on our How We Verify page. Businesses without that badge have not been independently verified by us, and you should carry out your own checks before booking.
Before you commit to anyone, there are a few things worth doing. Ask whether the electrician is registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC, NAPIT, or ELECSA. Registered electricians can self-certify notifiable work, which means you get a completion certificate without needing to involve your local authority building control. That certificate matters if you ever sell the property. For larger jobs, get at least two or three written quotes and make sure they're itemising labour and materials separately so you can compare like for like. An electrical installation condition report (EICR) on a typical three-bedroom Reading terrace usually costs somewhere between £150 and £300 depending on the number of circuits, so if a quote looks dramatically cheaper, ask why. Check that any contractor carries public liability insurance before they start work, and don't be put off asking to see documentation. A good electrician won't mind.
How We Select & Rate The Best Electricians in Reading
Rankings on this page are driven by public review rating and review count pulled from third-party business listings, with a small lift for businesses that have a working website and phone number. We check each business's homepage to confirm that electrical work is what they primarily offer, keeping unrelated trades off the page, and any listing flagged as permanently closed is removed automatically. Businesses displaying a Trust Verified badge have additionally passed our full verification covering trade qualifications, accreditations, public liability insurance, trading history, customer review history, and registered company information. See our How We Verify page for the full list. All other businesses on this page have not been independently verified by us, and inclusion is not an endorsement. Always do your own checks before hiring.
Recommended and Featured listings are paid placements, so a business's fee affects whether and where it appears. Every other listing is ranked on rating and review count from third-party business listings. How we rank & verify →
Beckley Electrical provides professional electrical services to Reading and surrounding areas from their base in Tilehurst. They serve both residential and commercial clients across the area and beyond.
PJC Electrical Services Ltd covers Reading and the surrounding villages, taking on domestic and commercial electrical work. Homeowners and small businesses in the area use them for installations, fault-finding, and routine electrical maintenance.
Amptek Electrical services provides professional electrical solutions to customers across Reading and surrounding areas. Their experienced electricians handle a comprehensive range of domestic and commercial electrical installations, repairs, and maintenance work.
BS Electrical provides professional electrical services to customers across Reading. They handle a range of electrical installations, repairs and maintenance work for residential and commercial clients throughout the local area.
JD Electrics provides professional electrical services in Reading and surrounding neighbourhoods. Their qualified electricians handle a full range of domestic and commercial electrical work throughout the Reading area.
EMS General Services provides comprehensive electrical services to customers across Reading and the surrounding areas from their base in Caversham. They handle a full range of electrical installations, repairs, and maintenance for both residential and commercial properties.
New Generation Electrics provides electrical services throughout Reading and the surrounding Berkshire area from their base in Tilehurst. They serve both residential and commercial clients with a range of electrical installations, repairs, and maintenance work.
Wright Sparks LTD provides professional electrical services to customers across Reading and the surrounding areas. Based in Coley Park, the company's qualified electricians handle domestic and commercial electrical work.
Cymerman Electrical Service provides professional electrical services to customers across Reading. They serve surrounding neighbourhoods with a range of electrical solutions for residential and commercial properties.
Urban Electrics provides electrical services to customers in Reading. The electricians handle residential and commercial electrical work. Clients can find additional information about their services through their website at urban-electrics.co.uk.
Caversham Electrical Limited provides professional electrical services to customers in Reading and surrounding areas. Their qualified electricians handle a range of domestic and commercial electrical work.
Carter Electrical provides professional electrical services throughout Reading, handling domestic and commercial electrical work. Their experienced electricians offer reliable installations, repairs, and maintenance services for residential and business clients.
RG4 Electrical Ltd provides professional electrical services to customers in Reading and the surrounding area. Their experienced electricians handle a range of domestic and commercial electrical installations, repairs, and maintenance work throughout the local area.
1 Electrics Reading Electrician provides electrical services throughout Reading and the surrounding areas from their Caversham base. The company has earned a strong reputation with customers, maintaining a 4.8 out of 5 star rating based on 24 verified Google reviews. Their qualified electricians handle domestic and commercial electrical work across the RG4 postcode area and beyond.
Sparkshire Electrical provides professional electrical services to customers in Reading and the surrounding areas from their base in Tilehurst. Their experienced electricians handle a range of domestic and commercial electrical installations, repairs, and maintenance work.
BHandy Electrical provides professional electrical services to customers in Reading and the surrounding areas. They offer comprehensive electrical solutions for both residential and commercial clients.
Dew Electrics provides professional electrical services to customers in Reading and the surrounding area. The company offers comprehensive electrical solutions for residential and commercial properties throughout the Reading area.
RB Electrical provides professional electrical services to customers in Reading and the surrounding areas. Their website offers detailed information about their electrical contracting services for both residential and commercial clients.
GT Electric Services Ltd is an electrical contractor serving Reading and the surrounding area. The company covers both domestic and commercial work across Berkshire. Their website outlines the scope of services available, from installations to fault finding.
Same Day Electrician Reading provides electrical services throughout Reading. Their focus on same-day service aims to address urgent electrical needs for local residential and commercial clients.
Transparency notice: Recommended and Featured listings are paid placements, so a business's fee affects whether and where it appears. All other listings are ranked by a combined score drawn from ratings and review counts published on third-party business listings, plus basic completeness signals such as a working website and phone. A Trust Verified badge means we have independently checked that business's documents; businesses without it have not been independently verified by us. How we verify →
Looking for an Electrician in Reading?
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Expect to pay £40-60 per hour for routine electrical work in Reading. A full rewire for a three-bedroom house typically costs £3,000-5,000, whilst a consumer unit replacement runs £400-800. Emergency call-outs often carry a premium of £80-120. Prices vary based on complexity, access, and whether work needs Building Control notification. Getting two or three quotes helps you spot unrealistic pricing either way.
Do I need Building Control approval for electrical work in Reading?
Yes, certain electrical work in Reading requires Building Control notification, including new circuits, consumer unit replacements, and work in bathrooms or kitchens. A qualified electrician registered with NICEIC, NAPIT, or similar can self-certify this work and handle the paperwork. If you use an unregistered electrician, you'll need to apply to Reading Borough Council separately, which costs extra and takes longer.
How quickly can an electrician come out for emergencies?
Most Reading electricians aim to respond to genuine emergencies within 2-4 hours, though this varies by location and time of day. Emergency call-outs typically cost £80-150 just to attend. Before calling out an emergency service, check if you can isolate the problem at your consumer unit and whether it's actually urgent. Many 'emergencies' like a single socket not working can wait until normal hours.
What qualifications should my electrician have?
Look for electricians with City & Guilds 2391 inspection and testing qualifications, plus registration with NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, or STROMA. They should carry a current registration card and have public liability insurance of at least £2 million. For more complex work like solar installations or electric vehicle charging points, check they have specific training for those systems.
Can electricians work on smart home systems?
Many Reading electricians now handle smart home installations, from intelligent lighting controls to home automation systems. However, not all are equally experienced with these technologies. Ask specifically about their experience with the brands you want, whether they can integrate systems with your existing setup, and if they provide ongoing support for software updates and troubleshooting.
How do I verify an electrician's credentials?
Check their registration on the NICEIC, NAPIT, or relevant scheme provider's website using their registration number. Ask to see their qualification certificates and current insurance documents. Look up their company on Companies House to check trading history. Read recent Google reviews carefully, focusing on how they handle problems rather than just star ratings. Always get a written quote before work starts.
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