Reliable light fittings keep your home safe and easy to move around, but also affect the interior’s style. If it’s time for a change, do you need an electrician?
In any building, home or otherwise, you’ll find light fittings in every space. Lighting up rooms and corridors, they’re a crucial part of any property.
Light fittings come as standard, then, but there are times when you might want to get rid of your existing setup. Perhaps your light fittings look past it, or maybe they’re not working properly.
Whatever the motivation, you have two choices: change the light yourself, or hire an electrician to do it for you. Let’s look at whether doing the work by yourself is a good call – or even possible.
Before getting into the nitty gritty, we spoke to Steven Campbell, owner of Campbell West, about how to change light fittings and whether it's okay to do this on your own.
Based in Berkshire, Campbell West designs, installs and maintains mechanical and electrical systems, such as heating and cooling, plumbing, ventilation, lighting, fire, and security installations.
The company was founded in 2017 by directors Steven Campbell and Daniel West, who met while working together as apprentices. Campbell West works with clients in both commercial and residential sectors, with customers including NHS trusts, local government, and education settings.
Now, with Steven's help, let's delve into how to change a light fitting, and whether you can do it without hiring an electrician.
Are you allowed to change light fittings yourself?
There are pros and cons to changing a light fitting on your own, but is it even allowed?
The short answer? Yes, usually.
According to Steven Campbell, the owner and founder of Campbell West, it's not always necessary to hire an electrician for the job. He said: "You don't always need an electrician to change a light fitting if you're confident in basic electrical tasks, but if you're unsure or the job involves complicated wiring, it's safer and advisable to hire a qualified electrician to ensure compliance with safety standards."
In the UK, we consider some electrical work ‘notifiable'. These are higher-risk changes, so you'll need to tell the local authority what's happening. As only qualified electricians can do the work, they'll usually do this for you.
Changing a light fitting doesn’t qualify as notifiable, at least with standard designs and no major wiring changes. Since most people are only changing pendant lights or flush ceiling lights, this doesn’t usually apply.
Of course, any electrical work holds risk, and you should always think twice before tackling a project alone. Building regulations generally allow changing your own light fixtures, but is it the right decision for you?
Should you hire an electrician to change a light fitting?
In some ways, changing a light fitting is simple. Many homeowners have most of the tools needed for the task, but there are a few specialist items you might be missing. This wouldn’t be true for more complicated electrical installation work.
Really, though, it’s best to bring in a professional electrician – here’s why.
Protecting yourself
Make no mistake, you should always take electrical safety seriously. If you’re not careful, electrical work has the potential to cause serious injury – or worse. It is possible to electrocute yourself by changing a light fitting.
On safety, Steven Campbell had this to say: "Before changing or installing a new light fitting, make sure you turn off the power at the circuit breaker, ensure you have the correct tools and fittings, check the load capacity of the circuit, and confirm that your electrical knowledge is sufficient for the task. "A definite "no-no" when doing electrical work yourself is working without turning off the power at the circuit breaker, as this poses a serious risk of electric shock or fire. Always ensure the power is completely off before starting any electrical task."
By hiring an electrician, you’re putting the task in experienced hands. You’re taking yourself out of the equation and making sure the work is completed at the same time.
Yes, you’d rather avoid electrician costs, but you can’t put a price on your health and peace of mind.
Quality results
Even if you’re a handy individual, you can’t expect to keep up with qualified electricians.
As masters in their field, electricians complete all work to the highest standard. They do everything by the book.
By hiring a local electrician, you can feel sure they've installed your light fitting properly.
Insurance matters
If electrics cause damage to your home – electrical fires come to mind – insurers might only pay out if you have an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC).
What’s an EIC? It’s a document that proves your electrical work is safe and up to code. An electrician can give you an EIC, and that could make your life a whole lot easier in the long run.
Lacking experience with electrical work
If you’re inexperienced with electrical work, it’s always better to err on the side of caution.
While most light fitting changes aren’t notifiable, they can be. And you might not know when work crosses into that territory.
If you’re at all unsure, take caution. You’re better off not risking the penalties that follow breaking the rules.
How much does replacing a light fitting cost?
Some people choose to replace light fittings themselves because they worry about the cost of hiring an electrician. This is natural, but the cost might not be as high as you’re expecting.
On average, electricians charge £150 to replace a light fitting. Your exact costs will depend on your location and the complexity of the work too, though.
That might sound like a lot, but when you consider the cost of buying the tools and materials needed to do the work yourself, it begins to shrink.
You can always ask for a free quote, too, so you know what to expect before hiring anybody.
Still in doubt? Hire an electrician
Electrical work is dangerous. It’s normal to feel intimidated by it.
If you’re at all unsure about changing a light fitting yourself, hiring an electrician is the best call.
The cost is not unreasonably high, you’ll receive quality results, and an Electrical Installation Certificate for good measure.
Making a change is simple. Read electrician hiring advice and cost information before browsing local professionals or posting a free enquiry – the fastest way to have experts contact you.