Electrician insurance, banking and accounting — built into one app.
UK electricians need cover that understands Part P, NICEIC certification, EICR liability and the BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 wiring regs. Onsite bundles public liability, tools, van and employers' liability with business banking, accounting and CIS — and your test instruments are scheduled into the tools policy, not added as a clumsy after-thought.
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What insurance does a UK electrician actually need?
Electricians sit closer to the legal compliance line than almost any other trade. Part P notifiable work, EICR liability under the 2020 rental regulations, and the 18th Edition wiring regs all create insurance exposures that a generic policy misses.
- Employers' liability — legally compulsory. Required from the moment you pay an apprentice or labourer. £10m cover is the market standard. Note: if your apprentice is on a college day-release scheme, the college does not cover them on your site — you do.
- Public liability — contractually required. NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA and Stroma all require £2m PL as a condition of competent-person scheme membership. Social housing, letting agent and main contractor schedules require £5m. Listed buildings and HMOs almost always require £5m.
- Tools and calibrated instruments — strongly recommended. A Megger MFT1741+ costs £1,500. A Fluke 1664 FC is £1,800. A loop and PFC tester is £300+. Even a modest electrician carries £5,000 of kit, of which £2,000+ is calibrated and must be replaced like-for-like to keep certification valid.
- Professional indemnity — for design work. If you design the installation, specify the cable, sign the EIC or commission the install, your design decision can be challenged after the fact. PI covers the legal cost of defending the design even if the install was electrically perfect.
- Cyber and data — for EV charger fleets. If you install commercial EV chargers connected to a network operator (OCPP, Allego, BP Pulse), you're handling customer data on the install. Most schemes now require £100k of cyber/data cover. Onsite includes a £50k cyber bolt-on on the Pro tier.
Every cover a UK electrician needs — in one place
Tick what you need. Skip what you don't. The bundle saves more than buying each cover from a different insurer, and you get one renewal date, one login and one team to call.
Build your electrician bundle in 60 seconds
Real Admiral and partner panel quotes. No broker shuffle. Certificate of insurance in your dashboard the same day.
How to get electrician insurance with Onsite
Four steps. Two minutes. Certificate same day.
Tell us what you install
Domestic only, commercial, EV chargers, solar PV, or all of the above. Add your competent-person scheme (NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, Stroma) and we pre-fill the rest.
Pick your cover levels
£1m, £2m or £5m PL; £5,000 or £10,000 tools (with calibrated instruments scheduled separately if needed); van; EL.
Get a quote in 60 seconds
Admiral and partner panel prices return instantly. Quotes pre-screen Part P notifiable work and EICR coverage so you don't end up with the wrong policy at claim time.
Bind it and get your certificate
Pay monthly or annually. NICEIC and main-contractor-ready certificates appear in your dashboard in seconds. Auto-renewal, 14-day cooling-off.
Real electrician claims Onsite settled this year
Anonymised but representative — the claims that pay back the policy in a single incident.
Why Onsite beats a traditional broker for electricians
Brokers sell you cover and walk away. Onsite is the platform you live in between renewals — banking, accounting, expense capture, CIS handling, an AI assistant that knows your business. The insurance pricing is competitive on its own. The platform is the differentiator.
| What you get | Traditional broker | Onsite |
|---|---|---|
| Public liability, tools, van, EL | Yes | Yes |
| One login for all policies | No — separate insurers | Yes |
| Business bank account + Mastercard | No | Free with bundle |
| Live expense categorisation | No | Yes |
| CIS scheme registration + filing | No | Yes (£39/mo) |
| Mid-term changes (add a labourer, lift a tools limit) | Via email + admin fee | In-app, instant |
| Certificate of insurance issuance | 1-3 working days | Within 60 seconds |
| Powered by Admiral | No | Yes |
UK-specific regs and risks every electrician should price into a policy
These are the bits a generic broker policy gets wrong. Onsite quotes around them on purpose.
Part P Building Regulations
Notifiable work (new circuits, consumer unit changes, kitchen/bathroom additions) must be Part P certified. If you self-certify under NICEIC/NAPIT etc., your PL insurer requires evidence of current scheme membership — Onsite verifies this at quote time and stores the certificate on your dashboard.
BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 — 18th Edition wiring regs
Amendment 2 (May 2022) added new requirements for SPDs, EV charging, prosumer installations and metallic structural earthing. PL claims defence depends on installs being current to A2. Onsite reminds you when your 18th Edition course is due to expire.
EICR liability (since 2020 rental rules)
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 made EICRs mandatory every 5 years. EICR-issuing electricians get challenged 1-3 years later when a tenant escalates. PI cover specifically defends the report.
EV charger installs (OCPP, OZEV grants)
OZEV grant work, smart-charging compliance (Electric Vehicle (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021) and OCPP network connections all carry liability you didn't see five years ago. Onsite's EV add-on extends PL specifically to network connectivity and grant audit defence.
CIS deductions for sparkies
If you sub-contract to another electrician on a building site, CIS applies even if you both think of yourselves as sole traders. Onsite Accounting handles CIS automatically — register, deduct, file the contractor return.
Transparent pricing — no broker fees, no admin uplift
Below are the standard monthly starting points for electricians on Onsite. Final quote depends on cover levels, postcode and underwriter answers. Bundle two or more covers and the bundle discount applies automatically.
| Cover | Starting price | Typical electrician | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public liability insurance | from £14/mo | £14 – £42/mo | £1m, £2m or £5m cover for electrical fire, shock, electrocution, and consequential property damage. Includes call-back l… |
| Tools and instruments | from £8/mo | £8 – £24/mo | Up to £10,000 of cover new-for-old. Megger, Fluke, Kewtech, Martindale, Milwaukee and Makita all scheduled. Calibrated i… |
| Van insurance | from £49/mo | £49 – £147/mo | Goods in transit included — consumer units, EV chargers, cable drums and customer-supplied fittings. UK and EU cover. Mu… |
| Employer's liability | from £12/mo | £12 – £36/mo | Legally required from the moment you employ anyone — apprentice, labourer, mate, CIS subcontractor or limited-company su… |
| Professional indemnity | from £18/mo | £18 – £54/mo | Covers design errors, EIC sign-off, EICR liability and post-completion claims (most NICEIC complaints arrive 1-3 years a… |
Electricians insurance — frequently asked questions
The 12 questions UK electricians ask us most often. Each answer is referenced into the FAQPage schema on this page so AI assistants and voice search can cite directly.
Do self-employed electricians in the UK need insurance by law?
Public liability isn't strictly required by law for sole-trader electricians, but every competent-person scheme (NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, Stroma) requires £2m PL as a condition of membership — and almost no UK customer or main contractor will hire you without scheme membership. Employers' liability is a strict legal requirement from the first paid apprentice or labourer. Van insurance is legally required to drive.
How much does electrician insurance cost per month in the UK?
Self-employed UK electricians typically pay £14–£32/mo for £2m public liability (higher if you do commercial or EV install), £8/mo for tools, and £49–£75/mo for van. Bundled through Onsite, all-in for PL + tools + van + business banking + accounting is normally £80–£120/mo — around £500/yr cheaper than buying each cover separately.
Does Onsite cover EICR work and the 2020 rental regulations?
Yes. Onsite PL includes EICR liability as standard; PI is recommended for high-volume EICR electricians because most disputes arise 1-3 years post-issue. The £100k PI bolt-on costs £18/mo and covers the cost of defending the EICR report itself, even when no electrical fault occurred.
Are my Megger and Fluke testers covered if they're in the van?
Yes. Calibrated test instruments are scheduled separately on the tools policy by serial number, and replacements are issued new-for-old with the calibration certificate fee included. Standard 'tools cover' from non-trade insurers often pays out at second-hand market value, which is useless for calibrated kit — Onsite's policy specifically accounts for the higher replacement cost.
Do I need professional indemnity as an electrician?
If you design installs (consumer unit layout, cable sizing, SPD selection), sign EICs as the designer, issue EICRs, or specify EV charger placement, yes. PI defends the design decision even if the electrical install was perfect. Domestic-only electricians who only install to a designer's spec can usually skip it.
Can I add EV charger installation to my policy?
Yes. Onsite has an EV install endorsement that extends PL to OCPP network connectivity, smart-charging compliance under the 2021 regulations, and OZEV grant audit defence. £12/mo on top of standard PL, and required by most OZEV-approved installer schemes.
Does Onsite cover Part P notifiable work?
Yes — provided you're on a competent-person scheme (NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, Stroma) so you can self-certify. Onsite verifies your scheme membership at quote time and stores the certificate. If you're not on a scheme and use a Building Control inspector for notifiable work, your policy still applies but the customer is charged for the inspection separately.
What happens if a fire breaks out a year after my install?
Onsite PL has a 6-year tail on installation work — if a fire or fault occurs up to 6 years after the install date, you're covered (subject to the policy being live at the time of the install). This matches the standard 6-year limitation period for contract claims in England and Wales. We strongly recommend annual renewal without lapse to keep the tail continuous.
Will Onsite cover commercial and industrial work?
Yes — pick the £5m PL tier and declare commercial work at quote time. Industrial work over 3-phase 100A typically needs additional underwriting questions but isn't excluded. We cover light-industrial up to and including small factory floors as standard.
How does Onsite handle CIS for electricians?
If you contract to another electrician, you're a CIS contractor and must deduct tax at source. Onsite Accounting (£39/mo) handles registration, deductions, monthly contractor returns and reconciliation with your business bank account. We also do gross-payment-status applications when your turnover qualifies.
Can I do solar PV and battery installs under this policy?
Yes, with the MCS endorsement. Solar PV and battery storage carry slightly higher PL premiums because of fire risk on lithium batteries — Onsite quotes specifically for this work rather than burying it in the standard policy. MCS scheme membership is verified at quote time.
How does Onsite compare to NICEIC's own insurance scheme?
NICEIC's scheme partners (currently Towergate-administered) sell standalone PL/PI cover that's competitive on price. Onsite is competitive on insurance pricing too, but bundles it with banking, accounting, CIS handling and expense tracking — so the real saving is around 4-6 hours/week of admin. NICEIC scheme membership is still required separately.
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