Do I Need An Electrician To Move An Electrical Outlet?

Living in a civilised society can often feel like a mixed blessing. On the one hand, we benefit from no end of luxuries and conveniences that we wouldn’t otherwise have had, but we do give up a certain degree of freedom to get those conveniences. Anyone who has tried to have a large extension built on their home will likely be able to attest to that. And, while the positives of civilisation greatly outweigh the negatives, those negatives can sometimes feel oppressive.

Electrical work is one area where we are often restricted in what we can do, even on our own property. Of course, there are perfectly valid reasons for this (more on that in a moment) but it can make knowing what you can and can’t do with your electrical systems difficult. Certain things are required by law to only be done by a certified electrician, whereas with other things, you are just advised to have an electrician take care of it for you.

Given the nature of electricity—especially in the amount that is delivered to a typical home—and the danger it poses, there is a strong argument to be made that you should have a qualified electrician take care of any electrical work regardless of what the law says. Still, we understand that people like to do things for themselves wherever possible.

So, do you need an electrician to move your power points around in your own home? The answer is; it depends.

In the UK you are legally allowed to carry out some “minor” electrical work yourself, without calling on a certified expert to do it for you. The thing is, there is some room for interpretation over what constitutes minor electrical work. For example, you are allowed to move outlets a “short” distance, but official regulations are a bit vague on how short is short!

The next area we will touch on that is not clear-cut is the matter of the work itself. Technically speaking, you do not need a qualified electrician to do any electrical work. The kind of work that the law speaks to just needs certifying by a qualified electrician, but it doesn’t have to be carried out by that electrician.

But, before you get it into your head to go and find an electrician willing to sign off on your DIY electrical work for a relatively low price, you should be aware that many electricians won’t do this for larger jobs. There is undoubtedly an element of wanting to push people to hire them to do the work rather than do it themselves, but there is also the matter of their own livelihood, as certifying unsafe electrical work would have serious repercussions for them.