For homeowners
Can I do my own electrical work?
You can learn a lot here. Some jobs, though, are not yours to sign off.
Doing it yourself? Read this first
Some electrical work in your own home is notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations — a new circuit, a consumer-unit change, or work on a circuit close to a bath or shower — and you cannot certify it yourself. There are two main lawful routes: an electrician registered with a competent-person scheme certifies and notifies it, or you tell your local authority building control before you start and pay for the inspection. In England only, an installer who is not scheme-registered can instead book a registered third-party certifier before work starts. Part P covers England and Wales, and Wales notifies more kinds of work than England does; Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own building standards. Every job, notifiable or not, still has to meet BS 7671. We teach you how the work is done and why — finishing a lesson is not a certificate, and it does not make you a competent person under any scheme.
What you can learn here
Our DIY path starts with safety and explains how your home's wiring works. Each lesson takes a few minutes on your phone.
- Safe isolation →
How to switch off, lock off and prove a circuit dead before you touch it.
- Cable colours →
What the colours in your walls mean, old and new.
- Your consumer unit →
What the board in your hall cupboard does, and why replacing it is notifiable in England and Wales.
- RCDs →
The devices that cut the power when current leaks to earth.
- Earthing and bonding →
Why metal parts in your home are connected to earth.
New to the words? Read what notifiable work means, or browse the electrical glossary.
Check before you start
Do these four checks before you buy parts. If you are still not sure, ask your council's building control team before you start.
Where do you live?
Part P covers England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own building standards. Wales notifies more kinds of work than England, so read the Welsh rules if you live there.
Is your job on England's list?
In England, three kinds of job are notifiable: a new circuit, replacing a consumer unit, and adding to or altering a circuit close to a bath or shower, or in a room with a swimming pool or sauna heater.
If it is notifiable, choose a route before you start
Use an electrician registered with a competent-person scheme, who certifies and notifies the work. Or tell building control before you start and pay for the inspection. In England only, an installer who is not scheme-registered can book a registered third-party certifier before work starts.
Notifiable or not, meet BS 7671
Every job has to meet BS 7671, the UK wiring standard, whether or not anyone has to be told about it. If you cannot test your work, you cannot show that it does.
England’s list is in regulation 12 of the Building Regulations 2010, checked on 25 October 2026.
When to use a registered electrician
Some electrical work is for a qualified, registered electrician, not a homeowner. We do not teach a homeowner to do it.
- Any notifiable job, unless you have told building control before you start.
- Testing a live installation, and issuing an electrical certificate.
- Anything you cannot isolate, prove dead and test yourself.
- Burning smells, scorch marks, or a fuse or RCD that keeps tripping.
GOV.UK lists the authorised competent-person schemes. Each one keeps a register you can search for a local electrician.
Questions homeowners ask
Can I do my own electrical work in my house?
Some work can be undertaken by a householder with the necessary knowledge and ability, but learning here does not establish competence. For notifiable work under Part P in England and Wales, use an electrician registered with a competent-person scheme who certifies and notifies the work, or notify building control before starting. England also permits a registered third-party certifier arranged before work starts. Wales notifies more work; Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate regimes.
Do I need an electrician to change a socket?
In England, a like-for-like socket replacement is generally outside the notification list, but safe isolation, suitable equipment and appropriate verification still matter. Use a competent electrician if you cannot establish those conditions. For notifiable work under Part P in England and Wales, use an electrician registered with a competent-person scheme who certifies and notifies the work, or notify building control before starting. England also permits a registered third-party certifier arranged before work starts. Wales notifies more work; Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate regimes.
Does Part P apply in Scotland or Northern Ireland?
No. For notifiable work under Part P in England and Wales, use an electrician registered with a competent-person scheme who certifies and notifies the work, or notify building control before starting. England also permits a registered third-party certifier arranged before work starts. Wales notifies more work; Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate regimes.
Will your lessons make me a qualified electrician?
No. Our lessons teach how the work is done and why. They are not a qualification or a certificate, and finishing them does not make you a competent person under any scheme.
Learn it properly first
Start with safe isolation. It is free, and it is the lesson every other job depends on.
Our lessons teach how electrical work is done. TradeTraining does not award qualifications, and we never certify, notify or register anyone or any work. For a notifiable job, use a registered electrician or building control.
Learn enough to recognise the limits of a job
Updated
A small-looking task can still need careful assessment
A fitting's appearance does not establish the condition of its wiring or the protection behind it. Learn to recognise damaged equipment and understand the purpose of isolation, but use a competent electrician when you cannot establish the safe method and the checks required. A tutorial or quiz cannot prove an installation safe.
Prepare useful information for an electrician
Describe what changed, which equipment is affected and any visible damage without removing covers or exposing conductors. Keep available certificates and reports. Understanding the terminology helps you explain a problem and compare a written scope of work.
Sources
- HSE: electrical safety questions — Safe working, isolation and the need for appropriate competence.
- GOV.UK: electrical safety guidance for England — England's building-regulations guidance; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different arrangements.