Plain and simple, electrical repairs are expensive. And if you want it done the right way, which in most cases requires a professional electrician, you can find yourself shelling out hundreds of dollars a day. Not to mention the safety issues of attempting to do it yourself. Basically, there's no easy way out of hiring an electrician to do the hard jobs around the house that necessitate technical skills.
Even though hiring an electrician can be pricey, there's a few smart ways to keep costs down. Here are 5 ways that homeowners can save money on their home's electrical problems.
1.) Choose The Best Electrician Above Pricing.
As you begin your search for an affordable electrician, keep in mind that cheaper pricing can directly correlate to lack in quality craftsmanship. Highly skilled electricians typically charge no less than $100. So even though you might find an electrician charging in the range of $50, that will more than likely come with a few stipulations, such as inferior repair work, inadequate tools or even no parts at all, placing more of the financial burden upon yourself than if you decided to hire an electrician at the standard rate.
Always go with a well-qualified(of course certified) and experienced electrician over anyone offering below-the-norm pricing.
2.) Make Sure There's A Clear and Clean Space for Your Electrician to Work on Electrical Repairs.
For an electrician, time is money, literally. What this means is that you don't want your electrician wasting any time doing things that you can already have set up for him/her. This includes making sure that the area that your electrician is working in is clear of clutter, giving him/her as much room as possible to operate. The last thing you need is your electrician billing you extra, for spending time moving furniture and fixtures that should've been removed long before he/she arrived.
Before your electrician arrives, make sure that area is clear and clean for electrical work. If you have to move a couch or two or even take down a few pictures, make sure that everything is clearly out of way for your electrician to work.
This might even include making sure that your service panel is correctly labeled. This is done by writing down the number of circuit breakers and separating the service panel (or circuit breakers) into 2 columns: (1) the circuit breaker number and (2) the location of the circuit services. Once you've labeled and mapped out the location of every circuit service, tape or attach the results to the service panel so that the electrician has no problems with getting to the areas needed for repair. This simple task will save your electrician time to get to the main repairs while also saving you money.
3.) If You Can, Make Sure You Have Your Own Materials and Devices.
Just when you thought the electrician’s bill for the labor was bad, you might faint when you see how much you were charged for the materials.
If there's a way for you to save money by purchasing materials yourself, do it! When it comes to certain materials such as electric baseboard heaters, decora switches, lighting devices and outlets, you can acquire all of these items at your local hardware store.
There are a few risks to buying your own materials. Be aware of buying standard materials and tools that electricians regularly use such as staples, bolts, boxes and wire. You want to stay out of the way of your electrician and their work. Allowing them to use their everyday "tools of the trade" to get the job done will get it finished faster and more efficient. Also, there's a slight chance of you buying the wrong materials/devices which could delay your electrician's work and add to already high expenses.
4.) Get as Many Electrical Repairs Done All At Once.
Remember, you're trying to save as much money as possible. That means you don't want your electrician coming back multiple times when they can complete all the repairs at once.
To achieve this, make sure that you make a complete list of all the electrical repairs needed around your house. This could be faulty switches or outlets or other electrical repairs. Thoroughly check your home for electrical repairs so that when your electrician arrives, they can fix everything in one stop.
5.) Install Electrical Fixtures That Are Geared Towards Saving Money and Energy.
To save on energy and money, make small changes to your electrical fixtures can make a big impact on your electric bill and costly repairs in the future.
- For one, try switching your standard incandescent lights to fluorescent bulbs.
- Use motion detection lights for indoor and outdoor lighting to maximize the electricity in and around your house.
- Get creative! Creative landscape lighting can make a big difference with a few alterations on where you decide to place your lights. Indoor accent lighting can also do the trick, making your energy sources for efficient and in most cases, more appealing.
There will most certainly come a time when you'll need to call an electrician to do the "heavy lifting". Whenever that day approaches, you'll be ready. You'll know what you want done and how you want it done, without any money or time to waste. This will make the job easier for your electrician, reducing the bill more than you can imagine.
So true that you should get as much electrical work done at once as possible. The last thing you want is to have to keep paying for separate service calls.
Great tips Carol, thanks for sharing!
Your 4th tip about making sure to get as many electrical repairs done all at once makes a lot of sense. My parents bought an older home that has a lot of upgrades that need to be done. Hiring an electrician will be important. Getting them all fixed at once might help keep everyone safe and efficient.