Best Electricians in Newcastle City Centre

Electrical work in Newcastle city centre looks a little different from the suburbs. Fewer people own a three-bed semi with a garage, and far more live in converted Grainger Town upper floors, Quayside apartment blocks or student-let flats around the Haymarket. Add the shops, bars, offices and studios packed into NE1, and the jobs that come up most are landlord safety inspections, consumer unit upgrades in older conversions, and commercial installation and testing.

Very few electricians keep a shopfront in the city centre itself (the rents rarely make sense for a trade that works on site), so the firms below are Newcastle and Gateshead businesses that regularly work in and around the centre. We have split them into those that suit homes and landlords, and those set up for commercial premises.

For flats, homes and landlords

Tyneside Electrical Services

Tyneside Electrical Services is a Newcastle limited company, based in the west of the city, that takes on both domestic and commercial work. Its list of services covers most of what a city-centre resident or landlord is likely to need: full and partial rewires, consumer unit upgrades, fault finding, lighting, electric showers, fire and smoke alarms, EV charger installation and Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs). The firm says it has more than 25 years of experience, offers a five-year workmanship guarantee and handles emergency call-outs, and its site displays NAPIT branding.

Best for: Best for: landlord EICRs, rewires and consumer unit upgrades in city flats.

NE1 Electrical

As the name suggests, NE1 Electrical is a Newcastle firm that pitches itself squarely at the city, with an address in Shieldfield, just over the motorway from the city centre. It covers residential, commercial and industrial work, from wiring upgrades and consumer unit changes to landlord safety inspections, PAT testing, electric heating, security systems and air conditioning. It also advertises emergency call-outs and maintenance plans, which can suit small businesses and landlords who would rather have one firm on hand. Its site shows City & Guilds and NAPIT logos.

Best for: Best for: a city-based all-rounder for landlords and small businesses.

For shops, offices and commercial premises

Robson Electrical

Robson Electrical is one of the longest-established names on this list. The firm was founded in 1973, became a limited company in 1996 and has been on the NICEIC roll since 1980, working from Hawthorn House on Back Heaton Road, a short drive east of the centre. It concentrates on industrial and commercial installations rather than homes: LV switchgear, LED and emergency lighting, power, fire alarms, data cabling and inspection and testing, with a full design-and-install service. Schools, churches, factories and food businesses make up much of its client list, which makes it a sensible call for a city-centre venue or office refit.

Best for: Best for: commercial lighting, fire alarms and testing for established businesses.

Acrol Electrical

Just across the Tyne in Gateshead, Acrol Electrical is the electrical arm of Acrol Modular Buildings and works specifically with small and medium-sized businesses in Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland. It is NICEIC approved, an ECA member, CHAS accredited and Constructionline Gold, which are the credentials larger landlords and managing agents often ask for. Work covers new power and lighting for refurbishments, equipment connections, EICRs, fault finding, repairs and planned maintenance. It keeps business hours (Monday to Friday), so it suits planned work rather than late-night emergencies.

Best for: Best for: shop and office refurbishments where a client wants accredited contractors.

How to check an electrician before you hire

Look them up on a register. Domestic electrical work in England falls under Part P of the Building Regulations. Electricians registered with a government-approved competent person scheme, such as NICEIC or NAPIT, can self-certify their work instead of you having to involve building control. Both schemes have a search tool on their websites, and the government's Electrical Competent Person Register lets you check a firm by name or postcode. Ask for a registration number and check it yourself.

Landlords: keep the EICR up to date. Private landlords in England must have the electrics in a rented home inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every five years, and give a copy of the report to tenants. With so much of the city centre rented out, this is the job most local electricians are asked for.

Flats bring extra questions. In an apartment block, check what is your responsibility and what belongs to the building's managing agent before booking work, especially for anything affecting shared risers, fire alarms or communal lighting.

Check the company is current. A quick search on Companies House shows whether a limited company is still active. Firms do close, merge or change names, so it is worth checking before you pay a deposit.

Get it in writing. Ask for a written quote after a site visit, and make sure you receive the right certificate at the end: an Electrical Installation Certificate for new circuits, or a Minor Works Certificate for smaller jobs.

If you are new to the area, our guide to moving to Newcastle city centre covers the practical side of settling in, and business owners may find useful contacts in business support in Newcastle city centre.

Know a good electrician working in Newcastle city centre? Let us know and we will take a look.