How to Get More Electrical Customers

1. Google presence — website and GBP

Most electrical enquiries start with a Google search. "Electrician [town]", "EICR certificate [town]", "consumer unit upgrade [town]", "emergency electrician [town]" — these searches happen daily in every town and city. Being in the Local Pack for these terms is the highest-value position in local electrical marketing.

A website with individual service pages (EICR certificates, consumer unit upgrades, rewires, EV charger installation, emergency electrician) combined with a complete Google Business Profile and consistent reviews puts you in contention for those positions. NICEIC or NAPIT registration displayed prominently — it's a legal requirement signal and a trust signal.

For the full SEO approach, see our SEO for electricians guide.

2. Landlord relationships — EICR cycles

Since 2020, private landlords in England have been legally required to have an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) for every rental property, renewed every five years. This creates a predictable, recurring revenue stream.

One landlord with five properties generates five EICRs every five years — and any remedial work identified. A landlord with 20 properties is a significant ongoing client. Once you complete an EICR for a landlord and do the work to a good standard, the relationship tends to be sticky.

Contact local letting agents and introduce yourself as a reliable electrician for landlord electrical compliance. Many letting agents don't have a preferred electrician and will refer to someone they trust. Offer a slightly reduced rate on first EICRs for landlords with multiple properties to build the relationship.

Keep a record of every EICR completion date. Four and a half years later, contact the landlord: "The EICR on your property at [address] is due for renewal in about six months — want to book it in now?" The conversion rate on this kind of proactive reminder is excellent.

3. EV charger installation

Electric vehicle sales are increasing every year. Every person who buys an EV eventually needs a home charger installed. The Zappi, Ohme and Andersen chargers popular in the UK all require a qualified electrician for installation.

OZEV (Office for Zero Emission Vehicles) authorisation allows you to install chargers eligible for government grants, which makes you the preferred option for many customers. Getting OZEV-authorised takes a few hours of training and paperwork.

Marketing EV charger installation: a dedicated page on your website ("EV Charger Installation [Town]"), presence in local EV owner Facebook groups (people frequently ask for recommendations), and a mention in your Google Business Profile services list. The customer demographic — EV owners — tends to be less price-sensitive than the average domestic electrical customer.

4. Builder and plumber referrals

Building contractors regularly need electricians for first-fix and second-fix on extensions, loft conversions and new builds. Plumbers frequently encounter situations where electrical work is needed alongside their job (boiler replacement, bathroom installation). These trades are natural referral partners.

Make yourself known to local builders and plumbers. Be reliable, communicate well, and price fairly. One good builder relationship can generate 10-15 jobs per year consistently. Most builders don't have a reliable preferred electrician — the opportunity to become that person is real.

5. New-build estate relationships

A site manager on a new-build estate has ongoing first-fix and second-fix electrical requirements. Getting in front of one site manager on one estate can mean months of consistent work. Visit local development sites, introduce yourself, and leave contact details and credentials. Commercial builders are interested in reliability, certification, and availability — not primarily price.

6. Google Ads for emergency searches

"Emergency electrician [town]", "no power [town]", "sparking socket [town]" — these emergency searches convert at a high rate because the person searching has a problem now and will call whoever answers. Cost per click is £8-20 in most UK markets. Job values for emergency callouts, consumer unit issues and rewires justify the spend.

Run ads with a click-to-call extension so mobile searchers can call directly from the ad result. Send clicks to a landing page (or your homepage) that loads fast and shows your NICEIC/NAPIT registration clearly.

7. Plumber referrals specifically

Plumbers are often on site when electrical needs arise — a bathroom renovation, a boiler replacement, a kitchen refit. The plumber doesn't do the electrical work but they know a customer who needs it. A reciprocal referral relationship with one or two local plumbers you trust generates useful work with warm pre-qualified leads.

Return the favour: refer electrical customers who mention needing plumbing work. Referral relationships only survive if they go both ways.