Best Electricians in Sunderland

Electrical work is one of the jobs where it pays most to check credentials first. In England, most new circuits, consumer unit replacements and work in bathrooms are notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations, which in practice means using an electrician registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT, who can self-certify the work and send the notification for you. Sunderland's older terraces in Hendon, Millfield and Roker can still have wiring that predates modern standards, while landlords across the city need an electrical installation condition report (EICR) at least every five years.

The three contractors below all have business addresses in the Sunderland area and their own websites, and each states on its site that it is NICEIC registered. We have not been able to check the NICEIC register directly, so confirm the registration on the NICEIC or Electrical Competent Person websites before work starts.

North 85

North 85 works from the Glover Industrial Estate on Spire Road in Washington. The business was set up by Nate Sheridan, whose family has been in the electrical trade since 1985, and its website says it uses its own NICEIC approved electricians and does not subcontract. The site also shows Part P, ISO and SAFEcontractor badges.

Its domestic work covers rewires, consumer unit upgrades, extra sockets and lighting, and EICRs for landlords and buyers. Renewables are a large part of its work: it installs solar PV, home battery storage and electric vehicle chargers for homes and workplaces. On the commercial side it lists LED lighting upgrades, emergency lighting and fire alarms. The firm states that its work carries a 10-year guarantee; ask what that covers in writing.

Best for: Suits: households adding solar, a battery or an EV charger, and small businesses needing emergency lighting.

Paul Douglas Electrical Services

Paul Douglas Electrical Services has been trading since 2005 and is based at Defender Court on Sunderland Enterprise Park. Its website states that it is an NICEIC Approved Contractor with enrolment number 040033, and it also displays CHAS, CSCS, City & Guilds, IPAF and PASMA logos, which reflect its work on commercial and industrial sites.

The firm handles installation, maintenance, and inspection and testing across domestic, commercial and industrial jobs. For a homeowner that means rewires, new circuits and consumer unit replacements; for a shop, office or workshop it means fit-outs, planned maintenance and periodic testing. Landlords with several properties may find it convenient to use one established contractor for a programme of EICRs and any remedial work they turn up.

Best for: Suits: landlords with several properties and businesses that need regular testing.

Fusion Electrical Contractors

Fusion Electrical Contractors is based at The Lodge in Backhouse Park, in the Ashbrooke area just south of the city centre. Its website says it is part of the NICEIC approved contractor scheme and covers domestic, commercial and industrial work.

Services run from design and installation to testing, inspection and certification, with rewires, consumer units, new circuits and lighting for homes, and installation and maintenance for commercial premises. It also lists emergency repairs, which is useful when a circuit keeps tripping and will not reset. Its location puts it close to the large Victorian and Edwardian houses of Ashbrooke and Thornhill, where an inspection is often the sensible first step before deciding whether a full rewire is needed.

Best for: Suits: older city-centre and Ashbrooke homes, and urgent faults.

Tips for hiring an electrician in Sunderland

Check the register yourself. NICEIC and NAPIT both have online searches, and the Electrical Competent Person register covers all the government-approved schemes. A logo on a website or van is not the same as a current registration.

Ask for the certificates. After notifiable work you should receive an Electrical Installation Certificate or Minor Works Certificate from the electrician, and a Building Regulations compliance certificate from their scheme, usually within a few weeks. Keep both, as solicitors ask for them when you sell.

Start with an EICR. If you are unsure about the state of the wiring in an older house, an electrical installation condition report sets out what needs attention and how urgently, which makes it easier to compare quotes for remedial work.

Get quotes in writing. For a rewire or a consumer unit change, ask for an itemised written quote covering making good (plastering and decorating are often excluded), certification and any waste removal.

EV chargers and solar. Chargepoint and solar installers should explain any notification to the electricity network operator and, for solar, whether they hold MCS certification, which affects export payments.

For more on quotes, deposits and your rights, read our guide to finding a good tradesperson in Sunderland, or browse the trades hub.

Know a Sunderland electrician we have missed? Get in touch.