Electrician Insurance

Specialist insurance for electricians from £8 a month*.

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Electrician insurance should be a key consideration for anyone trading as an electrician, whether you’re a contractor or a sub-contractor.

As an electrician, you know that safety always comes first. Managing risks and avoiding hazards is a major part of your job. But no matter how skilled you are, there is always a chance that things won’t go to plan.

Working with electricity is inherently dangerous. And if the unexpected happens and you cause injury to yourself or someone else, or you damage a customer’s property, you could be left facing major costs. This means it’s essential that you have suitable financial protection in place.

At Markel Direct, we offer specialist electricians’ insurance that can be tailored to fit your needs.

What is electricians’ insurance?

Electrician and electrical contractors’ insurance is there to protect your business’ finances in a wide range of scenarios. It’s not a one-size-fits-all product, but a range of insurance covers you can choose from to create a bespoke policy. It can include different types of cover, from electrician public liability insurance and employers’ liability protection to professional indemnity insurance and cover for your tools.

Do electricians need insurance?

Even if you’re extremely careful, when you’re dealing with electricity, there is always a chance that something will go wrong. And if it does, the fallout can be costly. From exposed sockets and live wires to cables that pose a tripping hazard, there are many dangers to be aware of. What if a mistake in your wiring work causes a fire at a customer’s house? Could you pay to repair the damage out of your own pocket? Or perhaps you’re working in a public building and a passer-by falls over your toolbox and injures themselves. If they decide to sue, you could be left facing significant legal fees and compensation costs.

If scenarios like these would put your finances under strain, you’ll need to take out public liability insurance for electricians. You might also find that some customers want to see proof that you have this type of protection in place before they will hire you for a job. And if you employ anyone, even if they’re part-time or temporary workers, you’re required by law to have employers’ liability cover. If you don’t get this type of insurance, you risk being fined up to £2,500 per day.

There is your equipment to think about too. As an electrician, you rely on your tools to get the job done. So, if they are stolen, damaged or lost, you’ll need to replace or repair them - and quickly. Having tools insurance in place means you won’t have to fork out the money yourself.

There are various other types of cover you might benefit from including in your electrician insurance policy as well. This ranges from personal accident insurance to professional indemnity cover.

How much is electrician insurance?

Starting from £8 a month*, the cost of your electricians’ insurance policy will depend on factors including the size of your business, the types of insurance you want, and the level of cover you need.

Our pricing is fully transparent, so you don’t have to worry about being hit with unexpected fees when you buy cover from us. If you wish to cancel your policy, you won’t face any cancellation fees. Simply get a quote today to find out more.

Why choose Markel Direct for your cover? We have decades of experience insuring electricians like you and we have excellent customer reviews to show for it, check out our ratings on Feefo.com.

In addition, we also offer free legal services to our policyholders to help make their lives easier, including:

  • 24-hour legal advice helpline run by qualified solicitors
  • Markel Business Hub access for legal templates and resources
  • Discounted IR35 contract reviews
  • Expert management of public relations crises with The Counsel House

*Price based on an electrician (residential) requiring £1m of public liability insurance cover.

What insurance do electricians need?

Every electrician’s business is different, which is why we tailor our policies to meet your specific needs. Insurance for a self-employed electrician sub-contractor will be different to one who runs a large electrical contracting and consultancy business.

When you get a quote online, we will ask you a few simple questions about your business and offer you the relevant covers. You can choose to add or remove covers until you have the right electricians’ insurance policy for you, at the right price.

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Cover starting from £8 a month

Build an electricians insurance policy to suit you

  • Electrician public liability insurance

    Public liability insurance is designed to protect you from claims made by members of the public, including customers, who have experienced injury or damage to their property because of your business. We offer electricians’ public liability insurance with limits between £1 million and £5 million to cover the legal costs of defending a claim and any damages awarded against you,

    Example of a claim:

    A customer suffers an electric shock while using a light switch that you have installed incorrectly. They sue you for their pain and suffering.

  • Employers' liability insurance

    Employers’ liability insurance protects your business if an employee sues you over an injury or illness they suffer as a result of their work. Under the law, you’re required to have a minimum of £5 million of this type of financial protection in place. Our employers’ liability insurance for electricians is available with cover of up to £10 million.

    Example of a claim:

    One of your employees is electrocuted while working on an electrical system. They take legal action against you, claiming they were not provided with safe diagnostic tools.

  • Tools insurance

    Tools insurance for electricians is there to cover the cost of repairing or replacing tools that have been damaged, stolen or lost. We offer cover limits of between £1,000 and £5,000.

    Example of a claim:

    You park your van on the road near a customer’s house and start working on their property. When you return to your vehicle to retrieve some of your equipment, you discover your van has been broken into and some expensive tools have been taken. You face the cost of replacing these items.

  • Legal expenses insurance

    Legal expenses insurance can help to cover the cost of defending or pursuing legal actions against other parties such as suppliers, clients or employees. This could be for contract disputes, tax enquiries (including IR35), attending jury service, debt recovery, personal injury, as well as any award you are required to pay following an employment dispute with an employee. There is a limit of £100,000.

  • Occupational personal accident insurance

    Occupational personal accident insurance supports your income if you can’t work because you’re injured as a result of your job. It can pay out in weekly instalments or a lump sum, depending on the nature of your injury.

    Example of a claim:

    A minor electric shock causes you to fall off a ladder and badly injure your back. You are unable to work for several months and the impact on your earnings causes you financial strain.

  • Owned plant insurance

    If you own plant machinery that is damaged or stolen, owned plant insurance will cover the costs of repairing or replacing the equipment. Cover limits are available from £10,000 to £50,000.

  • Hired plant insurance

    Hired in plant insurance will cover you if plant machinery you have hired is damaged or stolen, while in your possession. Cover limits range from £10,000 to £50,000.

  • Contract works insurance

    Contract works insurance covers work in progress on a construction site. If your work is affected by a flood, fire, theft or malicious damage, contract works insurance can cover the cost to redo the work, including new materials, and get the project back on track.

  • Goods in transit insurance

    Goods in transit insurance covers goods, such as light fittings, against loss or damage while in transit. This can be either goods transported in your own vehicle, or on your behalf by a third-party carrier.

  • Professional indemnity insurance

    If you offer professional services to customers for a fee, such as advice or designs, you may want to take out professional indemnity insurance. This covers you if a client sues you over a mistake you make in these services. Some trade bodies may require you to have professional indemnity insurance in place as a condition of membership.

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Cover starting from £8 a month

Frequently asked questions

  • I need to arrange electricians’ insurance to start work – do you provide proof of cover?

    Yes. When you purchase electrician insurance from us, we will provide you with a dedicated ‘Confirmation of Liability Insurance’ document. This document details the cover you have with us and can be presented to clients as evidence that you are insured.

  • Do I need public liability insurance as an electrician?

    There is no legal obligation to buy electricians' public liability insurance. However, this type of cover is often seen as essential by electricians. If you cause injury or property damage to a member of the public, you could face huge costs if you lack this type of financial protection.

  • Do electricians need professional indemnity insurance

    It is not a legal requirement to have professional indemnity insurance for electricians, but if you offer any consultancy services, such as designs or advice, it is worth having it in place. A claim of professional negligence against you could cost thousands of pounds in legal fees and compensation pay outs.

  • What level of cover do I need?

    Certain commercial clients and industry bodies may stipulate the level of cover you need to start a contract. It’s worth looking into this before you arrange insurance with us.
     
    If you do jobs for smaller businesses or individual homes, your clients might not specify how much cover you need. To calculate the level of cover you should have yourself, consider worst-case scenarios and work out what it would cost to resolve these issues.  

  • When should I get electricians’ insurance?

    There is no telling when disaster will strike, so it’s important to have your electrician insurance in place from the outset when you start working as a self-employed electrician.

  • How do I make a claim?

    We pride ourselves on making our claims process as straightforward as possible. Check out our claims page to see for yourself.

  • How are Markel regulated?

    Markel is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. You can find out more by visiting the Financial Services Register.

Access free legal services for your trades business when you arrange cover with Markel, including:

24 hour legal helpline 24/7 access to a legal advice helpline manned by qualified solicitors

Legal hub access Access legal templates and resources with the Markel Business Hub

 Receive discounted IR35 contract reviews with your policy

 Expert management of public relations crises with The Counsel House

Cover starting from £8 a month