Electrician charges — what fan, switch, MCB and wiring jobs should cost

Per-job pricing: what is usually included

A per-job price covers the electrician's labour for that job — fitting a ceiling fan, replacing a switch, changing an MCB. Materials such as the switch, wire, MCB or regulator are extra, at their actual cost, unless the listing says otherwise. Bundling several small jobs into one visit saves the most.

Fans, lights and switches

Ceiling fan installation, regulator or capacitor change, and light fittings are the most common jobs. A fan that hums or runs slowly usually needs a new capacitor — a cheap part — not a new fan.

MCB tripping and faults

An MCB that trips is doing its job: it is protecting a circuit from overload or a short. Replacing it with a bigger one is dangerous. Ask the electrician to find the cause — an overloaded circuit, a faulty appliance or damaged wiring — before changing anything.

When rewiring is worth it

Old aluminium wiring, frequent burning smells at switchboards, warm sockets, or a house that has added ACs and a geyser on wiring laid decades ago are signs it is time to rewire a room or the house. Ask for an earthing check and an RCCB (earth-leakage breaker) on the main board — the single most useful safety upgrade in an Indian home.

Red flags

• No price before the work starts
• Bigger MCB fitted to 'stop tripping'
• No earthing on AC, geyser or washing-machine points
• Joints taped instead of connected in a box

Real price list (NiskuHelp, Lucknow)

The prices people pay on NiskuHelp in Lucknow today — each professional shows their own price before booking, and spare parts or materials are extra at actual cost.

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