Real questions from customers around Fife and Edinburgh, answered straight by Jack himself,
no call centre, no pressure. If yours isn't here, send it over and you'll get the same honest
answer, usually the same day.
Yes, all the time. I'm based in Dalgety Bay, right on the Forth, and Fife is my home patch — Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes, Inverkeithing, Rosyth, Cowdenbeath and everywhere in between. Being properly local means I'm not driving an hour to reach you, so I can usually get round quickly for a quote or a job, and I actually know the area and its housing. If you're not sure whether you're in range, just call and ask. I'll give you a straight answer rather than say yes and then never turn up.
Yes. Edinburgh is across the Forth from me, an easy run over the Queensferry Crossing, and I work there regularly. I cover both sides of the water, so the whole stretch from Dunfermline through to Edinburgh is well within range for EV chargers, fuse boards, EICRs and general electrical work. For a job right across the far side of the city I'll always be straight with you about timing. Send me a ring or a WhatsApp with your postcode and what you need, and I'll tell you honestly whether I can help and when I could get to you.
Quickly, usually. You'll get a callback from me the same day, Monday to Saturday, and a written quote soon after. Most single-day jobs like EV chargers and fuse boards I can get booked in within a few days. If it's urgent, a fault or something that's not safe, I prioritise those, because they can't wait. I won't promise you a time I can't keep just to win the work. When I say I'll be there, I'll be there, and if something changes I'll let you know rather than leave you waiting in.
Someone needs to let me in and give me access to the whole property, including the fuse board, the loft hatch and every room, because I have to test every circuit. It doesn't have to be you specifically, it can be a tenant, a letting agent or whoever holds the keys, as long as I can get to everything. The power will be off and on at various points during testing, so it's not ideal to be trying to work from home during it. For landlords, I'm very used to coordinating access with tenants directly, so just give me the contact details and I'll sort the arrangements.
Possibly, but you'll need your landlord's written permission first, because the charger is a fixed installation on their property. If they're happy for it to go ahead, the job is exactly the same as for an owner-occupier, and the charger stays with the house. My advice is to have that conversation with your landlord early and get the agreement in writing. Some landlords are very open to it because it can make the property more appealing. Once you've got the go-ahead, give me a call and I'll check your fuse board and supply and get you a price from £900 fitted.
It could be a few things, and the honest answer is I'd need to see it to be sure. Often it's a fault on one circuit, a failing appliance, water getting somewhere it shouldn't, or a damaged cable, and the trip is your protection doing its job. Sometimes it's an older fuse board where one device covers half the house, so one small fault knocks everything out. Don't just keep resetting it and hoping, because it's tripping for a reason. Give me a ring and I'll come and find the actual cause with proper fault-finding, then tell you whether it's a quick fix or something bigger. I'd rather diagnose it properly than guess.
Always. You'll get a written quote so you know exactly what you're paying for before anything starts. I don't do vague “it'll be around such-and-such” over the phone and then a bigger bill at the end. For bigger jobs like rewires I'll come out and survey the property first, because that's the only way to price it fairly. The whole point is no surprises. The price I write down is the price you pay, barring something genuinely unexpected behind a wall, and if that ever happens I'll stop and talk to you about it before carrying on.
Yes. Snelling Electrical is a qualified electrician and fully insured. Every job I do is certified to the current wiring regulations, the 18th edition (BS 7671), and where it needs notifying to building control, I handle that too. If you ever want to see proof of my qualifications or insurance before I start, just ask. I'd rather you felt completely comfortable than wondered about it.
Usually a single day for a standard home. That includes isolating the supply, fitting the new 18th-edition board with full RCBO protection, testing every circuit, certifying the work and notifying building control. You'll be without power for parts of the day while I work, but I'll plan it with you so it causes as little disruption as possible, and I'll always leave you with everything working and a tidy job before I go. If there's anything unusual, like the board needs relocating or there's remedial work to do alongside it, I'll tell you up front so you know what to expect. Fuse boards start from £700 fitted.
Can you handle EICRs across a whole portfolio of rentals?
Yes, and it's a lot easier for you to use one electrician for the lot. You get me on every property, one consistent report format, and one person to deal with instead of chasing different firms with different paperwork. I'm used to coordinating access with tenants directly, so you don't have to play go-between for every visit. If you've got several rentals due for inspection, give me a ring and we'll work out a sensible schedule to get through them, and I'll sort a fair price across the portfolio. Under the Repairing Standard every let in Scotland needs a valid EICR at least every five years, and each report comes back clearly written up and returned quickly so you always have a current certificate on file.
Do I really need to upgrade my fuse board for an EV charger?
Not necessarily, and I'd be wary of anyone who tells you that you do without looking first. Plenty of homes take a charger with no changes to the board at all. It depends on whether your existing board is in good condition, has a spare way for the new circuit, and the right protection, and whether your main supply can handle the extra load. I check all of that before I quote, so you only pay for what your property actually needs. If your board's fine, we leave it alone. If it genuinely needs replacing, I'll explain exactly why and give you the cost in writing. No scare tactics.
I'll always be straight with you on this. For some types of work there is a call-out charge, and for quoted jobs the visit is part of the process. Rather than make a blanket promise I can't keep for every situation, I'd rather you just ask me when you call, tell me what you need and your postcode, and I'll tell you honestly whether there's a charge and how much before you commit to anything. There are no hidden fees and nothing turns up on the bill that I haven't told you about first. For bigger jobs like rewires, I survey the property to give you a fair written quote.