A commercial electrician is a fully trained and qualified professional who will plan, install, maintain, and repair electrical systems in commercial buildings. They work in various commercial settings, from busy offices to factories and warehouses, hospitals and care homes, and schools and educational facilities. They are highly qualified and skilled professionals who are relied upon to ensure electrical systems’ safety, functionality, and continuity in commercial settings.
The modern world is built on electrical power. Electrical systems are complex, varied, and constantly evolving, making the job of an electrician equally diverse and varied. Commercial electricians are a significant subset of the profession, and in this article, we will look at the kind of work they undertake.
What Are the Different Types of Electricians?
There are various electrical specialities, with some electricians employed in industrial settings and others mainly carrying out residential work. This diverse and wide-ranging profession can be broadly classified into three primary sectors:
Commercial Electricians
Commercial electricians will specialise in providing electrical solutions across the commercial sector. Their primary focus will be ensuring electrical installations’ safety, reliability, and functionality in office buildings, retail spaces, educational settings and healthcare facilities. The scope of their work can range from routine work in small shops to more complex electrical systems in large-scale workplaces, public buildings, or retail environments.
Industrial Electricians
Industrial electricians work with large-scale electrical systems, machinery, and equipment typically found in industrial facilities, manufacturing plants and factories. They are highly qualified and skilled at ensuring industrial machinery and equipment’s efficient and safe operation.
Residential Electricians
Residential electricians principally carry out work in individual homes and residential buildings. They work on installing lighting fixtures, setting up wiring for appliances, and ensuring that domestic electrical systems are safe and reliable.
It’s important to remember that many electricians and electrical companies will provide services to different sectors. For example, commercial electricians will frequently take on industrial work as well.
What Does a Commercial Electrician Do?
Commercial electricians have a diverse and often demanding workload. They are responsible for ensuring that commercial electrical installations are functional, safe, efficient, and compliant with all relevant regulations. Their role covers various electrical services, from basic electrical wiring to more complex installations in large commercial buildings.
The range of tasks that commercial electricians undertake is vast. Some of the most common include:
Electrical Installation
Setting up and installing electrical systems, wiring, lighting, and making a new or renovated commercial space ready for electrical equipment.
Electrical Repairs
Assessing, fixing and maintaining electrical problems in commercial settings, such as faulty equipment, power outages and malfunctioning circuits.
Lighting Installation
Commercial electricians will install, repair, modify and maintain lighting installation in commercial properties.
Safety Inspections
Commercial electricians will conduct safety inspections to identify potential hazards and to ensure compliance with regulations.
Energy Efficiency
Advising businesses on energy-efficient solutions and helping them implement measures to reduce energy consumption is an increasingly important task carried out by commercial electricians.
Emergency Response
Commercial electricians will often respond quickly to electrical emergencies such as electrical failures or power surges. They help commercial enterprises quickly get back to work following an electrical emergency.
Electrical Upgrades
As the needs of businesses evolve or energy efficiency standards change, commercial electricians will often be called up to upgrade their electrical systems.
What Services Do Commercial Electricians Offer?
Commercial electricians provide a range of services to their customers:
Commercial Electrical Installations – Designing and installing electrical systems to ensure that commercial spaces are powered safely and efficiently.
Commercial Electrical Maintenance – Regular maintenance and inspections are essential to ensure electrical systems work safely and address potential issues before they escalate.
Commercial Lighting – The installation, maintenance and upgrading of lighting systems to ensure they provide optimal lighting and energy efficiency.
Commercial EICR – Conducting thorough EICR inspections to assess the safety and condition of electrical installations, providing businesses with the necessary documentation.
What Industries Do Commercial Electricians Serve?
Commercial electricians serve a wide variety of sectors, commercial settings and industries. Some of the most common are:
Offices – Ensuring offices have safe, reliable electrical systems for lighting, IT, HVAC systems, automatic doors and more.
Factories & Warehouses – Taking care of the complex electrical requirements of factories and warehouses. Ensuring safety, reliability, and regulatory compliance across a range of sectors
Retail Stores & Restaurants – Ensuring that the public-facing retail and restaurant industry has the safe and reliable electrical systems they need to deliver a high-quality service.
Schools & Educational Facilities –Maintaining the functionality and safety of complex electrical systems in schools, colleges, across university campuses and in other educational settings.
Hospitals & Care Homes – Safe, accessible, and uninterrupted electrical supply is essential in hospitals and care homes.
What Qualifications Must a Commercial Electrician Have?
Anyone who provides services as a commercial electrician in the UK must have specific qualifications that establish their understanding and competence. All reputable commercial electricians will possess an NICEIC qualification. NICEIC is the UK’s leading certification body for the electrical contracting industry and wider building services sector. They may also possess qualifications for specific services that they might offer, such as PAT testing.
At Akehurst, of our commercial electricians are NICEIC approved contractors and can complete all types of electrical testing, including EICR and PAT testing.
Why Should You Hire a Commercial Electrician
A qualified and experienced commercial electrician can ensure that the electrical systems at your commercial premises are safe, reliable, fitted for your needs and entirely compliant with regulations.
Whether you’re setting up new commercial premises, want to enhance energy efficiency, require maintenance and repairs to your electrical systems, or upgrade your existing electrical systems to meet your changing needs, then a commercial electrician can help. Contact us to learn more about our comprehensive range of commercial electrical services.
