Fault finding
Tripping circuits, flickering lights, a socket that has stopped working. We trace the cause rather than swapping parts until it goes quiet.
Homes & small workshops
A small electrical practice
Wiring done slowly, so it lasts.
Ribbon House is a two-person electrician practice working on houses, flats and small workshops. We quote before we start, protect your floors while we work, and leave you with paperwork you can actually file.
Weekday work booked in advance, with a same-week slot kept free for faults that cannot wait.
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Fixed quote first
You get a written price for the agreed scope before any tool comes out of the van. If the scope changes, we stop and re-quote.
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Tidy as we go
Dust sheets down, cable routes planned around your décor, and the chase filled and sanded rather than left for you.
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Signed off properly
Every job finishes with a test, a labelled board and a certificate emailed to you the same week.
What we do
Six jobs that make up most of our week
Small work and large work get the same method: look properly, explain the options in plain words, then price it. If a job is outside what we do well, we will say so.
Consumer units
Replacing old fuse boards with a modern unit, RCD protection and a clear label for every circuit in the house.
Rewires
Full or partial rewires planned room by room, staged so you keep power where you need it while the work moves through the house.
Lighting & dimmers
New circuits, pendant drops, under-cabinet strips and dimming that behaves itself with the lamps you have chosen.
EV charge points
A home charger sited where the cable will actually reach, with the supply checked first so the rest of the house still behaves.
Alarms & sensors
Interlinked smoke and heat alarms, carbon monoxide detection and outdoor sensor lighting that does not wake the street.
A closer look
Light a room once, and light it properly
Most houses have one bright fitting in the middle of the ceiling and nothing else. We plan lighting the way you use the room: a layer to work by, a layer to sit in, and switching that puts them where your hand already goes.
- Drawn before it is cutWe mark out drops and switch heights in the room with you, on the wall, before anything is chased.
- Lamps chosen to matchDimmers are picked for the lamps you own, so you get a smooth low end instead of flicker and buzz.
- Made good afterwardsChases filled, ceilings patched and dust cleared, ready for your decorator rather than left rough.
How we work
Four steps, and no surprises in the middle
The part people dread is not the wiring, it is not knowing what happens next. This is the whole sequence, from first message to the certificate landing in your inbox.
You describe it
Send the form with a short description and a photo if you have one. We reply with questions or a time to visit.
We look and price
A proper look at the board and the route, then a written fixed quote listing what is included and what is not.
Booked and done
An agreed day, an arrival window we keep to, and a warning before anything goes off so you can save your work.
Tested and handed over
Circuits tested, board labelled, floors swept, and your certificate emailed with a plain-English summary.
Standards & safety
The unglamorous part we refuse to rush
Electrical work is judged years later, by whoever opens the board next. We work as though that person is watching, because eventually they are.
- Tested, then tested againContinuity, insulation resistance and RCD timings recorded on every circuit we touch.
- Labelled for the next personBoards are drawn up and labelled clearly, so the next electrician is not guessing in the dark.
- Isolation you can seeLocked off and proved dead before work starts, with a note on the board saying who is working and why.
- One team, start to finishThe person who quotes your job is the person who does it. No subcontracted stranger on the day.
Questions
Asked before most jobs
If yours is not here, put it in the message box and we will answer it in writing before you commit to anything.
How far ahead are you booking?
Planned work is usually booked a few weeks out, and we will tell you the honest date rather than a hopeful one. A slot each week is held back for faults that cannot wait, so urgent work is not stuck behind a rewire.
Do you take on emergency call-outs?
We handle loss of power, burning smells and water-damaged circuits for the homes and workshops we look after. If it is dangerous and we cannot reach you quickly, we will say so immediately and tell you what to isolate in the meantime.
Can you provide a certificate for a landlord or a sale?
Yes. We carry out periodic inspection and testing and issue the report with a clear list of what needs attention, what can wait, and what is simply an observation. Remedial work is quoted separately so you are free to shop around.
What do you need from us on the day?
Clear access to the board and the rooms we are working in, somewhere to park within a short carry of the door, and someone over eighteen contactable while we are there. Furniture moving is fine, we would just rather know in advance.
How does payment work?
Small jobs are invoiced on completion. Larger jobs are split into agreed stages, with materials covered at the start and the balance due once the work is tested and handed over. Everything is invoiced by bank transfer, never in cash on the doorstep.
Request a quote
Tell us what the house is doing
A few lines is enough to start. We read every message ourselves and reply with either a price, a question, or an honest recommendation to call someone better suited.
- Reply time — usually the same working day, and always within two.
- Visits — surveys for quoted work are free and take about half an hour.
- Coverage — the north side of the city and the villages along the valley.