Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Upton's Electrical & Security Ltd is a NICEIC Domestic Installer. This means our work is independently assessed against the highest industry standards on a regular basis. NICEIC Domestic Installer registration is widely regarded as the gold standard for electrical contractors in the UK.

We cover the whole of Shropshire, with a particular focus on Telford and Shrewsbury. We also serve towns and villages including Bridgnorth, Market Drayton, Oswestry, Ludlow, Newport, Shifnal, Much Wenlock and the surrounding rural areas. See our full list of areas.

Yes. All of our quotes are free and completely no-obligation. Contact us by phone, email or via our contact form and we'll provide a clear, written quote for your project.

We aim to respond to all enquiries within one business day. For urgent situations such as electrical faults, we'll do our best to attend as quickly as possible. Call us directly on 07377 351 236 for urgent matters.

Yes. Any notifiable electrical work in a domestic property in England must be either carried out by a registered competent person (such as a NICEIC Domestic Installer) or inspected and certified by Building Control. When you use Upton's, all necessary certificates are handled on your behalf as part of the service.

A standard three-bedroom house rewire typically takes 3–5 days. Larger properties or those with more complex layouts, older construction, or limited access may take longer. We'll give you a clear and realistic timescale in your written quote before work begins.

A regularly tripping breaker usually indicates a fault somewhere in the circuit — it could be an appliance, a wiring issue, or an overloaded circuit. Do not repeatedly reset it and ignore the problem. Contact us and we'll carry out a fault finding exercise to identify and fix the root cause safely.

Older consumer units (especially those with rewirable fuses) may not offer adequate protection. Current regulations require consumer units to include RCD (residual current device) protection. If your board is old, has rewirable fuses, or has been highlighted as a concern during an EICR, an upgrade is likely advisable. Learn more about our domestic electrical services.

An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is a thorough inspection of a property's electrical installation. It assesses the condition and safety of the wiring, consumer unit, sockets, switches, earthing and bonding. The result is a formal report with any issues coded by severity. More about EICRs.

For privately rented properties in England, an EICR is required at least every 5 years, or at every change of tenancy — whichever comes sooner. Landlords must provide a copy of the current report to tenants before they move in, and to their local authority within 28 days of a request. Failure to comply can result in significant fines.

Most residential EICRs are completed in 2–4 hours. Larger properties, commercial premises, or buildings with complex installations may take longer. We'll advise on expected duration when you contact us.

Any issues are coded C1 (danger present — immediate action required), C2 (potentially dangerous), or C3 (improvement recommended). C1 and C2 items must be remedied before the report can be considered satisfactory. We'll explain all findings clearly and can carry out any required remediation work.

A typical home EV charger installation starts from around £600–£900 fitted, depending on the charger model, your home's existing wiring, and whether additional work such as a consumer unit upgrade is required. We provide a full written quote before any work begins — no surprises on your bill. Find out more about EV charger installation.

Technically yes, using a Mode 2 cable (the "granny charger"), but it's very slow — typically 6–8 miles of range per hour. A dedicated EV charger (Mode 3, 7kW) is significantly faster and is the recommended permanent solution for daily home charging.

In most cases, yes — particularly for 7kW+ chargers. You may also need to notify your Distribution Network Operator (DNO). As part of our installation service, we handle all necessary notifications, so you don't need to worry about this.

Yes. All CCTV systems we install can be viewed remotely via smartphone app. We configure the app during installation and ensure you're comfortable using it before we leave. More about our CCTV installation service.

Wired systems are generally more reliable and tamper-resistant, making them the preferred choice for larger properties or commercial premises. Wireless systems are quicker to install and well-suited to properties where cable runs are not practical. We'll recommend the right type for your situation. More about our alarm systems.

In most cases, residential CCTV does not require planning permission. However, cameras should be positioned thoughtfully to cover only your property and not neighbouring properties or public areas unnecessarily. For commercial premises, there are additional data protection (GDPR) obligations around CCTV signage and footage retention.