If you want to work as a domestic electrician, the level 3 Domestic Electrician Apprenticeship (in England) is now the industry-recognised route for new entrants. If you have already been working as an electrician in a domestic setting for a number of years and want to become fully qualified, the Domestic Electrician Experienced Worker Assessment is the recognised route (find out more about both these routes on our Training Routes page).

Some training providers sell packages which contain bundles of courses for “domestic installers” or “domestic electricians”. We strongly recommend caution as you may pay for a course or bundle of qualifications which provides you with a limited range of skills and which will not meet the requirements of a certification body such as NICEIC or NAPIT. These packages often include unnecessary extra qualifications. Many learners are horrified to find that they have paid a lot of money and hold a lot of certificates but do not meet industry and regulatory requirements.

If you want to become a domestic electrician but cannot get an apprenticeship, we suggest taking the Level 2 qualification that you will find in our recommended Self-Funded Route (England & Wales). This has a similar cost but has wider content and is more likely to lead to work as an “electrician’s mate” initially from which you can progress with work experience and more training. You may even be able to gain funding for this.

View all recommended training routes to becoming a qualified electrician.

What is a “Domestic Installer”?

The term ‘domestic installer’ has developed over time and is connected to a Government scheme where the installer must notify Building Control of relevant electrical installation work in domestic properties only, to comply with the self-certification route in Approved Document P of the Building Regulations in England & Wales. Scheme operators require new applicants to have evidence of two years’ responsibility for the technical standard of electrotechnical work.

A domestic installer is not what the industry recognises as a ‘qualified electrician’ where you can safely undertake a wide range of domestic, commercial and industrial electrical tasks after a sufficient work-based training programme and qualification.

Domestic installer training courses are classroom-based and the training is short in duration. There is limited opportunity to practise skills in the workplace under supervision, demonstrate your performance in the workplace or develop the technical knowledge and understanding that’s expected of an electrician.

As a result, although these types of qualifications may seem a quicker route to starting your new career, it is a very limited option. The electrical industry in general and employers do not value this route as it provides insufficient technical knowledge, practical skills and workplace experience.