Lofts, risers and live circuits
An electrician's day rarely happens at a bench. You might start in a cramped loft feeding cable, spend the afternoon on steps chasing walls, then finish kneeling at a consumer unit. The shock risk gets the attention, but the injuries that actually stop sparks working are often duller: a fall from a stepladder, a twisted knee under floorboards, or a back that finally objects to years of awkward angles.
Dust from chasing and drilling, long drives between jobs and paperwork done late at night all add up too. None of this makes cover hard to get. It does explain why an insurer wants a clear picture of what you physically do.
On the books or running your own van
Plenty of electricians are employed by contractors and maintenance firms, often with sick pay that runs out after a set period. Many more are sole traders or subcontractors paid under the Construction Industry Scheme, where HMRC deductions come off each invoice and nothing comes in when you stop.
If you work for yourself, the van finance, your competent person scheme membership, insurance and test equipment calibration all carry on costing money while you recover. That is the gap income protection is designed to fill.
- Employed: check how long full and half pay last in your contract
- Self-employed: count your fixed monthly costs, business and home
- Subcontractors: insurers usually work from your declared profits
- Approved contractors: your scheme fees continue during time off
How insurers look at electrical work
Every insurer sorts jobs into risk classes. A domestic electrician who spends most of the day on the tools sits in a different place from one who mostly designs installations, tests or runs a team. The class affects the premium and sometimes the claim definition, which ranges from being unable to do your own job to being unable to do any job that suits your skills.
Be honest and specific about your duties. If a third of your week is quoting, testing and certification, say so, because some insurers will reflect it. Self-employed electricians with a few months of savings often choose a waiting period of around one to three months, while employed sparks match the wait to the end of their sick pay.
Life cover for the house and the family
Income protection looks after you while you are alive and unable to work. A life policy does a different job: it pays your family a lump sum if you die while it is in force. Decreasing cover can follow a repayment mortgage down, and level cover suits family costs that do not shrink.
If you are employed, ask whether your employer provides death in service and how many times your salary it pays. It usually ends when you leave, so it works best as a top-up to a personal policy you own.
How Hi Tomorrow helps electricians
We start with your actual working week, then compare the insurers on our panel to find the ones that treat your mix of tools and paperwork most fairly. We explain the definition each policy uses in plain words before you commit, and we help with the medical and occupation questions on the application.
If you ever need to claim, we can help you gather accounts and fit notes and keep in touch with the insurer.