I have always been happy with the quality of work delivered by Oval Electrical over the last few years.
I grew up in Patcham, so when a job comes in from Carden Avenue, the Old Village, or anywhere along Ladies Mile Road, I'm not starting from scratch, I already have a fair idea of what the house will be like and what state the wiring will be in. Over the years I've worked on hundreds of properties across this part of Brighton, everything from EV charger installs up near Carden to full rewires of some of the older houses down in the Old Village.
A good recent example was an Andersen EV charger I fitted for a customer just off Carden Avenue. Andersen units have a really clean, minimal look once they're on the wall, but the install itself was about more than just the charger, I had to run a new supply cable back to the existing fuseboard, and that board needed a few upgrades before I could install a new circuit. This included adding surge protection and a dedicated RCBO for the new charger circuit.
I'm Harry McLoughlin and I run Oval Electrical. I have been an electrician for nearly 10 years now working in and around Brighton & Hove with experience in both domestic and commercial settings. I have built up nearly 100 5 Star google reviews and the common theme is how clear my communication is.
Back to top1) Recent jobs in Patcham
Alongside the EV charger work above, two other jobs from the area come to mind. I installed power out to a garden room just off Ladies Mile Road, which meant a fairly long cable run from the house to the bottom of the garden. The customer wanted as much of that cable kept out of sight as possible, so a good part of the job was about careful routing rather than just running the cable in the easiest route. I also replaced a fuseboard on Heston Avenue, taking out an old outdated fuseboard and fitting a new modern consumer unit with RCBO protection on every circuit.
Back to top2) Electrical services I provide in Patcham
Most of the calls I get as an electrician in Patcham fall into a few categories:
Fuseboard upgrades- A lot of the older housing in Patcham, particularly around the Old Village and the 1930s estates near Ladies Mile and Carden Avenue, still has fuseboards that are well past their best, sometimes with rewireable fuses or an old-style RCD covering far too much of the house. I will replace these with modern consumer units fitted with individual RCBOs, so a fault on one circuit doesn't take out the whole board.
Rewires - Full and partial rewires are a regular part of the job, especially in some of the older properties down in the Old Village around the church and Old London Road, where the original wiring is often well past its expected life. I can usually do a rewire in stages if that works better for a household, so you're not without power for long.
EV charger installations- With more EVs on the road, charger installs have become one of the more common jobs I'm asked to do around Patcham , including the Carden Avenue job mentioned above. Most installs involve checking what the existing fuseboard can take, and in older properties that often means an upgrade alongside the charger itself.
Small jobs- These are some of the more common jobs we get in patcham and we are proud of that! We often get told by our customers that other companies won't take on these smaller jobs which I think is crazy! These jobs often include Swapping switches and sockets, Putting up new lights or installing a new oven. These small jobs make up a big part of what i do and i treat them with the same care as the bigger jobs.
Back to top3) Why people in Patcham choose Oval Electrical
I'm NAPIT registered, which means my work is checked against the current wiring regulations and I can issue the right certificates for notifiable jobs like fuseboard changes or rewires. I've also built up nearly 100 five-star reviews on Google from customers in Patcham and the surrounding areas; most of that comes down to turning up when I say I will, doing the job properly, and not leaving a mess behind. And because I run Oval Electrical myself, there's no call centre between you and me - if you call, you get me, and because I grew up locally, I usually know the road, the era of house, and what to expect before I even arrive.
Back to top4) Common electrical problems I see in Patcham homes
The same handful of issues come up again and again across Patcham. Old fuseboards are probably the most frequent — boards that were fine when they were fitted decades ago but don't meet current standards and weren't designed for things like EV chargers or modern appliance loads. Old wiring and accessories are another common one, particularly in the older houses around the Old Village, where you'll sometimes find a mix of cabling types from different decades. And I see a fair amount of poor previous workmanship too — extensions wired in by whoever was cheapest at the time, junction boxes hidden under floorboards, that sort of thing. None of this is unusual for an area with this much older housing, but it's worth knowing what to look out for.
Back to top5) What to expect when you call
When you call, you'll get me - Harry - not a call centre. I'll ask a few questions about the job, and for most things I can give you a good idea of the cost over the phone or arrange to come and have a look. For bigger jobs like rewires or fuseboard upgrades, I'll always give you a written quote before any work starts, and as an electrician in Patcham who's NAPIT registered, I'll certify the work properly once it's done.
Back to top6) FAQ SECTION
How much does it cost to upgrade a fuseboard in Patcham?
It depends on the board itself and how many circuits are involved, but I can usually give you a rough price over the phone once you've told me a bit about your current setup, with a firm written quote once I've had a look. A lot of the older boards I see around Patcham, especially in the older parts of town, need more work than a straight swap, which I'll always flag before starting
Are you NAPIT registered, and what does that mean for me?
Yes, I'm registered with NAPIT, which means my electrical work is regularly checked against current UK wiring regulations. For notifiable work like a new fuseboard or a rewire, this also means I can certify the work myself, so you don't need a separate council inspection.
How quickly can you fit an EV charger in Patcham?
It depends on whether your existing fuseboard can take the new circuit as it is or needs upgrading first. Once I've had a look, I can usually give you a realistic timeframe and get it booked in. But most installs can be completed in a day.
Do you cover areas near Patcham, like Hollingbury, Westdene or Hove?
Yes, alongside Patcham itself, I regularly work in Hove, Westdene, Woodingdean, Elm Grove and Hanover, plus the wider Brighton area. If you're not sure whether you're in my patch, just give me a call and I'll let you know.
What's involved in a full rewire in Patcham?
It depends on the age and layout of the house, but generally it means replacing the old cabling, sockets, switches and light fittings, and often the fuseboard too. In some of the oldest houses in Patcham, I can do this in stages so you're not without power in the whole house at once.
Can you help with small jobs, like adding a socket or fixing a light?
Yes, small jobs like extra sockets and light fittings are some of the most common calls I get in Patcham, and they're just as much a part of what I do as the bigger projects. There's no job too small to call me about.
Do you offer free quotes, and how do I get one?
Yes, quotes are free with no obligation. Just call me directly, I answer the phone myself, or fill in the form on this page and I'll get back to you to arrange a time to come and have a look or talk through the job over the phone
If you need a job in Patcham, whether that's a fuseboard that's seen better days, an EV charger you'd like fitted, or just a couple of extra sockets, get in touch and I'll give you honest advice, with no obligation. I answer the phone myself, so you'll be speaking directly to the person doing the work.
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