Electrician invoice template
Structured the way an electrical job bills — labour, parts, testing and certification — with the certificate references and CIS split that a generic invoice template has nowhere to put.
Every UK invoice must show
- The word “Invoice”
- Stated clearly. A document headed “Statement” or “Receipt” is not an invoice.
- Unique invoice number
- Sequential, with no gaps. If you void one, keep the number and mark it void.
- Your business name and address
- Trading name and address. A limited company must also show its registered name, company number and registered office.
- Customer name and address
- The legal entity being billed, not just the site contact.
- Invoice date
- The date you issue it. If you are VAT registered this is the tax point unless a different one applies.
- Supply date
- When the work was done or the goods supplied, if it differs from the invoice date.
- Description of the work
- Enough for the customer to recognise what they are paying for. “Labour” alone invites a dispute.
- Amount charged per line
- Split labour from materials. It matters for CIS, and it makes the invoice easier to accept.
- Total due
- The single figure the customer pays.
- Payment terms and due date
- A specific date, not “30 days”. Interest runs from the day after it.
- Payment details
- Account name, sort code and account number, or a card payment link.
Electrical-specific lines
- Labour
- Hours and rate, or the agreed fixed price. State which.
- Parts and accessories
- Itemised. Excluded from CIS.
- Testing and inspection
- Charged separately where it is a distinct piece of work rather than part of the install.
- Certificate reference
- The EIC, Minor Works or EICR reference for the work. Referencing it on the invoice ties the paperwork together.
- Notifiable work / building control
- Where Part P notification applies, note the scheme and reference so the customer has it for a future sale.
- Consumable and disposal charges
- Cable offcuts, waste disposal and similar, shown rather than absorbed into the labour rate.
If you are VAT registered, also show
- Your VAT registration number
- Mandatory on every VAT invoice. Without it the customer cannot reclaim.
- VAT rate per line
- 20%, 5%, 0% or exempt. Different lines can carry different rates.
- Net total
- The total before VAT.
- VAT amount
- Shown separately from the net figure.
- Gross total
- Net plus VAT — the amount actually payable.
- Reverse charge statement
- Where the domestic reverse charge applies: state it, show the VAT rate, and exclude the VAT from the total.
If the job falls under CIS
- Labour charge
- Shown separately. This is the only part CIS is deducted from.
- Materials and plant
- Shown separately and never deducted from. Keep the supplier receipts.
- CIS deduction rate
- 0%, 20% or 30%, applied to the labour figure only.
- CIS deduction amount
- Stated as a figure so the contractor’s deduction statement can be reconciled against it.
- Net payable after CIS
- What actually lands in your account.
Reference the certificate on the invoice
An electrical installation certificate, minor works certificate or EICR is the document your customer will need years later when they sell the property or when an insurer asks. Putting its reference number on the invoice means the two are linked by a single piece of paper the customer is far more likely to keep, and it removes the “can you resend the certificate” call.
Notifiable work under Part P
Where the work is notifiable in England and Wales, the customer needs evidence it was notified — either through your competent person scheme or through building control. Noting the scheme and the notification reference on the invoice costs you a line and saves the customer a problem at conveyancing.
Subcontracting: reverse charge and CIS together
Invoicing a main contractor rather than a homeowner usually means the domestic reverse charge applies to VAT and CIS applies to your labour. They are separate schemes that land on the same invoice: no VAT charged, with a statement that the customer accounts for it, and 20% or 30% off the labour figure only.
If you are not VAT registered
Do not show a VAT number, do not show a VAT line, and do not use the word VAT anywhere on the document. Charging or implying VAT while unregistered is an offence, not a formatting slip. Show a single total and the payment terms. You must register once your taxable turnover crosses the registration threshold in any rolling 12-month period, so watch the running figure rather than the tax year.
Questions
What should an electrician's invoice include?
The standard UK invoice fields plus the electrical detail: labour, parts itemised, any separate testing or inspection charge, the certificate reference for the work, and where relevant the Part P notification reference. If you are VAT registered, show the rate per line.
Should I put the certificate number on the invoice?
It is not legally required, but it is worth doing. The certificate is what the customer needs at sale or for an insurer, and linking it to the invoice makes it far more likely they can find it. It also cuts down on requests to resend paperwork months later.
Do electricians charge VAT at 5%?
Sometimes. The reduced rate applies to specific supplies such as certain energy-saving materials and qualifying conversions or renovations of long-empty dwellings, not to domestic electrical work generally. Check the individual supply against HMRC guidance and show the rate per line so a mixed invoice is clear.
How does CIS apply to electrical work?
If you work as a subcontractor to a contractor within CIS, the deduction comes off your labour at 20% if you are registered and verified or 30% if not, and never off parts. Show labour and parts as separate totals so the deduction can be reconciled against the contractor's statement.
Can I invoice before issuing the certificate?
You can, but it invites a delay. Customers who are waiting on paperwork tend to pay on the day it arrives rather than the day the invoice does. Issuing the certificate and the invoice together removes the reason to wait.
Guidance, not tax or legal advice. UK requirements checked against GOV.UK and HMRC guidance in September 2026. If you are unsure about VAT, CIS or the reverse charge, see the VAT, CIS and MTD guide or ask your accountant.
A template you fill in is still paperwork.
Love Invoicing builds the same document from the job, with the numbers already in it, and chases it until it is paid.
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