CT,
I just checked the current exchange rate and it's at $1.46 at the moment. When I was last in America in 1996 it was around $1.65, but I remember it almost reaching the magic $2 mark some years ago.
Trivia: Back in the 1960s the old British half-crown coin was often colloquially called "half a dollar," as the exchange rate at that time meant it was approx. equivalent to 50 cents.
I think pay rates here vary tremendously around the country. I've heard of electrical contracting firms in London charging upwards of £50 per hour. Where I live (a rural part of eastern England) most people just couldn't afford those sort of rates. But, as I said above, I think it's about time I raised my rates a little on some quotes and see how it goes.
Yes, I see a lot of unsafe wiring. Cables not fixed but just draped loosely across the attic is a favorite around here, along with splices using "chocolate block" connectors and not enclosed in a junction box. And some of this I know was installed by "professionals."
Light commercial for small shops, offices, and so on most often uses PVC conduit or trunking (raceway) these days. The latter has become particularly common in offices in recent years as the divided trunking can also be used for telephone/data wiring etc.
Big industrial works usually use heavy-gauge steel conduit and equivalent fixture boxes, all screw fittings and available in black enamel or galvanized finish. As you may have seen elsewhere, the standard 3-phase supply is 240/415V Y. (Or a very large site may have its own xfmrs and take its service as an HV delta supply, 11kV or 33kV.)
Rules are stricter in these environments, as factories and the like are subject to inspections by the HSE (Health & Safety Executive). The health & Safety at Work Act means that commercial installations ARE required to comply with IEE Wiring Regulations, whereas for residential its not mandatory.
