Need to work in capital cities. In London the going rate is 100 quid an hour for anyone half decent. They also almost always add their tolls/ULEZ/parking on top of the rate too.I fully agree with your thoughts about hourly rates, but the reality is, at least in the domestic sector, the electrical industry is heavily weighted with people who have little business sense.
That said, £100/hr for sitting in traffic 3 hours a day might not even be worth it