> Fairly certain most DIY electrical work is strictly verboten in the UK

No. You can't touch the consumer unit, and there's a restricted zone around bath/shower for example (by distance), but most things a homeowner might want to do are perfectly legal to DIY.

> the US, but the UK is noticeably more safety-obsessed.

Crikey, are you joking? Internet forums are awash with US concern over 'code', and to extend beyond electricity: food safety, FDA guidelines, all sorts of common senseless rubbish.