Electrical Goods Requirements: Plugs and Sockets

UK Regulations

There are a number of UK regulations and standards for safe and compliant UK plugs, and their use with electrical equipment.

The main UK regulations/standards include:

• Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994
• Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994
• Several BSI-approved standards e.g. BS 1363, BS 1362, BS 4573

It is important that the plug provided is compliant with all of the applicable standards before making the item available for sale.

Please be advised this is not a complete list of regulations/standards.

An accredited testing laboratory can provide information and advice on ensuring your product complies with the regulations/standards mentioned. You can find a list of accredited laboratories here. Alternatively, you may contact your manufacturer’s product quality team to ensure the product, and associated plug, has been tested and is compliant with all applicable UK regulations and standards.

Plug Types

Under the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994, it is a criminal offence to place on the market or supply in the UK an appliance which is not fitted with either (i) a UK 3-pin plug, or (ii) a non-UK plug permanently fitted with a UK safety-approved conversion plug. It is not enough, for example, to provide a 3-pin plug adapter or to make the origin of the appliance clear on the product detail page. A loose adapter in the box in which the product is supplied is not sufficient. Possible sanctions for breach are fines and/or imprisonment.

Electric shavers, electric toothbrushes, and similar appliances are specifically addressed in the Regulations and may be supplied with a moulded-on 2-pin Europlug.

This page is for guidance only. As a Vendor you are responsible for complying with all applicable laws, including the above Regulations.

Accepted

The following types of plugs will be accepted:

A UK 3-pin plug.
An electronic device (e.g. camera/Kindle/mobile phone) supplied only with a USB cable.
An electric shaver, toothbrush, or similar appliance with a moulded-on 2-pin BS 4573 UK Shaver plug.
An electric shaver, toothbrush, or similar appliance with a moulded-on 2-pin CEE 7/16 Europlug.
An electronic device (e.g. camera/Kindle/mobile phone) supplied with a USB cable and a UK plug.
Products with interchangeable leads, some of which are fitted with a UK plug but others with a non-UK plug.
Products with an interchangeable plug head (rather than interchangeable lead) that connects to the same supplied USB cable and have both a 3-pin UK plug and a non-UK plug. Both the UK and non-UK plugs must be supplied within the product packaging.

Prohibited

The following types of plugs will not be accepted:

A non-UK plug (subject to specific exceptions detailed under ‘Accepted’).
A CEE 7/4 Schuko plug.
A non-UK plug supplied with a UK conversion plug that can be removed without the use of a tool.
A non-UK plug with a UK adapter.
An electronic device (e.g. camera/Kindle/mobile phone) supplied with a USB cable and a non-UK plug.
An electronic device supplied with a non-UK plug which explains the fact that it is supplied with a non-UK plug in the product information and/or title and supplies a UK adapter.For example, product information states: “Please note: This is the EU version of the phone, supplied with an EU plug and a UK AC adapter.”