Why extension leads are the problem
Almost every house we visit has at least one four-way extension lead running under a sofa or behind a desk, and often a second one plugged into the first. It is the clearest sign a house has more devices than it has points.
Extension leads are not inherently dangerous, but they concentrate load in one place, they get damaged, they get run under carpets and through doorways, and daisy-chaining them defeats the fusing. An extra socket costs less than most people assume and removes the problem permanently.
Where people actually need them
- Kitchens — worktop points where the appliances actually live, plus switched spurs for built-in units
- Home offices — a proper bank of points behind the desk, ideally with data cabling run at the same time
- Bedsides — points at bed height with USB, which saves the trailing lead across the floor
- Living rooms — behind the television, and enough of them for what actually plugs in there now
- Outdoors — a proper weatherproof socket instead of a lead through a window
- Lofts and garages — light and power in the places that never got either
Doing it properly
There is a right way and a quick way to add a socket, and the difference does not show until an inspection.
- The existing circuit is checked first — some are already loaded and shouldn't take more
- New points are connected into the ring or on a properly fused spur, not chained off an existing spur
- Cables are chased in the permitted zones, so the next person drilling a wall doesn't find them the hard way
- Bathrooms and kitchens are treated as the special cases they are
- The work is tested and a certificate issued — which matters when the house is next sold
Sockets spurred off spurs are one of the most frequent C2 observations we write up on inspections. It takes very little longer to do it correctly.
Common questions
Is it worth calling someone out for one socket?
Yes, and we'd rather you did. No job is too big or too small — plenty of our repeat customers started with one socket.
Can you add a socket without damaging the decoration?
There's always some making good where a cable is chased in. We keep it to a minimum and tell you what to expect before starting. Sometimes there's a surface route that avoids it entirely.
Can I have USB sockets fitted?
Yes, and they're a straightforward swap in most cases. Worth choosing a decent brand — the cheap ones fail early and are a nuisance to replace.
Can you fit an outdoor socket?
Yes. It needs to be a proper weatherproof unit with appropriate protection, not an indoor socket in a plastic box.
Do you replace old switches and sockets?
Yes, including matching a whole house to one finish. It's a cheap way to make a tired house look considerably better.
Will the work be certified?
Yes. Additional points are tested and a minor works certificate issued.
