Palindr?me wrote...
David Lee wrote:

snip
It's not just those terrible ES fittings that are perverting our
standards - just about all light fittings commonly available from UK DIY
stores are not suitable for normal use as supplied. Every one I have
seen is supplied with just a two-pole connector or two-terminal piece of
choc-strip and hence should be connected via a junction box. I have
never seen one that contains proper instructions explaining how the unit
should correctly be fitted in a domestic UK installation.

I suppose it won't be a problem in future since you'll have to shell out
a couple of hundred quid for a Part-P certified sparky to fit it for
you - right?

IIUC, not, in general if you are merely replacing an existing fitting.

That's point of my ironic comment - simple replacement is impossible without
bodging around with bits of choc-strip. Hence one of the exceptions to the
Part-P fiasco is also one of the ones more likely to cause hazardous
problems. The legislation should have ensured that all fittings and
appliances considered for DIY replacement should be fit for purpose exactly
as supplied and sold with full and correct installation instructions (just
as all plug tops must be supplied with wiring instructions). As it is it
penalizes competent householders, whilst providing no protection at all
against badly carried out "trivial" work, which can be just as dangerous in
incompetent hands.

David