Lobster posted
I don't think you can say that because one model of an appliance comes
with a manufacturer's stipulation to hard-wire it, and other one comes
with a 3-pin plug attached, that this is automatic justification to
ignore the instructions on the first one.

My thinking was as follows. If there really is an official regulation
requiring the OP to hard-wire his hood to the mains, then it will say
something like "All cooker hoods must be hard-wired into a mains outlet,
and not plugged in with a removable plug." It is very unlikely to say
"Cooker hoods of types X1, X2, X3 ... must be hard-wired in, whereas
cooker hoods of types Y1, Y2, Y3 ... can be plugged in with a 3-pin
plug." And since it is evidently legal for *my* cooker hood to be
plugged in, then presumably the same goes for the OP's.

Do such regulations exist for *any* household devices, by the way? The
only reason I can think of for having hard-wired connections is that it
stops people plugging and unplugging certain devices with damp hands.
But that wouldn't be a very popular regulation .,. who wants a
hard-wired portable hair dryer?

--
Les
Criticising the government is not illegal, but often on investigation turns out
to be linked to serious offences.