On Wednesday, 13 January 2016 12:12:58 UTC, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Going back to that type of plug in the UK would be a retrograde step -
and how. We are fairly unique in having only the one plug which covers
pretty well all domestic requirements.

We do not. We have one type of plug (shavers and mantel-clocks apart) which must be used for all plug-in domestic purposes, and we generally have too few wall-sockets. The 13A plug is too big for all ordinary purposes except for heaters and domestic appliances.

For new-build, we should have another type of ring main, rated for half of the current, and with plentiful 230V AC wall sockets similar to IEC C13/C14 (cf. kettle and computer monitor leads). The plugs, when shrouded by resilient plastic, are strong enough for being trodden on. They would, of course, be fused.

We should also have a smaller and even more plentiful type of socket, different from any in current use for any different purpose, supplying say 12V 1A (AC xor DC), for small electronic equipment.

That should be done by way of a pan-European Standard.

But it will not happen in our time. |

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(c) Dr. S. Lartius, UK. Gmail: dr.s.lartius@