Plug Checker

Plug safety

Sub-standard and counterfeit electrical plugs can be deadly!

The Plug Checker has been developed to allow you to quickly check and ensure the plugs on your electrical appliances meet the required standards.

It enables the user to perform 3 simple tests, in which should the plug fail on any of these checks, the appliance should not be used as it could put you at risk.

Plug Checkers are available to purchase for just £1.20 (including VAT) each.
If you would like to purchase one or more plug checkers please send a stamp addressed envelope to our office address:

Electrical Safety First
Plug Checkers
45 Great Guildford Street
London
SE1 0ES

Payment can be made by bank transfer to:

HSBC
Sort code: 40-01-08
Account no: 91038656
Account Name: Electrical Safety Council
Payment reference: PLUG + Postcode

Please ensure that you include the words Plug and your postcode in the payment reference so that we can match the payment to the stamp addressed envelope.

The following table details the amount of postage and size of envelope required for a given quantity of plug checkers. For larger quantities please contact us at enquiries@electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk for a quotation.

No. of plug checkers	Size of stamp addressed envelope	Cost of Postage
		1st Class	2nd Class
Up to 20	Standard letter	£1.35	£0.85
Up to 75	Standard letter	£2.90	£2.10
Up to 150	A5 Envelope	£3.50	£2.50
Up to 200	A5 Padded Envelope	£3.50	£2.70
Up to 500	A5 Padded Envelope	£6.69	£5.89

Common products which can often be found to not meet the required safety standards include:

• Chargers
• Travel adaptors
• Hair straighteners
• Fans
• Kitchen appliances
• Power tools

In the event that you identify a plug which does not meet the requirements outlined on the plug pin gauge you should:

1. Stop using the appliance that the plug is connected to immediately
2. Contact the retailer you purchased it from and inform them that the product is potentially unsafe and request a refund
3. Contact either Trading Standards or email us at enquiries@electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk to make us aware. The incident can then be dealt with by the relevant bodies to remove the product from future sale.

To protect yourself and reduce the risk of purchasing sub-standard and counterfeit products make sure you buy from reputable retailers.

_{It should be noted that the plug checkers are only a guide and are not intended to be used as a tool to demonstrate conformity or non-conformity with the requirements of BS 1363-1. They are a handy guide to identify products that may have an issue and where further investigation is required. It is important to confirm the measurements of any identified products with more accurate tools, such as those used by a test house.}