Electrical Safety Advice for the Bathroom

Staying safe in your bathroom

Your body conducts electricity more easily in wet conditions, increasing the risk and severity of electric shock. This makes bathrooms one of the highest-risk rooms in the home for electrical safety.

The consequences of an electric shock can be more severe in a bathroom or shower room because wet skin reduces the body’s resistance.

There are special requirements for electrical installations in bathrooms as most electrical work must comply with Part P of the Building Regulations.

Use a registered electrician to carry out any electrical installation work you need.

If there are no socket-outlets, don’t use extension leads to power electrical appliances within the bathroom as this increases the risk of electric shock.

Circuits in a bathroom

An electric shower must be installed by a registered competent electrician and be supplied on its own circuit.
All circuits in or passing through bathrooms or shower rooms are now required to be protected by an RCD.

Sockets and shavers

Sockets are not allowed in bathrooms or shower rooms (apart from shaver-supply units) unless they can be fitted at least 2.5 metres from the edge of a bath or a shower tray (zone 1).
Electrical shaver points are permitted within 2.5m provided they are SELV and conform to BS EN 61158-2-5.

Lighting safety

Enclosed ceiling lights are preferable to the ones that hang down.
All light fittings that are not enclosed should be out of reach of someone using, or still wet from using, the bath or shower.
A ceiling-mounted pull-cord switch is a better option than having a typical wall light switches due to dampness and wet hands.

In our product safety section

Electric toothbrushes

Shavers

Stay safe with electrical products

Check plugs and sockets

Don't ignore burn marks, ‘arcing’ (buzzing or crackling) sounds, fuses blowing, circuit-breakers tripping, or if it feels hot to touch.

Unplug and contact the retailer, manufacturer, or a qualified repair technician.

Protect with an RCD

An RCD (residual current device) in your consumer unit (fusebox) protects you from electric shocks if a product is faulty.

If you don’t have RCD protection, use an RCD plug on the socket where the product is plugged in.

Fit smoke and heat alarms

Ensure there is at least one smoke or heat alarm per floor in your property. Fit enough alarms to cover all areas where a fire could start.

Test alarms at least once a month. Replace them every ten years or when the replace by date is reached.

Selected FAQs

Answers to commonly-asked questions we receive about electrical safety.

View all our FAQs

Does a 1980s house need rewiring?

It depends on its condition rather than its age, if it has been tested and is in good condition and everything is working effectively there is no requirement to rewire. However, you may wish to consider adding RCDs to enhance the safety of the installation.

A qualified electrician will say if your home needs rewiring and what can be achieved within a specific budget.

You can find an electrician local to you here.

How can I find out if an EICR has been carried out on a property in the last 5 years?

For privately rented properties, your landlord or letting agent should have given you a copy of an EICR carried out on your rental property, but also kept one for themselves, so you should be able to ask them for a duplicate.

For owner occupied properties, there may be a label in the fuse box / consumer unit that states when the last inspection and test was done.

If there isn't one present we would suggest arranging one with a registered electrician.

You can find an electrician local to you here.

How far away from sources of water should electric outlets be?

There is no specific requirement for a distance between electrical outlets and sources of water like kitchen sinks, but we advise that you allow at least 30 cm from water or heat sources, where possible.

Can I change single socket outlets to double socket outlets?

It is likely that you can but this does depend on your electrical installation - a registered electrician will be able to advise you whether it can be done - they will assess the load, circuit type and cable rating. You can find one local to you here.

Has your electrical product been recalled?

Electrical products are recalled more regularly than you might think, but the response rate to a recall is often worryingly low. This means there are potentially millions of recalled electrical items still in UK homes.

Check your appliances

Bathroom