What regs in the UK ?

[mointainwalker]

Out of curiosity, can you tell me what the UK regs are in the following situations ?

In a total renovation I am doing here in France , I want all cooking to be by gas, In spite of that , the electrical regs state that I have to install all wiring for electric cooker/hob.

Ok, not much extra work/cost so I do it. Then it strikes me that, just as a precaution, I should check if these actually have to be connected in the CU as I don't want to fail the pre-connection check on an outside possibility.

To my great surprise and annoyance the Tech Dept of the Consuel ( testing quango) says it has all to be connected. This means that as well as a few MCB's, I also have to buy another RCD ( Type B , I think ) for the cooker etc.,

I am convinced ( no proof though ) that this is simply because Legrand has such a stranglehold on the retail market in France that they use their muscle on the decision-making bodies to create regs that stuff new-build with (their) electrical equipment,

The cost of the Legrand RCD and a couple of MCB's is about pnds 100 !

As part of the same electrical regs I also have to fit a "communications" socket (phone/RJ45 )in every "habitable" room inc kitchen and put a light above every external doorway.

So please tell me gentlemen, are similar regs operative in the UK or have I some foundation for my suspicions that we here are being plundered by a greedy bloody monopoly supplier.

 

[RF Lighting]

Nope nothing like that here.

As long as it is safe to do so, you can have what you like where you like, and as much or little as you like.

 

[ericmark]

No regulations like you describe but we also have some daft ones.
The sale of tungsten bulbs has been stopped in main but still have to have special light sockets so at least 20% of lighting is energy saving.

We also have building regulations which require one to either employ a registered electrician or pay council £100+ for simplest job i.e. change single socket to double in kitchen.

So swings and roundabouts

 

[Taylortwocities]

or

oscillations et ronds points

 

[Stoday]

As others have said, nothing like that here. But I think that's because the electricity supply industry in the UK has been privatised. France still has a monopoly in the form of EDF (plus Strasburg – I think they are the odd one).

The previous nationalised electricity boards were going that way. They had a requirement that included a cooker circuit even if you used a gas cooker, otherwise you'd get charged a higher connection charge for new houses. I'm sure we would have the same thing as you if we still had electricity boards.

 

[Taylortwocities]

As we are all in the EEC ( ), and under the Treaty of Rome there should be nothing to stop you installing in France to comply with BS7671.

I've seen plenty of Polish electricians in the UK doing things their way!