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Why does UK have special power plugs/sockets?

As a prospective EU/non-UK student I want to be 100% prepared. Haha! :yep: I will probably have to buy the World Travel kit from Apple for my MacBook before coming to the UK. Now why does UK not have plugs and sockets like the rest of Europe? I'm not criticising, it's just a simple question and electrical reflection. :p: And what more do I have to think of, besides my computer? I will probably have to buy a new mobile phone anyway, since it would be too much fuss getting a UK adapter.

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Reply 1

motherofpearl
As a prospective EU/non-UK student I want to be 100% prepared. Haha! :yep: I will probably have to buy the World Travel kit from Apple for my MacBook before coming to the UK. Now why does UK not have plugs and sockets like the rest of Europe? I'm not criticising, it's just a simple question and electrical reflection. :p: And what more do I have to think of, besides my computer? I will probably have to buy a new mobile phone anyway, since it would be too much fuss getting a UK adapter.


Now we don't have plugs like the rest of europe.

Ours are a lot safer.

You'll need a travel adapter.

Reply 2

Our's have an Earth pin to ground any surges in power in the plug. Safety.

Reply 3

Ours are safer, to be honest. The third pin means they're a lot less likely to be pulled out, plus they have the switch on the sockets themselves.

Reply 4

orionmoo
Our's have an Earth pin to ground any surges in power in the plug. Safety.


Yeah exactly. British and Irish people are stupid.

Reply 5

I dunno - but it may be something to do with the fact that our mains supply is 230V. The three pins are connected to three different wires; the live wire, the neutral wire and the earth wire.

Live carries the electricity
Neutral... I dunno lol
Earth wire insulates the device and is a legal requirement for all metal case thingys and most other devices. Stops surges and stuff like that.

Reply 6

As far as I understand it, as lampshade pointed out, it's for safety. With 2 pin plugs the current is running through the bottom 2 holes in the power supply constantly, whereas with ours you have to put something in the top hole, to open the bottom holes (which have the electricity). It just means that for example if a child tries to stick something in the bottom holes they can't do it because they are closed off unless something is put in the top one first. European ones don't have that as far as I'm aware.

Reply 7

|>|Imagine|<|
I dunno - but it may be something to do with the fact that our mains supply is 230V. The three pins are connected to three different wires; the live wire, the neutral wire and the earth wire.

Live carries the electricity
Neutral... I dunno lol
Earth wire insulates the device is a legal requirement for all metal case thingys.


Neutral is earthed at the power supply (where the live wire comes from), as a sort of 'comparison' for the live wire.
The live (I think?) wire carries a fuse, which blows if the current going through the plug is over a certain amount of Amperes (defined by the fuse). When the fuse blows, the current is redirected down the earth wire and so is safe to touch.

Reply 8

wtid
As far as I understand it, as lampshade pointed out, it's for safety. With 2 pin plugs the current is running through the bottom 2 holes in the power supply constantly, whereas with ours you have to put something in the top hole, to open the bottom holes (which have the electricity). It just means that for example if a child tries to stick something in the bottom holes they can't do it because they are closed off unless something is put in the top one first. European ones don't have that as far as I'm aware.


Have you ever seen a UK plug spark when plugged in... i'm guessing no.

When it comes to an EU plug or a USA plug.. I'm guessing you've definitely seen them spark.

It says it all.


And forgetting safety, UK plugs are so much more convenient. Plugs with 2 pins just end up unplugging themselves so easily. It's frustrating.

Reply 9

US, Australia/ China/ New Zealand, Israel, Argentina, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, South Africa all have different power plugs and sockets, it's not just the UK. So what's the fuss?

Reply 10

:p: The other really important thing.....it hurts a lot less when you step bare-foot on a UK plug than an EU one (Although the American ones are the absolute killers.)

Reply 11

Oooh, OK... Quick answers, guys, rock on. I understand, safety is indeed important. So basically I just need to get something for my MacBook, I guess? Maybe I could buy a power adapter from the online UK Apple Store instead of buying the whole travel kit (with US, Japan, Australia, etc. plugs).

And yeah, we only have two pin plugs over here. Still, it's interesting how only UK (and Ireland, although I think they have other kinds of plugs and sockets as well, not sure though) has its own type of plugs and sockets. Why does the rest of Europe insist on using two pin plugs if they aren't as safe as the UK ones? Are we stupid and ignorant? :p:

Reply 12

minim
US, Australia/ China/ New Zealand, Israel, Argentina, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, South Africa all have different power plugs and sockets, it's not just the UK. So what's the fuss?


Yes, but those three also have "regular" European plugs and sockets as well (as far as I know). And the other countries I'm not interested in right now, as I'm mainly "focusing" on the European power system.

Reply 13

Lampshade
Now we don't have plugs like the rest of europe.

Ours are a lot safer.

You'll need a travel adapter.


The plugs may be safer, but there's alot more juice coming through the sockets

Reply 14

motherofpearl
As a prospective EU/non-UK student I want to be 100% prepared. Haha! :yep: I will probably have to buy the World Travel kit from Apple for my MacBook before coming to the UK. Now why does UK not have plugs and sockets like the rest of Europe? I'm not criticising, it's just a simple question and electrical reflection. :p: And what more do I have to think of, besides my computer? I will probably have to buy a new mobile phone anyway, since it would be too much fuss getting a UK adapter.


Why doesn't the rest of Europe have plugs like the UK?

Reply 15

why not get travel adaptors for like £1, rather than buying expensive apple branded power supplies?

Reply 16

motherofpearl
Still, it's interesting how only UK (and Ireland, although I think they have other kinds of plugs and sockets as well, not sure though) has its own type of plugs and sockets. Why does the rest of Europe insist on using two pin plugs


Can you imagine having to change every plug socket in Europe? Every electrical item with a two-pin plug would be useless. It's a logistical nightmare.

Reply 17

motherofpearl
Yes, but those three also have "regular" European plugs and sockets as well (as far as I know). And the other countries I'm not interested in right now, as I'm mainly "focusing" on the European power system.


Well, when I went to Italy 2 weeks ago my normal European adapter that worked in Hungary, Romania, France, Belgium and Germany didn't fit because it was too thick. I don't know about the other two.

Reply 18

minim
Well, when I went to Italy 2 weeks ago my normal European adapter that worked in Hungary, Romania, France, Belgium and Germany didn't fit because it was too thick. I don't know about the other two.


Oh, OK... Then maybe there are both European and exclusively Italian ones. When I went to Italy neither my mother nor me had any problems with loading our mobile phones' batteries with our European adapters.

Edit: According to the almighty Wikipedia the so-called "Europlug" is
"used in Class II applications throughout continental Europe (Brazil (uhmm, right, continental Europe?? Haha!), Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine)"


alexsheppard11
why not get travel adaptors for like £1, rather than buying expensive apple branded power supplies?


And where can I get hold of one of those? Eff yes, the Apple power supplies are ridiculously expensive - a UK MagSafe adapter is £58. I could get one of those World Travel Kits since they're cheaper (£28), but still... Compared to £1 it's too much.

Reply 19

I don't have to worry about buying a new power adapter as we're using the same plugs and sockets as UK in Singapore.