New electrical point

A new electrical point is a socket, switch or lighting outlet where there was no cable before: an extra socket by the desk, one above the kitchen worktop, a wall light in the bedroom. Unlike replacing a socket, this means running a cable from the nearest box or from the consumer unit.

What a new point involves

• choosing the position and the cable route, keeping cables in vertical and horizontal zones;
• chasing the wall and cutting the box hole, or running the cable in surface trunking;
• setting the back box, laying the cable and connecting it to an existing circuit;
• fitting the socket, switch or outlet and checking it works;
• making good the chase with plaster, ready for filling and painting.

Chased in or surface trunking

A cable buried in the wall looks best, but it means chasing, dust and repainting afterwards. In a finished flat where you do not want to touch the walls, trunking along the skirting or the ceiling works well. The handyman will suggest what makes sense for you. Where the power comes from matters too: adding sockets to an already busy kitchen circuit can end with the breaker tripping.

Safety and preparation

New points are installed by a handyman qualified for electrical work with the circuit off, and before chasing they use a detector to find existing cables and pipes. In the job, mark on a photo where the new point should go and say whether the wall is already decorated. With several points in one room, doing them in one visit works out better.

Common questions