Re: energy in UK

On 20/04/2025 10:54, Don Y wrote:

On 4/20/2025 1:48 AM, Martin Brown wrote:

Here anything with external metal parts should be earthed by law. Double insulated things or with no metal surfaces to touch do not have to be and can be on two pin plugs. Mains electric razors for instance.

 Current Code is similar.  But, requiring existing homes -- built to the Code
that was in effect at their time of construction -- to retrofit to come
up to the latest Code is considered intrusive and costly.
 E.g., the house I grew up in had two wire (neutral and hot) circuits
throughout, using BX cable.  So, none of the outlets had earth
connections available.

The code requirement for an earthed system goes way back in the UK. I can't recall how far back but pre-WWII. My second year college room had old 3 pin round sockets in and they were already rare in the 1980's.
BS546 was published in 1934 and quickly adopted. Prior to that every regional electric company had their own random shaped plug & sockets. The odd one even supplied DC! BS1363 was introduced just post war 1947.
That is essentially the same rectangular fused plug that we use today. Modern ones are much less well made with less conductor than the old ones. 13A plugs have been officially derated to 10A now.

Most UK ring main sockets *require* an earth pin to be present on the mains plug to open the mechanical cover over the live and neutral terminals. It was not always so. Previous round pin plugs you could poke a piece of metal or screwdriver in there and touch live!

 Outlets (here), now have similar shutters to prevent entry of "unintended
conductors".  But, again, there is no requirement to retrofit them.
Ditto GFCIs, AFCIs, etc.
 

What happens if a drunk takes down a "power pole" feeding said village?

>
Last time it happened was the coldest day of the year and it was the milk tanker hit black ice and took down 2 poles and 30' of hedge. There is no way he was doing 30mph! Engineers had us back on by nightfall.

 Would he have been financially responsible for the repair (though
likely not the secondary losses)?

His insurers would be. Having insurance to drive on public roads is a strict requirement in the UK and relatively well policed by ANPR.
--
Martin Brown