Electrical

Why are you not allowed sockets behind kitchen appliances?

Anonymous user 28/02/2024 - 3.04 PM

I have just had a new kitchen fitted by a big national company and their fitters. They have plugged my kitchen appliances (some integrated and some free standing) into sockets they fitted inside two of my cupboards. Both double sockets are at the back of the cupboards and one is down low under my kitchen sink. They did this after I had an original survey with one of their fitters who was going to use spurs on the top of my worktop along with the sockets on walls behind appliances. (Unfortunately I did not get a breakdown of the actual work to be carried out, just the kitchen units etc and a total for the work. ) Another fitter came to do the work, and I told him I did not want sockets in my cupboards when he asked but he went ahead and did it anyway. After speaking with a manager of this company I was told that it is their standard practice to fit sockets in cupboards for appliances, although he started by saying I had not paid for spurs.... When I questioned the fact that I had thought I was paying for spurs his answer was that it is illegal(!) to have sockets behind appliances if the appliance has to be pulled out to reach plug as the plug must be accessible, so I would have had plugs inside my cupboards even if I had paid for the spurs. He claims that this has been regulation since 2008. (I did query how my plugs would be accessible if I filled up my cupboards in front of them and I am still awaiting an answer!). Are sockets behind washing machines, tumble dryers etc no longer allowed even with a switch above the worktop? Any advice would be gratefully received, thanks.