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Outdoor socket installation.
An outdoor socket saves trailing leads through windows and doors. It needs to be weatherproof, protected and in the right place.
← All garden and exterior lighting
What we fit
- Weatherproof sockets with a lid that keeps the plug covered while it is in use, rated IP66 for exposed walls.
- 30 mA RCD protection, which is required for outdoor sockets. If your consumer unit does not provide it, we fit a socket with a built-in RCD or upgrade the board.
- Switched sockets inside the house for festoon lights and water features, so you can turn them off without going outside.
- Sockets away from the house: on a post by the patio or pond, fed by armoured cable.
Is it notifiable?
Adding a socket outside on an existing circuit is not notifiable under Part P in England, but it must still meet BS 7671 and we give you a certificate for it. A new circuit, for example to a socket at the bottom of the garden, is notifiable, and we notify it through our scheme.
Where to put it
Near where you will actually use it: the patio for heaters and speakers, the front for the pressure washer and car vacuum, the pond for the pump. If you are planning an EV charger, do not charge a car from an ordinary outdoor socket; a proper charger is safer and faster.
Photographs: a private residence in Totteridge (a project led by our director Michael Simm and now maintained by SEGplc), new-build houses in Radlett and an outbuilding in Hertford.
Questions we’re asked
Do outdoor sockets need an RCD?
Yes. Outdoor sockets must have 30 mA RCD protection, either from the consumer unit or built into the socket.
Can I charge my electric car from an outdoor socket?
It is not recommended for regular use. A dedicated EV charger on its own circuit is safer and much faster.
Can you put a socket at the end of the garden?
Yes, fed by armoured cable buried or in duct. It is a new circuit, so we certify and notify it.
Written by SEGplc. Last updated 19 October 2026.
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