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Surge protector for a TV

Updated: October 2026

One socket sits behind the media unit, and the television, the soundbar, and the console already need three plugs before the router joins them. A surge protector for a TV is a mains strip for that low-power pile, with a joule figure you can read and an indicator you can check later. It leaves heaters off the same lead, and it does not cover the aerial or a direct strike. The scored listings are on the [surge protector comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/surge-protector). Peter F. read those amazon.co.uk pages on 15 October 2026 and did not laboratory-test a set. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

One socket sits behind the media unit, and the television, the soundbar, and the console already need three plugs before the router joins them.

Our top picks

Belkin Belkin 4-gang 2 m surge lead

Best overall

Belkin Belkin 4-gang 2 m surge lead
8.8/10about £14.99
View offer
Masterplug Masterplug 4-gang 2 m surge lead

Rank 2

Masterplug Masterplug 4-gang 2 m surge lead
9.2/10about £8.70
View offer
Masterplug Masterplug 3-socket surge adaptor

Preis-Tipp

Masterplug Masterplug 3-socket surge adaptor
7.9/10about £8.25
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What a strip can cover behind the television
  2. 2.What must not share that lead
  3. 3.Cable length, wall mount, and socket count
  4. 4.A conditional pick from this set

What a strip can cover behind the television

The strip covers the mains plugs you put into it: the television, a soundbar or a soundbase, a console or a streaming box, and often a router or a phone charger. Those loads together are usually far under 13 A. The IET’s consumer guidance adds the picture-path limit. If you protect the mains and leave the aerial, cable, or telephone unprotected, a transient still has another route in. Do not treat a mains-only bar as cover for the aerial lead or the HDMI lead. A 6 A television-only switcher, such as a Sollatek unit, is a different product and is not in this set.

What must not share that lead

A kettle, a heater, a toaster, or a microwave stays in the wall. London Fire Brigade’s rule is not to put those high-power appliances on the same extension. Spare sockets are for more picture kit, not for a fan heater. Do not daisy-chain a second lead behind the cabinet. Electrical Safety First forbids that chain, and Masterplug’s connected-equipment warranty is void if you daisy-chain. Replacing a lead whose surge lamp has died is on how to use a surge protector.
Belkin Belkin 4-gang 2 m surge lead

Testsieger

Belkin Belkin 4-gang 2 m surge lead
8.8/10about £14.99
View offer

Cable length, wall mount, and socket count

Measure from the wall socket to the back of the unit before you trust 2 m. Two metres fails when the socket is the other side of a chimney breast. The DEWENWILS lead is 3 m, with individual switches. Reviewers of the Belkin say there are no keyholes, so that strip lies on the floor or a shelf. The HANYCONY eight-gang is 1.8 m and prints 1,800 joules, with two bank switches. The DEWENWILS prints 270 joules, the lowest figure in this set, and one bullet says four switches on a six-way title, so count them in the photos. Those checks are the surge protector buying guide.

A conditional pick from this set

If the budget is about £9 and you do not need a switch per socket, the Masterplug four-gang at £8.70 and 370 joules prints a surge figure without a jump in price. If the bar can sit loose and you want the largest review count, the Belkin at £14.99 and 525 joules is the other fit. Skip it when you must screw it down. If you need more sockets, the HANYCONY eight-gang at £19.99 and 1,800 joules is the fit, unless you need one switch per socket. Choose the DEWENWILS at £16.99 when switches and 3 m matter more than a high joule number. Skip the tower if joules must be printed, and skip the HANNELORE unless you will stay inside 2,500 W.

Common questions

Do I need a surge protector for a smart TV?
You need one if you want a mains spike claim on the plug that feeds the television, with a joule figure and an indicator. A smart TV does not create a special UK minimum. The strip still leaves the aerial and HDMI paths alone, and it does not replace a Type 2 device in the consumer unit. For a lamp, a plain lead is enough.
How many sockets do a TV, soundbar, and console actually need?
Three mains plugs, and often a fourth for a router or a charger. A four-gang covers that pile. Add a second console, a lamp, and two phone chargers and you are into six or eight sockets. Those extra sockets are still on the same 13 A plug. They are not a reason to plug a heater into the last hole.
What joule figure is printed on the strips that suit that job?
In this set: 370 joules on the Masterplug four-gang, 525 on the Belkin four-gang, 270 in the DEWENWILS description, and 1,800 on the HANYCONY eight-gang. There is no statutory minimum here. A blank joule field, as on the tower and the three-socket adaptor, means the figure is not stated. Prefer a printed number for the television.
Can I add a heater or a kettle on the same lead?
No. Both belong in the wall socket. Either one can take most of a 13 A circuit, and London Fire Brigade warns against sharing that kind of load on one extension. The spare holes behind the television are for the soundbar and the console. A surge label does not add amps.
Does the strip protect the aerial or HDMI lead?
It protects the mains plugs inserted into it. The IET notes that an aerial, cable, or telephone route can still carry a transient if only the mains is protected. Do not start aerial wiring as a weekend job off this page. Unplug the mains in a storm if you want the set isolated.
Should I unplug the TV in a thunderstorm?
Yes. Unplug the mains plug from the wall, or unplug the strip’s plug. Masterplug says this class of lead is not a lightning arrester. The joule figure is not a promise about a direct strike. If you are away and storms are forecast, the set that is unplugged is the one that is actually isolated.
Is a plug-in strip enough if I have no SPD in the consumer unit?
The strip still only supplements a Type 2 device at the board, in the IET’s wording. It can be a reasonable mains claim for the television while that board device is absent, and it does not perform the board device’s job. Deciding to fit an SPD in the consumer unit, and doing the work, belongs to a qualified electrician. This page does not include wiring steps.

Related pages

Best surge protector UK

Surge protector

Surge protector buying guide: UK plug, joules, load

How to use a surge protector safely on a UK socket

Surge protector vs extension lead: sockets or spikes

Sources

Public UK sources on surge protective devices, BS 1363 plugs, and extension leads. Listing prices and star counts are from the amazon.co.uk extracts kept for this comparison on 15 October 2026. Prices move.

  1. IET Wiring Matters, Surge Protective Devices, November 2023 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. IET consumer guidance on SPDs (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. IET BS 7671 edition checker (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. Electrical Safety First, extension leads (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. BEAMA extension-lead checklist (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. Masterplug SRG4 sheet (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. Masterplug surge warranty (retrieved 15 October 2026)