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Plug in timer or fused spur timer

Updated: October 2026

You can see two products in the same search: a small adaptor with a UK plug, and a white plate that replaces a spur. A plug in timer or fused spur timer is a split on how the appliance is connected, not a split on which brand has more programmes. Prices are a scale from the [digital timer switch comparison](/hub/electrical-equipment/digital-timer-switch): plug-in listings from about £5.95, fused spurs about £33 in the 20 October 2026 capture. This is not a lab test, and it is not a wiring guide. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The cylinder, the boost button and the back-box depth are on [immersion heater timer switch](/hub/electrical-equipment/digital-timer-switch/sub/digital-timer-switch-immersion-heater).

You can see two products in the same search: a small adaptor with a UK plug, and a white plate that replaces a spur.

Our top picks

Timeguard Timeguard FST24 fused spur timer

Best overall

Timeguard Timeguard FST24 fused spur timer
9.2/10about £33
View offer
NOVKIT NOVKIT twin 10 programme plug timers

Best value

NOVKIT NOVKIT twin 10 programme plug timers
8.8/10about £18.74
View offer
Heschen Heschen CN101A timer module

Rank 3

Heschen Heschen CN101A timer module
8.8/10about £12.59
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.When a plug-in timer is the right object
  2. 2.When a fused spur is the right object
  3. 3.Why 13 A on a plug is not 13 A on a spur for hours
  4. 4.The panel module is a third product

When a plug-in timer is the right object

A plug-in timer is the right object when you can already unplug the appliance and move it. A lamp, a small fan, a phone charger, a fish-tank light or an electric blanket with a BS 1363 plug are that kind of load. The NOVKIT twin states 230 V, 13 A and 2,900 W and says indoor. The ORIDGET title states 13 A / 240 V. Several cheaper plugs, including the Status ION7DDT10 at about £5.95, state no wattage. If the listing is silent, you have a gap, not a 13 A timer. Regulation 35 of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 is why the plug face has to suit BS 1363. One appliance goes in the front. What to read once you know the form is on the digital timer plug buying guide. A portable heater should not be left unattended overnight. A timer does not cancel that.

When a fused spur is the right object

A fused spur is the right object when the appliance is already wired to the wall. An immersion beside the cylinder and many towel rails are fixed. The Timeguard FST24 is the 24-hour version: the same periods every day, 13 A and 3 kW resistive, a BS 1362 fuse, and a one- or two-hour boost. The Candeo C-TSFS has 7-day, 5-day or 2-day patterns and a 13 A fuse, without a wattage beside that fuse. Both were about £33 in the capture. If a towel rail is wired into a spur in a bathroom, that is an electrician's fitting. Approved Document P, the 2013 edition, is the notifiable frame for a new circuit and a special location. Boost times and the 25 mm box depth belong on the immersion page.
Timeguard Timeguard FST24 fused spur timer

Testsieger

Timeguard Timeguard FST24 fused spur timer
9.2/10about £33
View offer

Why 13 A on a plug is not 13 A on a spur for hours

13 A on a plug-in timer is a claim about a portable appliance in a BS 1363 socket. On the FST24 it is tied to 3 kW resistive and a fused connection unit. The IET, in Wiring Matters in September 2025, argues that a 3 kW immersion at a nominal 230 V is generally unsuitable for a BS 1363 plug or a BS 1363-4 fused connection unit unless the accessory maker says otherwise. Timeguard still prints 3 kW on the FST24. Keep both. Do not cut the plug off a timer and wire it to the cylinder because both say 13 A. A moulded plug you can pull is the plug path. A cable that enters a plate on the wall is the spur path.

The panel module is a third product

The Heschen CN101A at about £12.59 is neither a plug-in timer nor a fused spur. It is a panel module with up to 28 programmes, a control supply of 200–250 V, and a contact claimed at up to 16 A or 1 HP. The cap is described as protection against splashes. There is no IP code in the file. Reviews say the connectors are not in the box. One reviewer did fit it inside an MK Masterseal enclosure. That is an enclosure job, not a socket you buy for a lamp tonight. A contact rating on a module is not a BS 1362 fused spur and not a BS 1363 adaptor. Do not let the 16 A claim pull it into the immersion basket. Setting a plug's clock, which is a later job, is on how to programme a digital timer plug.

Common questions

The immersion is wired to a spur. Which timer?
Use a fused spur timer, not a plug adaptor. In this comparison that is the Timeguard FST24 for the same periods every day, or the Candeo C-TSFS for weekday patterns. Both sit around £33 in the capture. The 3 kW wording on the Timeguard file has to be read with the IET caution.
Can I cut the plug off a timer and wire it to the cylinder?
No. The plug face is part of a BS 1363 adaptor. Cutting it off is not a way to make a spur, and it is not in the listing. A fixed cylinder takes a proper fused spur or the switch an electrician specifies, after the circuit is confirmed.
What about a towel rail?
If the rail has a plug and stands where you can unplug it, a plug-in timer is the matching object, inside the stated rating, and you still should not leave a heater unattended overnight just because a timer exists. If the rail is wired to a spur, especially in a bathroom, it is a fixed load and a spur timer, and a bathroom zone is a reason to use an electrician rather than an adaptor in the hallway socket.
Can I time a portable heater overnight?
Electrical Safety First's guidance on portable heaters is that they should not be left unattended or overnight, and they should use a UK 3-pin plug rather than an extension. A timer that switches the heater while you sleep does not remove that advice.
Who should I call if the cable looks like cloth?
Call an electrician before any timer goes on. Cloth-covered or otherwise old cable is a circuit question, not a programme question. Approved Document P is the frame for notifiable work such as a new circuit or a special location, and it is not something you clear by choosing a digital display.

Related pages

Best digital timer switch UK

Digital timer switch

Digital timer plug buying guide: form, load, schedule

How to programme a digital timer plug, step by step

Immersion heater timer switch: fused spur, not a plug

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file, captured on 20 October 2026.

  1. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK: Electrical Equipment Safety Regulations 2016, Great Britain (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. BSI: BS EN IEC 60730-2-7:2020, timers and time switches (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. Approved Document P, 2013 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. IET Wiring Matters, September 2025: 3 kW immersion and a 13 A fused connection unit (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. Electrical Safety First: plugs and fuses (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. Electrical Safety First: portable heaters (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. Timeguard FST24 fused spur timeswitch (retrieved 20 October 2026)