Metal or plastic light switch
Updated: October 2026
You want the antique brass, or the chrome, or the matt black, and the white plastic plate you are taking off has never needed a thought about earth. The metal plate does. This page on metal or plastic light switch is the earth decision for the finishes in this set. The rows are in the [light switch comparison](/hub/electrical-equipment/light-switch). Prices are the captured amazon.co.uk figures, not a live re-check and not a lab test. If the lighting cable has no protective conductor, you stay with plastic.
You want the antique brass, or the chrome, or the matt black, and the white plastic plate you are taking off has never needed a thought about earth. The metal plate does.
You want the antique brass, or the chrome, or the matt black, and the white plastic plate you are taking off has never needed a thought about earth. The metal plate does. This page on metal or plastic light switch is the earth decision for the finishes in this set. The rows are in the light switch comparison. Prices are the captured amazon.co.uk figures, not a live re-check and not a lab test. If the lighting cable has no protective conductor, you stay with plastic.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Plate | Finish | Fixings | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  British General BG NBN12 black nickel | Metal | Black nickel | Matching screws stated | 9.4 | about £5.99 | View offer |
 British General BG NPC12 polished chrome | Metal | Polished chrome | Screws included | 9.2 | about £5.95 | View offer | |
| Best value |  Knightsbridge Knightsbridge CU2000 curved white | Plastic | White | Screws and caps | 9.2 | about £3.00 | View offer |
On this page
A metal plate is earthed, a plastic plate is not the earth path
A metal faceplate is a Class I accessory. The protective conductor, the CPC, has to land on the plate. B&Q’s replace-a-switch sequence puts that earth on the metal plate first and then runs a green-and-yellow fly lead on to a metal back box, so the box and the plate stay at the same earth potential. This page follows that order: earth the plate, and link a metal box. A plastic or urea plate is not that path. If the back box is metal, the CPC still goes to the box. Marbo, Invero, the CU2000, the BG Nexus 812, Vector and the CU1000 are the plastic or urea rows. A plastic back box does not cancel the rule for a metal plate. The plate itself still needs the CPC from the cable.
If the lighting cable has no earth, stay with plastic
A lot of UK lighting circuits installed before about 1966 have no CPC in the cable. What you see is two conductors at the switch, live and switched live, and no green-and-yellow. NICEIC’s note is the buying limit. Class I metal accessories should not be added unless a protective conductor is provided. You buy plastic, or you stop and have an electrician provide a CPC if the finish matters more than the swap. The plastic and urea rows in this set run from about £3.00 for the CU2000 to £5.49 for Vector. None of those figures earths a circuit. Do not cut an earth back because today’s plate is plastic. The next person may fit metal. If there is no earth, the four metal rows are the wrong purchase.
Brass, chrome, black nickel and matt black are looks, not ratings
The metal cluster is four BG Nexus Metal 1-gang 2-way plates. Antique brass NAB12 is £5.79. Polished chrome NPC12 is £5.95 and the only listing that states a 16 mm minimum box. Black nickel NBN12 is £5.99, with a light-lacquer claim. Matt black NFB12 is £5.77, with fewer fingerprints than gloss metal, and it scratches. Titles often say 20 A and 16 AX. The catalogue table is headed 10 A 10 AX. You cannot prefer a finish because 20 A sounds safer.
The gasket and the screws are not the earth
Each metal listing describes a moisture gasket for tarnish and new plaster. That is a decorating claim. It does not rate the plate for a bathroom zone. IP00 and IP20 cells are not zone ratings either. An ordinary 230 V plate stays out of bathroom zones 0, 1 and 2. Across the metal plates, reviewers say the faceplate screws are too short. On black nickel, people ended up using silver screws. Keep the old screws until the new ones reach the thread. The gasket is not a CPC. When the earth is not in the cable, the white plastic plates are the ones still on the table. Proving the circuit dead first is on how to replace a light switch.
Common questions
Do I have to earth a metal light switch?
Yes. A metal plate is Class I. The CPC goes to the plate, and a green-and-yellow fly lead links on to a metal back box. That is the order B&Q publishes, and it is the order this page uses. A plastic back box does not remove the need to earth the plate. If you cannot see a protective conductor in the cable, you do not fit the metal plate.
Does a plastic plate need an earth on the plate?
No. The plastic or urea face is not the earth path. Marbo, Invero, both Knightsbridge curved plates, the BG 812 and Vector are in that group. A metal back box still receives the CPC. You do not leave the earth disconnected just because the new face is white. You also do not cut the earth off. The next plate in that box may be metal, and the conductor has to be there for it.
There are only two wires and no earth. Which plates can I buy?
A plastic or urea plate from this set, if the rest of the job is a like-for-like swap you can prove dead. You do not buy NAB12, NFB12, NPC12 or NBN12. Two wires and no green-and-yellow is the pattern on older lighting circuits, often pre-1966. NICEIC’s guidance is that you do not add a Class I metal accessory until a CPC is provided. Providing that conductor is an electrician’s job.
What is the fly lead for?
It bonds the metal plate to a metal back box so both are earthed, not only the lug that happens to be tight. This page follows B&Q’s order: earth the plate, then the link to the box. A plastic box has nothing to link, and the plate still needs the CPC from the cable. The fly lead is not a gasket and not a decorative earth wire you can omit for a cleaner look.
Does the moisture gasket make a metal plate suitable for a bathroom?
No. The gasket is described for tarnish and new plaster on the metal edge. It is not an IP rating for a shower zone. An ordinary 230 V plate stays out of bathroom zones 0, 1 and 2. If you are unsure whether the existing plate is already outside those zones, stop.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources are listed below. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures checked on 21 October 2026.
- Approved Document P (2013, England) (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- EN 60669-1:2018 in the legislation.gov.uk record of Decision (EU) 2020/1779 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- BSI: BS EN 60669-1:2018 scope (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- BEAMA: load ratings for manually operated functional switches (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- IET: Section 701, locations containing a bath or shower (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- NICEIC via Voltimum: wall-mounted light switches (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- NICEIC via Voltimum: lighting circuits without a CPC (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- B&Q: how to replace a light switch (retrieved 21 October 2026)