Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

12v or mains toggle switch: which current applies

Updated: October 2026

You are choosing a switch for a car dashboard or a boat battery panel, and the same results also offer a lighting plate for a room. A 12v or mains toggle switch covers both jobs. In these amazon.co.uk listings, 25 A is the current on the 12 V DC line, and the two lighting plates state 10 A in the title. Read the voltage that matches the supply you have, and leave the other current on its own line. The full set of plates, bats and minis is the [toggle switch comparison](/hub/electrical-equipment/toggle-switch). The Products Compared editorial team read these voltage lines on 15 October 2026, with the 2016 regulations and the public Part P pages, and did not lab-test the switches. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are choosing a switch for a car dashboard or a boat battery panel, and the same results also offer a lighting plate for a room. A 12v or mains toggle switch covers both jobs.

Our top picks

Gebildet Gebildet E1347 mini toggle, 8 pack

Best overall

Gebildet Gebildet E1347 mini toggle, 8 pack
7.8/10about £6.99
View offer
Gebildet Gebildet E1086 metal toggle

Rank 2

Gebildet Gebildet E1086 metal toggle
8.6/10about £3.99
View offer
Marbo Sport White 1-gang 2-way plate

Best value

Marbo Sport White 1-gang 2-way plate
8.1/10about £3.61
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.The rating line has more than one current
  2. 2.Minis and rockers that stay on the low-voltage side
  3. 3.A lighting plate is a different product
  4. 4.Which rule actually covers the job

The rating line has more than one current

The Gebildet E1086 and E1088 print 25 A at 12 V DC, 15 A at 24 V DC, 10 A at 250 V AC and 15 A at 125 V AC in one bullet. On a 12 V dashboard, use 25 A. On a 24 V battery, use 15 A. UK mains are 230 V, so the AC cell is 10 A at 250 V AC. The E1086 is the top pick for a 12.2 mm hole at about £3.99. Uliwamowi's title is 12 V 25 A only, so that bat stays on the battery job.

Minis and rockers that stay on the low-voltage side

QWORK MTS-101 and MTS-102 are titled AC 125 V, 6 A. MTS-102 also says ON-ON and 3 pins. That line belongs on a low-voltage panel, not a 230 V room light. The Gebildet mini prints 6 A at 125 V AC and 3 A at 250 V AC, below the 10 A plate title. Rockers here mostly read 10 A at 12 V DC and 6 A at 24 V DC. Krysel's 12 V title, 5 V cell and 125 V or 250 V line conflict, so it is a weak source for a 230 V room.
Gebildet Gebildet E1347 mini toggle, 8 pack

Testsieger

Gebildet Gebildet E1347 mini toggle, 8 pack
7.8/10about £6.99
View offer

A lighting plate is a different product

Both lighting plates state 10 A, the room-switch current, against 25 A at 12 V DC on the Gebildet bats. Knightsbridge leaves the voltage cell empty. The white plate is the best value lighting plate at about £3.61. Ignore its Wi-Fi, IP65 and 2 mm cells. Use a plate on a 230 V room circuit, and a bat, mini or rocker only when its printed line names your supply.

Which rule actually covers the job

Regulation 3 of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 sets the window at 50 to 1,000 V AC and 75 to 1,500 V DC. A 12 V DC dashboard or boat switch sits below it. A UK 230 V lighting switch sits inside it. Part P covers fixed installations in dwellings, including work you do yourself. A car dashboard and a boat panel sit outside that frame. A fixed extra-low-voltage circuit in a dwelling can still fall inside Part P. None of the twelve files prints a UKCA mark.

Common questions

Is 25 A the current at 230 V?
25 A on the Gebildet E1086 and E1088 bullets is the 12 V DC current. The same line also prints 10 A at 250 V AC. UK mains are 230 V, so that 10 A cell is the AC figure. Uliwamowi's title is 12 V 25 A only, which matches a dashboard or boat panel.
What does the same Gebildet bullet say at 250 V AC?
The Gebildet bullet prints 10 A at 250 V AC beside 25 A at 12 V DC. The 10 A figure is lower than the 12 V DC cell. For a UK 230 V supply, that 10 A cell is the AC line you can quote from the amazon.co.uk listing.
Does a 12 V DC switch fall inside the 2016 safety regulations' voltage window?
A 12 V DC switch sits outside regulation 3 of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016. The window is 50 to 1,000 V AC and 75 to 1,500 V DC, and 12 V DC is below 75 V DC. A plate on a UK 230 V circuit sits inside the AC part of that window. The 12 V switch remains subject to the safety duties that apply to it.
Does Part P govern a switch on a car dashboard?
Part P covers fixed electrical installations in dwellings, including work you do yourself, as the IET's Part P FAQ describes it. GOV.UK's Approved Document P page keeps that dwelling boundary. A switch on a car dashboard or a boat panel sits outside that frame. A fixed extra-low-voltage circuit in a dwelling can still fall inside Part P, which is a separate case from a dashboard.
Can a 125 V, 6 A mini be the room light switch?
A 125 V, 6 A mini is a weak match for a UK room light at 230 V. QWORK MTS-101 and MTS-102 state AC 125 V, 6 A. The Gebildet mini's 3 A at 250 V AC sits below the 10 A plate title. Choose the plate for a 230 V room, and keep the mini for a panel.
What is the white plate's stated current, and which table cells must be ignored?
The white plate's stated current is 10 A in the title. Ignore the Wi-Fi, IP65 and 2 mm table cells, because they conflict with a plain lighting plate. Knightsbridge also states 10 A and leaves the voltage cell empty. Keep 10 A for a room switch, and keep 25 A at 12 V DC with the Gebildet bats.

Related pages

Toggle switch buying guide

Best toggle switch

How to fit a toggle switch

Two-way lighting toggle switch

Toggle switch

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are from the amazon.co.uk files dated 15 October 2026.

  1. Approved Document P, 2013 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. IET Part P FAQ (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. IET, About BS 7671 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 3 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, regulation 4 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. HSE, electricity at work: the law (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. BSI, BS EN 60669-1:2018 (retrieved 15 October 2026)