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

How to use an individually switched extension lead

Updated: 23 October 2026

The lead is already chosen and you are about to plug it into a UK wall socket. The switches let you leave every plug in and still turn a lamp or a charger off. They do not raise the fuse, and they are not an RCD. Peter F., editor for DIY & tools, wrote this page on how to use an individually switched extension lead from the twelve amazon.co.uk listings in the [extension lead individually switched comparison](/hub/sockets-and-extension-leads/extension-lead-individually-switched) on 20 October 2026. This is not a lab test and it does not rank the bars. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The lead is already chosen and you are about to plug it into a UK wall socket. The switches let you leave every plug in and still turn a lamp or a charger off. They do not raise the fuse, and they are not an RCD.

Our top picks

Masterplug Masterplug SWSRG4210N

Best overall

Masterplug Masterplug SWSRG4210N
9.4/10about £9.50
View offer
Pro Elec Pro Elec PL15330

Best value

Pro Elec Pro Elec PL15330
8.8/10about £9.99
View offer
Pro Elec Pro Elec PELB1918

Alternative

Pro Elec Pro Elec PELB1918
8.0/10about £11.18
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What the switches are for
  2. 2.What must not share the bar
  3. 3.One lead, one wall socket
  4. 4.When to unplug it and stop

What the switches are for

Each rocker is a way to kill standby on that outlet while the plug stays seated. A television, a set-top box, a monitor and a phone charger can sit in a row, and you can switch off the ones you are not using. The neon or LED, where the listing has one, shows which outlet is still live. It does not measure the current, and a lit switch is not a higher rating. A switch is not an RCD. It does not trip on a fault to earth, and it does not make a lead safe outdoors. No listing in this set prints an IP rating. A line that says outdoor is not an outdoor rating. Extra wall sockets, rather than a longer bar, are an electrician's job. Joules, if your lead claims them, are on the surge protection page. They do not change how you add up the load.

What must not share the bar

London Fire Brigade says kettles, toasters and microwaves should not share an extension. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service makes the same point the other way: the 13 A total is for the whole bar. Switching spare sockets off does not create a spare 13 A for the kettle. If the kettle is on, the toaster stays on the wall. A microwave is the same kind of load. Small loads are the ordinary use: chargers, a lamp, a router, a television, a console that is not stacked with a heater. Space the plugs so they sit fully home. On the Pro Elec PELB1918, reviews describe stiff sockets, and one buyer treated a plug that was not fully in as a fire hazard. If a plug will not seat, do not force a second heavy appliance in beside it. Which lamps are bright is on the indicator lights page.
Masterplug Masterplug SWSRG4210N

Testsieger

Masterplug Masterplug SWSRG4210N
9.4/10about £9.50
View offer

One lead, one wall socket

Do not plug this lead into another extension lead or into a cube adaptor. Electrical Safety First is plain about it: one extension per wall socket, and no daisy-chaining. A second lead does not give you extra capacity. It puts two fuses and two sets of contacts in series and makes the overload harder to see. Kent Fire and Rescue says the same thing as do not plug one adaptor into another. Four switched sockets on the first bar, plus four more on the next, are still drawing through the wall socket you started with.

When to unplug it and stop

Unplug the lead and stop using it if it is hot, if you smell hot plastic, if it sparks, if you see scorch marks or melted plastic, or if the fuse blows for no obvious reason. Electrical Safety First lists those as the signs to stop. The XGKEGS tumble-dryer review, with one side of the socket burnt, is that list in a buyer's words. Do not put the lead back into service because the switch still clicks. Do not tape a warm bar to the skirting and carry on.

Common questions

Do the switches split the 13 A between the sockets?
No. They switch outlets on and off. The current for every live socket still passes through the one fuse in the plug. Three dark switches do not reserve 13 A for the socket that is still on. Electrical Safety First treats a typical lead as 13 A in total. Some older leads are 10 A. Read the figure on your plug and on the listing, such as 3,120 W at 240 V on the Masterplug SWC4210N bullet.
Can a kettle and a toaster share the bar if the other switches are off?
No. London Fire Brigade says kettles, toasters and microwaves should not share an extension. Switching the unused sockets off does not change that. Those appliances belong in wall sockets of their own. A review on the Mscien five-way already describes a trip when several high-demand kitchen appliances ran together. That is the shared limit working, not a suggestion to try the same mix again.
Can I plug this lead into another extension lead?
No. One lead per wall socket, and no daisy-chaining. A second extension or a cube adaptor does not add amps. It hides the overload one socket further from the wall. If you have run out of sockets, the fix is another wall outlet, installed by a registered electrician, not a chain of switched bars. Four gangs plus four gangs is still one wall socket.
What do I do if the bar is hot, smells or sparks?
Switch it off at the wall, unplug it, and stop using it. Smell of hot plastic, sparks, scorch marks, melted plastic, or a fuse that blows for no obvious reason are the Electrical Safety First stop signs. The XGKEGS review of a very hot, scorched socket after tumble-dryer use is an example of stopping, not of a lead you put back tomorrow. Do not open a moulded plug to investigate.
Can I open the moulded plug to change the fuse or shorten the cable?
Do not open a moulded plug. Do not cut it off to shorten the cable or to pass it through a worktop. On the Pro Elec PELB1918, reviewers found a moulded plug where a picture had looked rewireable, so the cable would not go through the hole. If a fuse carrier is meant to be opened, fit a proper BS 1362 fuse of the right rating. A lead that has melted or keeps blowing that fuse should be taken out of use.

Related pages

Individually switched extension lead buying guide

Extension lead individually switched

Best individually switched extension lead for 2026

Extension lead indicator lights too bright at night

Individually switched extension lead with surge protection

Sources

Sources taken from the research digest. Listings were scored on 22 October 2026. This page did not run a lab test.

  1. Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. Electrical Safety First — extension leads (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. Electrical Safety First — overloading sockets (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. London Fire Brigade — cables, fuses and leads (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service — electrical safety (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. BEAMA — extension lead safety checklist (retrieved 22.10.2026)