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Surge-protected extension lead for a home TV and PC

Updated: 23 October 2026

You are wiring a television, a console, a router and a PC. You need a surge protector for a TV and PC that fits the plugs and the cable, not the tallest joule number. This page is from the Products Compared editorial team on 20 October 2026. It uses the twelve listings in the [extension lead with surge protector comparison](/hub/sockets-and-extension-leads/extension-lead-with-surge-protector) and indicative watts from Electrical Safety First. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Set-wide picks are on the [best surge-protected extension lead](/hub/sockets-and-extension-leads/extension-lead-with-surge-protector/sub/extension-lead-with-surge-protector-best) page.

You are wiring a television, a console, a router and a PC. You need a surge protector for a TV and PC that fits the plugs and the cable, not the tallest joule number.

Our top picks

Masterplug Masterplug SWSRG4210N

Best overall

Masterplug Masterplug SWSRG4210N
9.0/10about £9.50
View offer
Masterplug Masterplug SRG6210N

Alternative

Masterplug Masterplug SRG6210N
8.5/10about £10.82
View offer
Masterplug Masterplug SRG4210N

Best value

Masterplug Masterplug SRG4210N
8.3/10about £8.70
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What this setup actually draws
  2. 2.A short strip behind the television
  3. 3.When the desk wants a tower instead
  4. 4.What the strip does not protect

What this setup actually draws

Electrical Safety First lists a 55-inch television under about 0.5 A or roughly 120 W, a games console around 200 W, a desktop computer up to about 700 W, and a Wi-Fi router around 15 W. A typical lounge stack still sits far below a 13 A fuse. Masterplug’s sheet puts that ceiling at 3,120 W at 240 V for the SRG family. Keep cooking heat off that bar. London Fire Brigade puts a kettle at up to about 3,000 W and says not to run a kettle, a toaster and a microwave on the same extension. Spare sockets on the TV bar do not change that. If you later add a high-draw PC, add the watts again. These figures are a starter, not a signed load calculation.

A short strip behind the television

Plug-top supplies for consoles and routers are wide. A short four-way, about 25 cm long, leaves more side-to-side room than a tower behind a flat screen. The white Masterplug SRG4210N, ASIN B07XMZSL25, is the plain TV bar at about £8.70: four unswitched sockets, a 2 m cable, 370 J stated, bullets that name televisions, and wall fixing claimed. It is the best value row when you do not need a switch on every socket. Switched Masterplug reviews say the status LEDs stay bright, on B07XJFH54B and on the switched six-way B07X88Y1M5. The black SRG4210NB at about £9.49 is the finish alternative, 370 J stated and 243 reviews, with no voltage line in the listing. The six-way unswitched B081ZL9Y7X at about £10.82 is the wider bar when four sockets are tight. Same 370 J family, more room for bulky adapters. Stay under 13 A, keep heaters and washing machines off the bar, and replace the unit if the surge LED fails. One buyer said the plug did not match the photos.
Masterplug Masterplug SWSRG4210N

Testsieger

Masterplug Masterplug SWSRG4210N
9.0/10about £9.50
View offer

When the desk wants a tower instead

Anker’s tower at about £29.99 states 300 J, eight AC outlets, four USB ports and Type G in both plug fields. USB-C at 20 W applies only when USB-C1 is used alone. One review says a full tower can tip, a poor fit on a shallow TV shelf. HAFINO at about £20.62 claims 1,800 J and cites FCC, CE and UL rather than BS 1363. Addtam at about £15.99 adds USB-C and USB-A on a switched four-way, with a pack-size field of five items and disagreeing warranty lines. Use a tower for USB beside a chair. Keep a low strip for a wall-mounted television.

What the strip does not protect

A trailing Type 3 bar near the television supplements protection closer to the meter. The IET describes it that way. It does not replace a Type 2 device in the consumer unit, and it does not cover HDMI, Ethernet or the aerial. This set states no joule rating for those cables. When the surge LED goes dark and the sockets stay live, replace the lead. Where the cable should sit is on how to use a surge-protected extension lead.

Common questions

Do I need a tower or a short strip behind the television?
A short strip usually fits plug-tops horizontally behind a screen. A tower helps a desk with USB and vertical outlets. Anker’s tip risk, from a review of a full tower, makes that shape a poor stand-in for a wall-hugging TV bar on a shallow shelf.
Will large plug-top supplies block the next socket?
They can on a narrow four-way. The white Masterplug four-way is about 25 cm long. The six-way unswitched Masterplug bar gives more lateral spacing for bulky adapters. Measure your widest plug-top before you buy.
Are the indicator lights a problem in a bedroom?
They can be. Switched Masterplug reviews say the LEDs stay bright, on the switched four-way and the switched six-way. Prefer an unswitched bar, or the black four-way if you want the strip to blend behind the screen and glow would disturb sleep.
Does the strip protect the aerial or HDMI feed as well?
Not through the mains joule rating on these products. HDMI, Ethernet and aerial paths are separate from the 370 J or other figures printed for the sockets. Treat those cables as a separate decision.
Which listing in this set is the plain TV bar?
The white Masterplug SRG4210N four-way at about £8.70, with 370 J stated, a 2 m cable and television wording in the bullets. It is unswitched, with wall fixing claimed. It is the best value row when you do not need a switch on every socket.
When is the Anker tower the wrong shape?
When the lead must sit behind a wall-mounted television on a shallow shelf, when you need horizontal spacing for wide plug-tops, or when a tower with every socket filled could tip. One review reports that tip. The 20 W USB-C rate applies only when USB-C1 is used alone.

Related pages

Surge extension lead buying guide

Extension lead with surge protector

Best surge-protected extension lead for a UK socket

How to use a surge-protected extension lead safely

What joules mean on a surge-protected extension lead

Sources

Sources taken from the research digest. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in the stored listings. This page did not run a lab test.

  1. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. Electrical Safety First — extension leads, cable reels and block adaptors (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. IET — Surge protective devices (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. London Fire Brigade — cables, fuses and leads (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. OPSS — ETSC extension lead with USB ports, 2105-0126 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. Masterplug — surge warranty (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. Belkin UK — BSV400af2M four-outlet surge strip (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. BEAMA — extension lead safety check-list (retrieved 22.10.2026)