Kitchen Electrical Zones BS 7671 — What's Allowed Where

Bathrooms, swimming pools, and similar are 'special locations' under Part 7 of BS 7671 with specific zone rules. Kitchens are not.

Kitchen wiring is governed by general BS 7671 rules plus manufacturer instructions for specific appliances (cooker, hob, oven).

Sockets within 0.5m of a sink or hob are not explicitly forbidden but are coded C3 (improvement recommended) by most EICR engineers because of splash and heat risk.

Standard cooker circuit — 32A radial on 6mm² T+E. Feeds the cooker switch (typically with a 13A socket on the front for the kettle). Behind the cooker, the connection unit.

Induction hob — typically dedicated 32A or 40A circuit. Manufacturer's instructions matter — Bosch, Siemens, Miele often specify dedicated circuit even where multifunction would technically suffice.

Cooker switch with 13A socket — common UK install, fine. Switch must be accessible — not behind the cooker.

Hob isolator must be accessible without moving the appliance. Common install pattern: switch above the hob splashback.

Worktop sockets — standard. 13A double sockets on the back wall above the worktop, 150mm above the worktop surface typically. Within 0.5m of the sink is poor practice (C3 on EICR).

Above the splashback — standard. Slightly higher than worktop level.

Below the worktop — typically for built-in appliances (dishwasher, washing machine). Single socket per appliance, switched fused spur is better practice but optional.

Floor-level sockets in islands — fine if RCD-protected and IP rated for splash. Common install for kitchen islands.

Induction hob, IH-EV charger, IH-AC charger — modern induction appliances create DC fault current. Type A RCD required from BS 7671:2018 + A4:2026 (October 2026 mandatory).

Large American-style fridge-freezers — often draw 8-12A startup. Dedicated 16A circuit recommended for kitchens with this fridge type.

Boiling water taps (Quooker, Insinkerator) — typically 13A continuous load when heating. Dedicated socket below sink, switched fused spur.

Kitchen extract hood with cooker hood lighting — fine on the cooker circuit if total load under 32A; otherwise own circuit.

C2 — socket within 0.5m of the sink with no RCD protection. Modern installs all have RCD; legacy installs sometimes don't.

C2 — cooker connected via flex without correct cable cleat at the entry, frayed earth wire at terminal.

C3 — Type AC RCD where induction hob is installed. Recommend Type A RCBO. Under A4:2026 from October 2026 — Type A is mandatory for new work.

C3 — socket position too close to hob (within 300mm). Improvement recommended.

C3 — no dedicated circuit for boiling tap, sharing kettle/microwave circuit. Manufacturer recommends dedicated.

Plan circuits with the kitchen designer at design stage. Most kitchens need: 32A cooker, 32A hob (if separate), 16A circuit for fridge-freezer, 16A circuit for dishwasher + washing machine, ring main for sockets, lighting circuit.

Type A RCBOs on every circuit. Future-proofs against A4:2026 and modern appliances.

CAT6 to the kitchen for smart appliances and the kitchen TV if any. £40-80 extra during first-fix.

Spare conduit from fuse board to kitchen — enables future additions without re-chasing walls. £20-40 of conduit, saves £200+ in future labour.

Test post-install with Insulation Resistance, Earth Continuity, RCD Trip and Polarity. EIC issued by your NICEIC contractor.