In a nutshell, plugs and sockets differ from region to region and even country to country because, at the time they were being developed, no one really saw any reason to make them all the same. First, ...

It is the bane of worldwide travel: there isn’t just one way to get AC power from the wall. The exact connector — and what you can expect when you plug in — differs from country to country. Even if ...

We have a severe lack of electrical outlets in the kitchen at work and the toaster oven and blender are sharing an outlet. If you want to use one, you just unplug the other and plug it in. This ...

South Africa is undergoing a decades-long transition to a new electrical plug and socket standard, which will culminate in the old triangular three-prong plug top no longer being supported. In its ...

When we recently covered the topic of high voltage safety with respect to mains powered equipment, we attracted a huge number of your comments but left out a key piece of the puzzle. We take our mains ...

Confusion in the electrical sector has led to claims that all Schuko plugs and sockets are banned. This is not true.

As people working from home amid the continuing coronavirus pandemic, many people might be placing themselves at unnecessary risk due to unsafe electrical setups and practices. Safety specialists have ...

The South African Bureau of Standards has updated the general requirements for plug and socket systems, which will result in changes to electrical socket outlets and adaptors. A recent update to SANS ...