Electrics & lighting
Garden power done safely
Garden power fails in ways indoor power never gets the chance to: rain, mower blades, the cable propped through the kitchen window all summer. Done properly it is a satisfying small upgrade, and every wired part of it is an electrician’s job rather than a weekend project.
By the Tickover team · Published 8 May 2026 · 4 min read
RCD protection is the whole game
Outdoors, the risk is not abstract. Wet grass, metal tools and 230 volts share the same space, and the safeguard that makes the combination survivable is the RCD: the device that cuts power in milliseconds when current leaks somewhere it should not, such as through a nicked mower cable. Nothing electrical should run outside without one.
Modern consumer units protect socket circuits with RCDs as standard. If yours is older, plug-in RCD adaptors exist and work, but they are the sticking plaster; the proper fix is RCD protection at the consumer unit, which an electrician can confirm or add. The home electrics guide explains what those switches are doing all day.
A proper socket beats the window ritual
The extension-lead-through-the-window ritual has a long history and a poor record: indoor leads are not built for damp, doors close on cables, and the arrangement tends to stay up from May to September. A purpose-made outdoor socket, wall-mounted, weatherproof and RCD-protected, retires the ritual for a modest price.
IP ratings in one line: the two digits score sealing against solids and water, so higher is better sealed. IP44 tolerates splashes; IP65 and above shrugs off rain and hose water. Outdoor sockets pair the rating with a hinged cover, ideally one that keeps its rating with a plug still in place.
| Rating | Handles | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| IP44 | Splashes from any direction | Sheltered spots under eaves |
| IP65 | Dust and jets of water | Exposed walls, most gardens |
| IP66 | Dust and powerful jets | Coastal and wide-open sites |
The jobs and who does them
New outdoor circuits are notifiable under Part P, and even where a small addition avoids notification, outdoor work means armoured or properly buried cable, weatherproof terminations and RCD checks. It is qualified-electrician territory in every version, and this is precisely the wiring you do not want improvised.
Hot tubs deserve their own sentence: they combine the two things electricity respects least, water and sustained heavy load, so a proper installation runs a dedicated circuit from the consumer unit, not a lead from the patio socket. The same dedicated-circuit logic applies to EV chargers.
Day to day, cable discipline does the unglamorous rest: work so the cable stays behind you and the tool, hang leads to dry rather than coiling them wet, and retire anything with a taped repair. The extension lead rules apply double outdoors; after a storm, check festoon lights and shed feeds along with the fences and trees they hang from.
Garden power rules
Do
- Use RCD protection for every outdoor tool, always
- Keep mower and trimmer cables behind you as you work
- Choose outdoor-rated leads and IP-rated fittings
- Unplug and store leads somewhere dry after use
Don’t
- Never run indoor extension leads outside
- Never use electric tools on wet grass or in rain
- Never improvise buried or clipped garden cable
- Do not power a hot tub from an ordinary socket
Before the electrician arrives
- Decide where sockets earn their keep: patio, shed, both
- List what will run at once: mower, washer, lights
- Photograph the consumer unit for the quote
- Ask for IP-rated sockets with lockable covers
- Agree cable routes before digging season, not during
- File the certificate when the work is signed off
What garden power costs
Outdoor socket installed
Guide price; the cable run decides
Electrician hourly rate
Electrician day rate
Typical UK ranges, mid-2026, as a guide only. Your home, your area and the job itself all move the number — always compare real quotes.
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Quick answers
Can I fit an outdoor socket myself?
This one is electrician work. Outdoor sockets involve drilling the building envelope, weatherproof terminations, RCD protection and often a new or extended circuit, and new outdoor circuits are notifiable under Part P. A qualified electrician installs one in a couple of hours, £120–£300 as a guide depending on the cable run, and certificates the work.
Do I need an RCD to use a lawnmower?
Yes, treat it as non-negotiable. On a modern consumer unit, socket circuits are RCD-protected already; look for the test button, or ask an electrician to confirm. With an older board, use a plug-in RCD adaptor while you plan the upgrade. The RCD is what turns a cut cable into an anecdote instead of an accident.
What IP rating do outdoor sockets need?
IP44 is the working minimum for sheltered positions, and IP65 or IP66 is the sensible choice anywhere weather actually lands. The first digit scores protection against solids, the second against water. Good outdoor sockets keep their rating even with a plug in place. Your electrician will specify this; the point is to ask.
Can I run a hot tub from an extension lead?
No. A hot tub draws heavy current for hours at a time, which is exactly the load extension leads handle worst, and it does so next to water. Proper installations run a dedicated circuit from the consumer unit with its own RCD protection, sized to the manufacturer’s specification; an electrician takes it from there.
This guide is general information for UK homes, not advice about your specific property. Anything involving gas must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and notifiable electrical work by a qualified electrician. If you smell gas, call the National Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999. If you’re ever unsure, stop and get a professional in — that’s exactly what Tickover is for.
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