How to change a plug socket

Important safety message

Before we get down to business, it’s important to remember that any electrical work should be carried out by a certified electrician who has the right level of competence to undertake the work safely.

How to replace a plug socket

First, you need to plan and prepare. What kind of replacement plug sockets do you want, and what kind of equipment will you need? What kind of safety precautions should you take? And maybe the first thing to tackle: how much is it going to cost to replace your plug socket? Let’s dive in.

The average cost to replace a plug socket

If you’re thinking about getting a plug socket replaced, the cost can vary quite a bit depending on a few key things. Here's a simple breakdown of what can affect the price when you're hiring a professional electrician:

• Type of socket: The more advanced the socket, the more it’s likely to cost.
• Complexity of the installation: If the electrician has to do extra work like cutting into walls, dealing with tricky access, or doing extra wiring, the price will go up
• Where the socket is: If the socket’s going somewhere awkward or outside (which might need weatherproofing), expect to pay a little more.
• Condition of the existing wiring: If your current wiring is old or not up to modern standards, your electrician might need to do some extra work to make it safe, which can add to the overall cost.
• Electrician’s rates: Not all electricians charge the same, their hourly rate can vary depending on where you live and their level of experience.
• Call-out fees: Some electricians charge a call-out fee (especially for smaller jobs) to cover their time and travel. It's worth asking about this upfront to make sure you don’t get caught off guard.

If you’re not ready to change the socket yourself, it might be worth getting a professional, qualified electrician in to help you out. And that’s easy with Ding.

How to plan and prepare for fitting a plug socket

The steps to fit the different types of sockets (including USB sockets) are as follows.

For each of the below tasks, follow these safety steps in turn and double-check you’ve done them before you carry out the work:

• Switch off your mains power at your fuse box/consumer unit (it’s usually under the stairs, or high up near the front door).
• Open the cover and you will see a row of fuses or Micro Circuit Breakers. Select the correct fuse and switch it to the ‘off’ position. Select the current fuse or circuit breaker, either remove the fuse or turn the mini circuit breaker to the off position.
• If you have removed a fuse, keep this on your person. If you put the switch of the mini circuit breaker into the off position, this should be locked off in the off position, to prevent it from being accidentally turned back on.
• Using a suitable voltage indicating device, confirm that the circuit is dead by undertaking a check for self-isolation. This can be found by visiting the Electrical Safety First website.

Wiring safety

Always check the manufacturer’s instructions before you fit a new socket, as different makes and models could have different fitting requirements.

However, as a very basic general rule, while you’re mounting your new electrical socket, if your wall cable doesn’t reach the terminals of the new socket without straining, never ever pull it. In this case, contact a qualified electrician.

This is also the same colour coding that has been used for UK appliance cords for many years.

What tools and materials will I need to replace a plug socket?

• Insulated screwdriver
• Voltage indicator
• Pipe and cable detector
• Hammer action drill with masonry bits
• Wire strippers
• New double socket
• Wall plugs and screws
• Green / yellow sleeving if required

How to change a plug socket

Before undertaking work, please review the safety first guidance at the top of this article.

Step 1: Remove the old socket

Once you have confirmed the circuit is dead, unscrew the socket faceplate and gently pull the faceplate forward. You’ll need enough slack in the wires behind to be able to completely flip the socket down so that the back surface is accessible. You should then loosen the screws at the terminals and free the wires.

Top tip: Make sure to take a picture of the wiring for reference, especially if you’ll be using the same model of socket.

If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, stop here, screw everything back properly and get a professional to do the job. If all is well, move on to the next step and keep the screws in case the new ones don’t fit.

Step 2: Prepare the wires

If any of the wires are damaged, and you have sufficient length, you should cut back the cores and strip the ends, leaving 5mm of copper wire exposed. If the cable is too short, call an electrician. You’ll then need to cover the earth core wiring appropriately with an extra length of green and yellow wire sleeving if it’s exposed.

Step 3: Connect the new socket 

Keeping the terminal screws on the new socket open, identify the live (L), neutral (N), and earth (E) terminals on the socket and match them up to the corresponding wires.

The metal back boxes must be earthed, so run a short length of earth cable between the earth terminals of the back box and the faceplate.

Once everything has been matched up properly, securely connect the wires to the appropriate terminals and fully tighten the terminal screws. Be careful not to tighten these too much, as you can shear through the copper wire.

Step 4: Reassemble the socket and fit the new faceplate

Being careful not to trap any of the wires between the socket and the socket box, fit the new faceplate. If the new screws don’t fit the old box, re-use the original screws you kept to one side. Be careful not to over tighten your screws—you don’t want to crack your new socket’s casing.

Step 5: Test your new plug socket 

Before switching the power back on at the fuse box, make sure all the connections are secure. Switch your power back on and make sure your socket is working correctly.

How to fit a flush-mounted socket to a solid wall

To replace a surface mounted socket with a flush mount a socket in a solid wall, you’ll need to cut a recess into the plaster and the masonry behind it.

Before undertaking work, please review the safety notice at the top of this article.

Tools you will need:

• New socket & recess back box ready to go
• Goggles – it’s dusty work
• Pipe and cable detector
• Pencil Small spirit level
• Hammer action drill with a masonry drill bit
• Masking tape (if your drill doesn’t have a depth stop)
• Club hammer and bolster
• Dustpan and brush
• Wall plugs and roundhead screws
• Wire strippers
• Screwdriver
• Socket tester
• Voltage indicator

Once you have your tools ready to go, simply follow these steps:

Step 1: Test for hidden pipes and electrical cables with your pipe and cable detector

Step 2: Isolate the relevant circuit at your fuse box and ensure safe isolation

If the coast is clear, isolate the relevant circuit at your fuse box and ensure safe isolation to make sure the circuit is dead (triple-check this).

Step 3: Mark out where you want to fit your mounting box

Step 4: Use a masonry drill to make holes within the outline

Now take your hammer action drill, fitted with a masonry drill bit and make a number of holes within the outline to a slightly greater depth than the depth of the mounting box. Some drills have a depth stop that you can set to the required depth. If you don’t have this, you can wrap some masking tape around the bit to show you where to stop.

Step 5: Chip out the plaster and masonry

Next, take your bolster and club hammer and start chipping out the plaster and masonry, cutting down to the depth of the holes you drilled.

Step 6: Clear away the debris

Use your dustpan and brush to clear away all the plaster debris. Now check how the box fits.

Step 7: Mark the position of the box with a pencil, and drill holes

While holding the box in place, mark the position with your pencil. Now drill the holes and put in the wall plugs. Screw the back box into the recess using your new holes.

Step 8: Knock out access holes, ready for the cable

Carefully remove the knock-out access holes and insert the proactive grommet, and then insert the cable through the access hole.

Step 9: Make the final connections as explained above

Step 10: Fit the faceplate

Step 11: Go to your fuse box and switch the power back on

Take suitable and appropriate testing to ensure electrical safety.

How to fit a flush-mounted socket in a stud wall

The easiest way to flush-mount a socket into a stud wall is with a cavity fixing box. It sits against the face of the wall and has either rotating or spring-loaded lugs that press against the back of the plasterboard to help you position the socket more easily.

Before undertaking work, please review the safety notice at the top of this article.

Tools you will need:

• New socket with cavity fixing box
• Stud detector or hammer
• Pencil
• Spirit level
• Screwdriver
• Pad saw or plasterboard saw
• Socket tester
• Voltage indicator

Now that you have your tools, it’s time to get started.

Step 1: Check where the studs are with your stud detector

If you don’t have a stud detector, tap the wall gently with a hammer handle and listen for the hollow sound to change when you tap over the framework.

Step 2: Check the area for hidden pipes or cables

Now, check the area is free of hidden pipes or cables with your pipe and cable detector.

Step 3: Isolate the relevant circuit at your fuse box and ensure safe isolation

If the coast is clear, isolate the relevant circuit at your fuse box and ensure safe isolation to make sure the circuit is dead (triple-check this).

Step 4: Mark out where you want to fit the box

Hold the cavity fixing box in the place you want it, using a spirit level to keep it level, then draw around the box in pencil.

Step 5: Push and twist your screwdriver through the wall inside the pencil outline

Now get your screwdriver and push and twist it through the wall inside the pencil outline at diagonally opposite corners, to provide a guide for your pad saw or plasterboard saw blade.

Step 6: Start your saw at one of the holes and follow the box outline to cut out the shape

Step 7: Push the cavity fix box into the hole you’ve made

If the box fits snugly in the hole, push it in, feeding the cable through the opening.

Step 8: Push in or turn the securing lugs so they grip the rear side of the plasterboard firmly

Step 9: Connect the wires and fit the faceplate

Step 11: Go to your fuse box and switch the power back on

Take suitable and appropriate testing to ensure electrical safety.

And that’s it! You should now have the electrical socket you chose in place.

Common questions about changing plug sockets

Can you change plug sockets yourself?

If you’re renovating your house and want a more refined look in your home, you’d be surprised how different your home looks when you’ve changed up the plug sockets. It’s a simple job to DIY because it uses an existing fitting, so it’s within the powers of a beginner DIYer, as long as you’re super safety-conscious.

How can you tell if a socket is a spur?

A spur socket is an extra socket that has been added to an electric circuit. It usually has three cables – a ring main in, ring main out, and the spur going out.

Do I need a qualified electrician to change a socket?

No. If you’re just changing the style of your electrical socket or switching to a USB socket, it’s a simple enough task for a confident, beginner DIYer to do.

Before undertaking work, please review the safety notice at the top of this article.

Is it easy to replace an electrical outlet?

It’s easy to replace an electric socket if you’re replacing like for like, e.g. simply changing the style of the sockets. If you need to move the socket, e.g. from surface mount to recess, then it’s a much more involved task and you will need to cut into the wall.

Need a quick fix for an electrical issue?

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