Register your business

Home / Advice / What is a fused spur and when is one used?

What is a fused spur and when is one used?

A fused spur, or fused connection unit, is a wall plate with its own fuse that connects a fixed appliance straight to the wiring instead of through a plug. It is used for things like extractor fans, towel rails, boilers and built-in kitchen appliances.

Last reviewed:

By the QuoteZila editorial team. Editorial policy.

What is a fused spur?

A fused spur is the flat white or metal plate you often see above a kitchen worktop, beside a boiler or next to a heated towel rail. It looks like a socket without holes. On its face is a small fuse carrier, and sometimes a switch and a little indicator light.

Electricians usually call it a fused connection unit, or FCU. "Spur" comes from the way it is often wired: as a branch taken off an existing circuit to feed one appliance. The appliance's cable runs into the back of the plate instead of ending in a plug. The fuse in the plate protects that cable and that appliance, which is the job the fuse inside a plug would normally do.

QuoteZila is starting in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach among the first towns, and anyone in the UK can post a job. This page explains what fused spurs are for and what to ask an electrician. It does not tell you how to wire one.

What is it used for?

A fused spur suits an appliance that is fixed in place and is not meant to be unplugged. Common examples are:

  • Extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms, often paired with a separate isolator for servicing.
  • Heated towel rails and some electric radiators.
  • Gas boilers, which need an electrical supply for the controls and pump even though the fuel is gas.
  • Built-in kitchen appliances such as integrated dishwashers, washing machines and cooker hoods, where the socket would be hidden behind a unit.
  • Alarm panels, door entry systems and some outdoor lights.

The plate lets the electrician choose a fuse to suit the appliance and gives you a clear place to turn it off, if it is the switched type.

Switched, unswitched and other types

There are a few versions, and the choice depends on where the appliance is controlled from:

  • Switched. Has an on and off switch on the plate. Handy where you want a visible way to cut power to, say, a boiler or a cooker hood.
  • Unswitched. No switch. Used where control happens elsewhere, for example a fan that runs from the light switch with a separate isolator.
  • With a neon. A small light shows that power is reaching the plate.
  • With a flex outlet. A hole in the plate lets the appliance's flexible cable come straight out of the front, instead of through the wall.

Some plates are made for outdoor use, with a weatherproof cover. If the appliance is outside, say so when you ask for quotes.

Who should fit or move one?

Fitting, moving or replacing a fused spur is electrical work, and whether it needs building regulations approval depends on what else is involved.

The Planning Portal says that in England notifiable electrical work means a new or replacement consumer unit, a complete new circuit, or alteration work in the spaces around baths and showers [S1]. A registered installer can self-certify that work; otherwise building control has to be told before work starts [S1]. GOV.UK lists new power and lighting points, except around baths and showers, among work that does not need approval [S2].

Work that does not need approval still has to be done to the wiring standard. The Planning Portal says non-notifiable work must meet BS 7671, and that a qualified electrician should give you a Minor Works Certificate for it [S3].

There are no DIY steps on this page. Do not open a fused spur, change its wiring or swap its fuse for a different rating yourself.

Electrical Safety First: find a registered electrician; NICEIC; NAPIT. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.

You can look up a registered electrician through Electrical Safety First, the NICEIC or NAPIT.

Signs a fused spur needs looking at

Ask an electrician to check a fused spur if:

  • the plate feels warm, smells hot or is discoloured
  • the fuse keeps blowing when the appliance runs
  • the plate is cracked, loose on the wall or the switch is stiff
  • the appliance has been replaced and you are not sure the fuse suits the new one
  • water has got near it, for example after a leak under a sink

Turn the appliance off at the switch, if it has one, and leave the plate alone until someone qualified has looked at it.

What to tell the electrician

A short, clear message helps an electrician price the job:

  1. The appliance. What it is, and the make and model if you have them.
  2. The job. A new spur, moving an old one, or replacing a damaged plate.
  3. The room. Kitchen, bathroom, utility, loft or outside. Say if it is near a bath, shower or sink.
  4. Where the power comes from. If you know a socket sits nearby on the same wall, say so. If not, a photo of the wall and the fuse board is enough.
  5. Finish. Plain white, a metal finish to match other plates, or an outdoor cover.

Ask each electrician what certificate you will get and whether the price includes making good any plaster.

Jobs you might post

These are examples, not taken from real job posts.

  • "New extractor fan in the bathroom needs a supply. Would like the fused spur outside the bathroom if possible."
  • "Replacing an integrated dishwasher. Socket is behind the unit and hard to reach. Want a switched fused spur above the worktop."
  • "Cracked fused spur next to the boiler. Boiler still works but the plate is loose."

Get quotes from electricians

Say what the appliance is, which room, and your postcode. Up to five matched local businesses can send you a quote [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].

Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.

Posting a job is not open yet

See our electricians page and the electrician cost guide. For outdoor supplies, see what a commando socket is.

Questions about fused spurs

What is the difference between a fused spur and a socket?

A socket takes a plug, and the fuse sits inside the plug. A fused spur has no socket holes: the appliance's cable is wired into the back of the plate, and the fuse sits in a small carrier on the front. It suits appliances that stay in one place.

What is the difference between a switched and an unswitched fused spur?

A switched fused spur has an on and off switch on the plate, so you can turn the appliance off there. An unswitched one has no switch and is used where the appliance is controlled from somewhere else, such as a separate isolator or the appliance's own controls.

Can a fused spur go in a bathroom?

Sometimes, but where it goes matters. The Planning Portal says that in England alteration work in the spaces around baths and showers is notifiable. Ask a registered electrician where a fused spur or switch can sit in your bathroom and how the work will be certified.

Does adding a fused spur need building regulations approval?

Often not, if it is added to an existing circuit away from a bath or shower. GOV.UK lists new power and lighting points, except around baths and showers, among work that does not need approval. A new circuit is different, so ask the electrician which applies.

Does QuoteZila check the businesses?

No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.

This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.

Related trades

Cost guides

Related pages

Sources

  1. QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and jobs-for-tradesmen copy.
  2. QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ and app README.
  3. S1: Electrics: building regulations general information, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-27. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/electrics/building-regulations-general-information
  4. S2: Building regulations approval: when you don't need approval, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-27. https://www.gov.uk/building-regulations-approval/when-you-dont-need-approval
  5. S3: Electrics: building regulations minor works, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-27. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/electrics/building-regulations-minor-works