Dreaming of powering up your shed, or should we say, future garden room HQ?
Short answer: You need to run underground or overhead cables, or go solar, but always follow UK electrical safety rules.
Want your garden shed to light up without tripping the mains or setting off the fire alarm? Good. This guide will walk you through every step, from cabling to certificates, without frying your nerves (or your wiring).
If there’s one takeaway, it’s this:
Don’t DIY your electrics. Ever.
It might be tempting to run a few wires yourself after watching a five-minute video online. But when it comes to electricity, "give it a go" can become "call 999" very quickly.
In the UK, electrical work is heavily regulated for a reason.
Unqualified work is illegal, and potentially deadly. You're not just risking a shock; you're risking your safety, your property, and even your home insurance.
The key phrase here is "Part P registered". That means your electrician is qualified to carry out domestic work and legally allowed to sign it off.
Look for electricians listed under NICEIC, ELECSA, or NAPIT, they’ve got the credentials and know how to handle the paperwork, too.
Yes, and don’t skip this step. Once the installation is done, your electrician should provide an Electrical Installation Certificate. This proves the work is up to standard.
Without it, you could run into major headaches when selling your home, making an insurance claim, or even during a routine inspection.
This isn’t just a wire across the lawn, we're talking about a proper, safe, long-term power supply.
The most reliable method is to run a dedicated circuit from your house’s main fuse box straight to your shed.
Think of it like adding a new room to your home. You wouldn’t power your kitchen with an extension cord from the hallway, right?
Outdoors is no place for regular cables. Your electrician will use Steel Wire Armoured (SWA) cable, which is built to survive the British weather, and the occasional enthusiastic dog digging up your lawn.
It’s tough, safe, and designed for exactly this kind of job.
Depth matters here, not just for safety, but to meet UK regs. Here’s the minimum depth guide:
45cm if buried directly in soil
60cm if under paving or driveways
75cm near any building foundations
Your electrician will usually add warning tape above the cable, and may use ducting or concrete for extra protection.
Let’s lift the lid on what actually goes in during a professional installation.
Inside your home’s fuse box, the electrician will install a dedicated RCD circuit breaker just for the shed. This protects both buildings from surges, faults, or overloads.
That tough SWA cable will be laid, usually underground, running neatly from your house to the shed. The entry point is sealed and weatherproof, keeping out damp, dirt, and creepy crawlies.
Inside your garden room or shed, the electrician will fit a small consumer unit, basically, a mini fuse box. This safely splits the supply to lights, sockets, or anything else you install later.
Now comes the fun part, lighting it up. Your shed can have:
Waterproof sockets (perfect for tools and kettles)
Bright, energy-saving LED lights
Light switches, fused spurs, or even smart home controls
It’ll feel less like a shed and more like a bonus room, ideal for a home office, workshop, or just a peaceful escape from the house.
It’s important to know what not to do, because cutting corners with electricity can literally be fatal.
Yes, but only temporarily, and very carefully. An outdoor-rated extension lead can power a light or tool for an hour or two. But if you’re running it through a window, across wet grass, and into a plug strip? That’s asking for trouble.
Extension leads aren’t a long-term power solution.
It might seem like a smart fix, but it’s not. Plugging a heater, a light, and a drill into one overloaded lead is a fire risk waiting to happen.
If you need more than one socket in the shed, it’s time to go professional.
Let’s talk numbers, because even safety has a price tag.
Here’s what pushes the cost up or down:
Distance from your house to the shed
Trenching (and how difficult the ground is)
Number of lights, sockets, or outdoor extras
Complexity of the fuse box or wiring inside
A simple 10-metre run across a flat lawn? Cheaper. A 30-metre trench across flower beds, patios, and under a fence? More costly.
Here’s what you might expect:
£300–£800 for a basic install
£800–£1,500+ for a full setup with lights, sockets, and a garden room finish
Add solar panels, smart tech, or battery storage and the price rises, but so does the potential of your space.
If you're adding a new circuit or installing a consumer unit, yes, you need to notify Building Control. This is required under Part P of the Building Regulations, and it ensures everything meets national safety standards.
Small jobs like replacing a light switch or a socket cover don’t require a licence or permit. But running new wiring to an outbuilding definitely does.
If in doubt, always ask a pro. Don’t guess when it comes to electrics.
Here’s the good news: A Part P registered electrician will handle all of this. They’ll notify your local authority, issue a certificate, and make sure everything’s 100% legal.
You stay safe. Your shed stays powered. Your paperwork stays perfect.
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