In short
- The space around a bath or shower is a "special location" in the building regulations.
- New circuits, and changes to circuits in that space, must be done or certified properly — usually by a registered electrician.
- An electric shower must be fitted by a registered competent electrician, on its own circuit.
- All circuits in or through bathrooms must be protected by an RCD (a safety switch).
- Charge battery equipment, such as a bath lift, outside the bathroom.
Why bathrooms need extra care
Electrical Safety First, a charity, says your body conducts electricity more easily when wet, "increasing the risk and severity of electric shock". That makes bathrooms "one of the highest-risk rooms in the home for electrical safety".
The "special location"
Approved Document P (the building regulations guidance on electrical safety in homes in England) calls the space around a bath or shower a special location. It is the space:
- from the floor up to 2.25 metres high (or up to the shower head, if that is higher), and
- 0.6 metres out from the edge of the bath or shower tray — or, where there is no tray (as in a wet room), 1.2 metres from the shower head
Any addition or change to circuits in this space is "notifiable" work. So is putting in a new circuit, or replacing a consumer unit (fuse box). Notifiable work must be:
- self-certified by a registered competent person (a registered electrician), or
- certified by a registered third-party certifier, or
- certified by building control
Use a registered electrician
- Electrical Safety First advises: "Use a registered electrician to carry out any electrical installation work you need."
- It says an electric shower "must be installed by a registered competent electrician and be supplied on its own circuit".
- Registered electricians belong to a government-authorised competent person scheme, such as NICEIC (run by Certsure) or NAPIT. You can search the Electrical Competent Person Register (opens another website) by postcode.
Other rules Electrical Safety First highlights
- All circuits in or passing through bathrooms or shower rooms must now be protected by an RCD (residual current device), a switch that cuts the power quickly if something goes wrong.
- Sockets are not allowed in bathrooms (apart from shaver sockets) unless they are at least 2.5 metres from the edge of the bath or shower tray.
- A ceiling pull-cord light switch is a better choice than a wall switch, because of damp and wet hands.
Chargers and equipment
If you have a battery bath lift, Living Made Easy says charging should be done "away from the bathroom", because chargers plug into the mains.
Sources we checked
- GOV.UK: Approved Document P – electrical safety (opens another website)
- Electrical Safety First: Electrical safety in the bathroom (opens another website)
- GOV.UK: Competent person schemes (opens another website)
- Electrical Competent Person Register (opens another website)
- Living Made Easy: Bath lifts and hoists (opens another website)
We last checked these sources on 3 October 2026. Rules and amounts can change, so please check with the organisation before you rely on them.
Get an assessment first
An occupational therapist (OT) can visit you at home and recommend what is safe and suitable for you. Ask your council’s adult social care team — in Northern Ireland, your Health and Social Care Trust.
This guide is general information, not medical, financial or legal advice. Everyone’s needs are different. Speak to an occupational therapist, your GP or the organisations we link to before making decisions.
