Electrical Wiring in The United Kingdom - Wiring Colours

Wiring Colours

The standard wiring colours in the UK are (as of 2006) the same as elsewhere in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand and follow international standard IEC 60446. This colour scheme had already been introduced for appliance flexes in the UK in the early 1970s, however the original colour scheme recommended by the IEE for fixed wiring was permitted until 2006. As a result, the international standard blue/brown scheme is as of 2006 found in most appliance flexes. In fixed wiring, the blue/brown scheme is only found in very new (post-2004) installations, and the old IEE black/red scheme is likely to be encountered in existing installations for many more decades.

The standard colours in fixed wiring were harmonized in 2004 with the regulations in other European countries and the international IEC 60446 standard. For a transitional period (April 2004 – March 2006) either set of colours were allowed (but not both), provided that any changes in the colour scheme are clearly labelled. From April 2006, only the new colours should be used for any new wiring.