Frequency and voltage supplied to most premises by country.
Mains electricity by country includes a list of countries and territories, with the plugs, voltages and frequencies they commonly use for providing electrical power to low voltage appliances, equipment, and lighting typically found in homes and offices. (For industrial machinery, see industrial and multiphase power plugs and sockets.) Some countries have more than one voltage available. For example, in North America, a unique split-phase system is used to supply to most premises that works by center tapping a 240volts transformer. This system is able to concurrently provide 240volts and 120volts. Consequently, this allows homeowners to wire up both 240V and 120V circuits as they wish (as regulated by local building codes). Most sockets are connected to 120V for the use of small appliances and electronic devices. While larger appliances such as dryer, electric oven, range and EV charger use dedicated 240V sockets. Different sockets are mandated for different voltage or maximum current levels.
Voltage, frequency, and plug type vary, but large regions may use common standards. Physical compatibility of receptacles may not ensure compatibility of voltage, frequency, or connection to earth (ground), including plugs and cords. In some areas, older standards may still exist. Foreign enclaves, extraterritorial government installations, or buildings frequented by tourists may support plugs not otherwise used in a country, for the convenience of travellers.
Main reference source–IEC World Plugs
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) publishes a web microsite World Plugs[1] which provides the main source for this page, except where other sources are indicated. World Plugs includes some history, a description of plug types, and a list of countries giving the type(s) used and the mains voltage and frequency.
Although useful for quick reference, especially for travellers, IEC World Plugs may not be regarded as totally accurate, as illustrated by the examples in the plugs section below, and errors may exist.
Voltages
Voltages in this article are the nominal single-phase supply voltages, or split-phase supply voltages. Three-phase and industrial loads may have other voltages.
All voltages are root mean square voltage; the peak AC voltage is greater by a factor of , and the peak-to-peak voltage greater by a factor of
Types of power plugs and sockets used by country for portable appliances A • B, A • C • D, M • E, C • F, C • G • H, C • I • J, C • K, C • L, C • N, C
The system of plug types using a single letter (from A to N) used here is from World Plugs, which defines the plug type letters in terms of a general description, without making reference to specific standards. Where a plug does not have a specific letter code assigned to it, then it may be defined by the style sheet number listed in IECTR60083.[2] Not all plugs are included in the letter system; for example, there is no designation for the plugs defined by the Thai National Standard TIS116-2549, though some web sites refer to the three-pin plug described in that standard as "TypeO".
Identification guide
Type A (NEMA1–15 U.S. 2 pin) max 125 V AC, max rating 15A, (GB1002 Chinese 2 pin) max 250V AC, max rating 6A or 10A
Type B (NEMA5–15 U.S. 3 pin) max 125 V AC, max rating 15A and IEC standard 60906-2
Sockets for 220-240 V European typeC plugs are typically available at hotels; some buildings modify voltage, so travellers are advised to check before plugging in. TypeF are also available at some hotels.
NEMA 5-20R outlets, which are similar to type B but have a T-shaped neutral slot, are sometimes used for higher current 120 V commercial equipments (up to 20 A). On the other hand, NEMA 10-50P outlets are sometimes used for 208 V and 240 V industrial equipments (up to 50 A).
(1) It is worth noting that the combination of a Type C, E or F plug with a Type D socket may often be workable; but it is unsafe to use.[36][37]Type C, E & F plugs/sockets are not accepted in the IS 1293 standard. The standard uses Type D sockets for 6 A current and Type M sockets for 16 A current.[38][39][40][41]
(2) From August 2015, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) began clamping down on the sale in the country of imported products with the Type C/E/F plug by pushing manufacturers and importers to comply with the IS 1293 standard.[42] In June 2022, BIS began enforcing the standard through mandatory certification of both imported and domestic products.[43]
Types C and F plugs are most used. British Type G sockets are common in Riau Islands due to their close proximity to Singapore. British Type G sockets are also used as dedicated sockets for air conditioners. Wall sockets in most homes in North Sumatra (in cities such as in Medan and Pematangsiantar) generally accept both Type A and Type C plugs.
Type G is the only general purpose outlet type in use in Ireland. Bathrooms may have shaver sockets. These accept 2.5 amp Europlug CEE 7/16 and UK type BS4573 plugs, which used on shavers and toothbrushes. They do not accept larger Type C plugs and general purpose outlets are generally banned in bathrooms / wet areas. Some hotels may also provide a Type F (Schuko) socket as a convenience for European visitors.
Type L uses two gauges of plug and socket. The 10 Amp version has pin spacing that is compatible with Europlug. The 16 Amp version uses wider pin spacing and larger pins. Hybrid outlets that accept both types are common and some also accept type F. NB: 16 Amp Type C plugs, such as CEE 7/17 commonly found on hairdryers, will not fit Type L outlets and need an adapter, or should be used with a Type F or hybrid Type L/F outlet.
Type E is extremely rare, but it may appear in some buildings, such as the University Carlos III of Madrid. Almost every Spanish plug would work on Type E sockets.
Majority of households use unearthed hybrid sockets that accept type A and C plugs. Hybrid sockets that accept type A, B and C plugs are sometimes used in commercial installations. Sockets for British type G plugs are found at some hotels and never in households.
↑ "C" may indicate that buildings have three-pin sockets compatible with Europlugs, which also work with other plug types or that buildings have some or all two-pin European style sockets, similar to CEE 7/1, or that use of an adaptor is common practice. Not all two-pin European plugs are compatible with all two-pin European sockets; see AC power plugs and sockets §Compatibility.
Mains electricity or utility power, power grid, domestic power, and wall power, or, in some parts of Canada, hydro, is a general-purpose alternating-current (AC) electric power supply. It is the form of electrical power that is delivered to homes and businesses through the electrical grid in many parts of the world. People use this electricity to power everyday items by plugging them into a wall outlet.
A DC connector is an electrical connector for supplying direct current (DC) power.
IEC 60320 Appliance couplers for household and similar general purposes is a set of standards from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) specifying non-locking connectors for connecting power supply cords to electrical appliances of voltage not exceeding 250 V (a.c.) and rated current not exceeding 16 A. Different types of connector are specified for different combinations of current, temperature and earthing requirements. Unlike IEC 60309 connectors, they are not coded for voltage; users must ensure that the voltage rating of the equipment is compatible with the mains supply. The standard uses the term coupler to encompass connectors on power cords and power inlets and outlets built into appliances.
A power cord, line cord, or mains cable is an electrical cable that temporarily connects an appliance to the mains electricity supply via a wall socket or extension cord. The terms are generally used for cables using a power plug to connect to a single-phase alternating current power source at the local line voltage. The terms power cable, mains lead, flex or kettle lead are also used. A lamp cord is a light-weight, ungrounded, single-insulated two-wire cord used for small loads such as a table or floor lamp.
Schuko is a plug/socket system used in much of Europe and in many countries east of there. It is a registered trademark referring to a system of AC power plugs and sockets that is defined as "CEE 7/3" (sockets) and "CEE 7/4" (plugs). A Schuko plug features two round pins of 4.8 mm diameter for the line and neutral contacts, plus two flat contact areas on the top and bottom side of the plug for protective earth (ground). The socket has a predominantly circular recess which is 17.5 mm deep with two symmetrical round apertures and two earthing clips on the sides of the socket positioned to ensure that the earth is always engaged before live pin contact is made. Schuko plugs and sockets are symmetric AC connectors. They can be mated in two ways, therefore line can be connected to either pin of the appliance plug. As with most types of European sockets, Schuko sockets can accept Europlugs. Schuko plugs are considered a very safe design when used with Schuko sockets, but they can also mate with other sockets to give an unsafe result.
AC power plugs and sockets connect devices to mains electricity to supply them with electrical power. A plug is the connector attached to an electrically-operated device, often via a cable. A socket is fixed in place, often on the internal walls of buildings, and is connected to an AC electrical circuit. Inserting the plug into the socket allows the device to draw power from this circuit.
IEC 60309 is a series of international standards from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for "plugs, socket-outlets and couplers for industrial purposes". They are also referred to as "pin & sleeve" connectors in North America or as "CeeForm" connectors in the entertainment industry. The maximum voltage allowed by the standard is 1000 V DC or AC; the maximum current, 800 A; and the maximum frequency, 500 Hz. The ambient temperature range is −25 °C to 40 °C.
Industrial and multiphase plugs and sockets provide a connection to the electrical mains rated at higher voltages and currents than household plugs and sockets. They are generally used in polyphase systems, with high currents, or when protection from environmental hazards is required. Industrial outlets may have weatherproof covers, waterproofing sleeves, or may be interlocked with a switch to prevent accidental disconnection of an energized plug. Some types of connectors are approved for hazardous areas such as coal mines or petrochemical plants, where flammable gas may be present.
Electrical wiring in the United Kingdom is commonly understood to be an electrical installation for operation by end users within domestic, commercial, industrial, and other buildings, and also in special installations and locations, such as marinas or caravan parks. It does not normally cover the transmission or distribution of electricity to them.
The Europlug is a flat, non-rewirable two-pole, round-pin domestic AC power plug, rated for voltages up to 250 V and currents up to 2.5 A. It is a compromise design intended to connect low-power Class II appliances safely to the many different forms of round-pin domestic power socket used across Europe. However, it is not compatible with the rectangular-pin BS 1363 sockets found in Cyprus, Gibraltar, Singapore, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom. By the standard, Europlugs must be non-rewirable and must be supplied attached to a power cord; anything else is non-compliant.
IEC 60906-1 is an international standard designed "to provide a standard for a safe, compact and practical 16 A 250 V AC system of plugs and socket-outlets that could be accepted by many countries as their national standard, even if not in the near future." The standard was originally published by the International Electrotechnical Commission in 1986; the current edition is ed2.0 published in 2009. Although it is almost identical to the Swiss SEV 1011 T12 plug for 10 A 250 V a.c. standardised in 1937, its dimensions are slightly different and its polarization is flipped. As of July 2014, only South Africa has introduced a standard based closely on IEC 60906-1. Brazil used it as the basis for its NBR 14136 standard, but this is not compatible with IEC 60906-1. In 2017 the European Union (EU) published recommendations advising against the harmonisation of domestic plug and socket systems in the EU.
AS/NZS 3112 is the harmonised Australian and New Zealand standard for AC power plugs (male) and sockets (female). The standard is used in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and several other Pacific island countries, plus in Argentina and China. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) "world plugs" Web site calls this plug Type I.
NEMA connectors are power plugs and sockets used for AC mains electricity in North America and other countries that use the standards set by the US National Electrical Manufacturers Association. NEMA wiring devices are made in current ratings from 15 to 60 amperes (A), with voltage ratings from 125 to 600 volts (V). Different combinations of contact blade widths, shapes, orientations, and dimensions create non-interchangeable connectors that are unique for each combination of voltage, electric current carrying capacity, and grounding system.
Edison screw (ES) is a standard lightbulb socket for electric light bulbs. It was developed by Thomas Edison (1847–1931), patented in 1881, and was licensed in 1909 under General Electric's Mazda trademark. The bulbs have right-hand threaded metal bases (caps) which screw into matching threaded sockets. For bulbs powered by AC current, the thread is generally connected to neutral and the contact on the bottom tip of the base is connected to the "live" phase.
South African National Standard 164: Plugs and socket outlets for household and similar purposes for use in South Africa is the South African Bureau of Standards' standard for domestic AC power plugs and sockets. As a former British colony, South Africa's electricity standards are of British derivation, and it uses 220/230 V at 50 Hz AC.
Plugs and sockets for electrical appliances not hardwired to mains electricity originated in the United Kingdom in the 1870s and were initially two-pin designs. These were usually sold as a mating pair, but gradually de facto and then official standards arose to enable the interchange of compatible devices. British standards have proliferated throughout large parts of the former British Empire.
SAE J3068 "Electric Vehicle Power Transfer System Using a Three-Phase Capable Coupler" is a North American recommended practice published and maintained by SAE International. J3068 defines electrical connectors and a control protocol for electric vehicles. It has the formal title "SAE Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice J3068". J3068 defines a system of conductive power transfer to an electric vehicle using a coupler capable of transferring single-phase and three-phase AC power as well as DC power, and defines a digital communication system for control. J3068 also specifies requirements for the vehicle inlet, supply equipment connector, mating housings and contacts.
There are approximately 20 types in common use around the world, such as AC power plugs and sockets, and many obsolete socket types which are still found in older buildings.
CEE 7 is a standard for alternating-current plugs and sockets. First published in 1951 by the former International Commission on the Rules for the Approval of Electrical Equipment (IECEE), it unified standards produced by several continental European countries. The 2nd edition was published in 1963 and last updated in March 1983. It remains available from the IEC, but they state that "this standard shall not be used alone, it is to be used in addition to IEC 60884-1".
The IEC 62196 Type 3 connector is used for charging battery electric vehicles, mainly within France and Italy, as it was one of three AC plug standards described in IEC 62196-2. The Type 3 connector comes in two physical formats, Type 3A for single-phase (230V) and Type 3C for single- and three-phase (400V) alternating current (AC) power. Both have since been superseded by the Type 2 connector, the latter adopted as sole connector in 2013 by the European Union. The Type 1 connector is the corresponding AC connector standard used in North America, Japan, and South Korea.
1 2 IEC/TR 60083 ed7.0: Plugs and socket-outlets for domestic and similar general use standardized in member countries of IEC. International Electrotechnical Commission, October 2015. This 421-page technical report describes many national standards for domestic plugs and sockets. The first edition was published in January 1957. The 7th edition was approved in December 2012 and was published on 29 October 2015.
1 2 3 "IEC World Plugs". IEC World Plugs. International Electrotechnical Commission. Archived from the original on 10 October 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
1 2 "Standard Voltages". docs.cntd.ru. Archived from the original on 21 September 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2014. Document gost-29322-92 via Google Translate: "The nominal voltages of the existing 220/380 and 240/415 V networks should be gradually changed to the recommended value of 230/400 V. Until 2003, as a first stage, power supply companies in countries with a 220/380 V network should lead the voltage to The value of 230/400 V (GOST 29322-92 (IEC 38-83) Standard voltage%). Electricity supply companies in regions with 240/415 V network should also bring this voltage to the value 230/400 V (GOST 29322-92 (IEC 38-83) Standard voltage%). After 2003, the range of 230/400 V ± 10% should be reached. Then, the issue of reducing the limits will be considered."
↑ CSA Standard C22.2 No. 42-10: General use receptacles, attachment plugs, and similar wiring devices. Mississauga, Ontario: Canadian Standards Association. 2010. p.1.
↑ CAN3-C235-83: Preferred Voltage Levels for AC Systems, 0 to 50 000 V. Rexdale (Toronto), Ontario: Canadian Standards Association. 1983. p.9.
↑ C22.1-18: Canadian Electrical Code, Part 1. Toronto, Ontario: Canadian Standards Association. 2018. p.243.
↑ Agarwal, Anil. "S.O. 2166(E)"(PDF). DPIIT - Government of India.
↑ I.S. 401, "Safety requirements for rewirable and non-rewirable 13A fused plugs for normal and rough use having insulating sleeves on line and neutral pins", NSAI (National Standards Authority of Ireland), (1997), Dublin
↑ Voltan NominalArchived 12 February 2019 at the Wayback Machine . Malaysian Energy Commission Notice (Nominal Voltage - 2008-01-01). Retrieved on 2019-02-11
↑ "International Mains Voltages"(PDF). International Mains Voltages - Pooley Inc. SEW Eurodrive. Archived(PDF) from the original on 6 May 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
