The United Kingdom Conformity Assessed Mark
Now that the United Kingdom has left the European Union, there are some changes to the safety markings that you will see on electrical products sold in Great Britain.
The United Kingdom Conformity Assessed (UKCA) mark replaces CE marking in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) for most electrical products,. By applying the UKCA mark to a product, the manufacturer is stating that it meets UK safety regulations.
Electrical products sold in Northern Ireland will continue to follow EU rules and display the
CE Mark.
If a UK-approved body has been used to assess a product that originates from Northern Ireland and is sold in Great Britain, the UK(NI) mark will also be displayed.
To give manufacturers time to comply:
- Products that were manufactured and ready for sale before 1st January 2021 can still be sold with the CE mark.
- The CE mark will be accepted in England, Wales and Scotland until 31st December 2022*, assuming that GB and EU rules remain the same.
- From 1st January 2023 most electrical products sold in England, Wales and Scotland must have the UKCA mark. The only exception to this is product that originates from Northern Ireland which will still be able to be sold with CE marking alone.
* The original deadline of 31st December 2021 has been extended by a further year, following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on businesses.
Safe Shopping
All electrical products will have one or more safety certifications on their label if they have been made by a legitimate manufacturer. If the certification mark is present only on the packaging, but not on the product itself, there's a good chance the product is fake.
To protect yourself from buying dangerous electrical products, make sure you know who you are buying from – either directly from the manufacturer or a well known retailer, such as the ones you would find on the High Street.
Find out more about safe shopping.