UK or China: What you need to know before buying sockets

When he experienced a short circuit with a kitchen socket, Patrick Natukunda, a plumber, had no idea what had caused it. All he knew was that a replacement had to be made. 
Natukunda went out and got himself a new socket that he later tried to fix himself.

Plugging in his hotplate and switching the lights on at the same time almost left him without a kitchen.
“The socket’s explosive power was so heavy that it nearly blew up the whole kitchen.”
Abdulhakim Yiga, an electrician by profession says that among the types of sockets available, one needs to know what they are going to use the socket for before they actually buy it.

Rating
Rating includes the purpose of purchasing a socket. The normal charging sockets, which are basically used for charging and other light things, will not afford to power a cooker because their current is not equal. 
“When a heavy appliance is seeking power from a power source with less current, the socket blows up by burning the plug or even bringing a spark,” he says.
Yiga says, before you go out to buy the socket, know what you are going to use it for. There are sockets for cookers, others specifically for welding and others for heavy duties.

Place
The place for installing the sockets is also important; indoor or outdoor. 
While the sockets inside the house are plain, the outdoor sockets are made in a way to protect the user in case natural elements like rain fall on it.
Calling a certified electrician and asking for guidance will save one from further electric blunders in the house.

Prices

According to Yiga, while installing sockets, they usually consider the price of the sockets to be installed and charge a certain percentage to the cost.
If they were bought at Shs1m, 40% of that cost will be Shs400, 000.
This is easier though, if the electrician has been involved in the purchasing process. 

Sockets vary in prices. For instance, even before knowing where the socket is to be placed, those manufactured from the UK are priced highly compared to those from China or Philippines.
In the electrician circles, it is believed UK lasts longer than its counterparts. 

The average price of the double socket will be at Shs15, 000 and a single socket will be at Shs5, 000.
A double socket with USB ports will cost around Shs25, 000, a decorative double socket at around Shs22, 000 and a cooker socket at an average price of Shs65, 000.