How to change a plug

Unscrew the new plug and remove the cover. The fuse is on the right hand side and is best removed to allow easy access to the terminal. Connect the live (brown) cable to the terminal on the bottom right, next to the fuse.

The neutral (blue) cable to the left hand terminal and the earth (green and yellow) cable to the top terminal. Most new plugs have clear markings labelled L, N and E if you are still confused as to where each piece of wire should go.

After connecting the wires, replace the fuse and clamp the flex (the main white wire that goes from the plug to your appliance) in place using the cable grip at the bottom of the plug. The cable grip is either a screw down clamp or two grips which the cable should be pushed into. It is important that the flex is secured in this way to make the plug safe.

The appliance that you are fitting a plug to usually has an earth wire (green and yellow). However, some devices are double insulated which means they do not require an earth wire. Such devices are marked with a square sign.

Most modern new appliances now come with a moulded plug which cannot be opened. If you need to replace the fuse in a plug of this type, the fuse cartridge in the centre of the pins of the plug can be levered out with a small screwdriver.