Long gone are the days when a TV was the main electrical appliance in a living room. Now the space is more likely to have multiple identities, ranging from family room to play room, home office to games room and even a late night cinema spot.
Throw into the mix mood lighting, media wall wiring and even features such as air con, and it becomes less about how many plug sockets you need in your living room, and more about whether your home electrical system is actually able to cope.
With the risks from electrical fires and overloaded circuits ones every homeowner would rather avoid, here's what experts say you need to check and consider before embarking on multi-purpose living room design.
Why you might have an electrical problem
In new or self-build homes, it's likely your electrical system has been designed with an electro-tech home – or at least hi-tech home – in mind.
However, when it comes to older properties – the ones that make up a vast percentage of housing stock in the UK – the reality is they were never designed for a world where electronic devices ruled the roost.
“The modern living room looks very different to the one many homes were originally built with. Homeowners are increasingly installing media walls, smart lighting, entertainment systems and home office equipment, often alongside existing electrical installations that may already be decades old," states Paul Collins, technical director at NICEIC, the UK’s leading certification body for the electrical industry.
Add to this a changing shift in lifestyles, with many homeowners working in either hybrid roles or fully remote from home, the living room has become more than just a place to escape to at the end of the day.
Instead, it's a room that's often in use from morning to bedtime, and can change its identity throughout the day – from home office space to dining space and then an entertainment zone. And with this comes all manner of different requirements.
Paul Collins is NICEIC’s Technical Director and is respected both within NICEIC and across the wider electrotechnical industry as a champion of technical integrity, competence and safety.
Signs you may have a problem
While we'll come onto what you should do before upgrading your living room electrics, if you're already knee-deep in consoles and gadgets, there are warning signs to look out for that could indicate you've asked a little too much of your current set-up.
These include:
- Circuit breakers and/or RCDs that trip repeatedly
- Fuses that blow
- Flickering or dimming lights
- Buzzing socket outlets or switches
- Warm or discoloured socket outlets
- Damage to socket outlets or switches
- Too many extension leads and multi-way adaptors
“If you experience issues such as tripping, flickering lights, buzzing or unusually warm socket outlets, you should have your installation checked immediately," warns Paul Collins, "as these can all indicate an underlying issue which may also pose a safety risk.”
It's also sensible to take into account electrical problems that occur outside of the living room, he notes as, "you can’t assume that an issue will be confined to a single room. The root of any electrical problems will depend on how your electrical installation, including the circuits and protective devices have been arranged.”
How to prevent electrical overload in a living room
So what can you do to prevent any problems occurring in the first place? First and foremost, before you undertake any home renovation plans involving electrics (however big or small), if you are working with an older property, a professional check is essential.
In the case of living rooms, “if you’re planning a major change such as the addition of a media wall or additional socket outlets, the best thing to do is have your electrical installation checked by an NICEIC-registered electrician," confirms Paul Collins. "They can look at the condition of the installation, the plans you have, and let you know what work you may need to have done.”
It's also something I've personally done when extending properties as well. Even in those houses that aren't particularly old, it's always wise to check that they have the capacity for taking on more. Kitchen extensions are one of the most popular ways of extending, but as with living rooms, they are rooms filled with electrical equipment that will increase your overall load.
Low-energy products are also a must if you want to keep a lid on your rising energy costs.
Shop for a low-energy consumption living room
This on-trend LED ceiling light has a pretty ribbed shade and features low-energy dimmable LED bulb.
This D-rated TV is one of the lowest we could find as most TVs have an E or F rating.
Rechargeable lights can be used around your home and be operated without the need for additional wiring.
Bespoke furniture dos and don'ts
With media walls a popular choice in many living rooms, providing both living room storage and a neater way to hide your gizmos and gadgets, it's also important to look at the bigger picture when choosing your final design says Gail Bignell, head of design at Sharps.
“When we design fitted furniture around a television or other technology, the starting point is not simply where the TV will sit, but how the whole set-up needs to work. A modern living room can easily include a router, soundbar, games console, streaming box, speakers and integrated lighting, all of which need power, connectivity and, in some cases, regular access. If you only plan around what will be visible once the furniture is finished, it is very easy to create problems behind the cabinetry," she explains.
“One of the most useful things a homeowner can do before the furniture is designed is map out every piece of technology they expect to use. Think about what needs power, what needs a data or HDMI connection and, just as importantly, how often you will need to get to it," she continues.
"A router may be something you want to hide, for example, but it still needs to remain accessible and positioned somewhere it can work effectively, while a games console may need much more frequent access. Those practical differences should help determine where equipment is housed within the design.
“Socket position then becomes a really important part of the planning. You do not want to find that an existing socket has ended up behind a fixed panel or in a place that is almost impossible to reach once the furniture has been installed," she warns. This is where problems can start happening when extension leads get added into the mix and cables become stretched or bent.
"During the design and survey process, we can identify where sockets may need to be moved or where additional power points could be useful, with any electrical work then carried out separately by a qualified electrician before installation. The same principle applies to wiring," continues Gail.
"Cables should be hidden, but they should never be trapped. Cable ports and carefully planned routes through shelving, desktops or cabinetry allow wiring to disappear from view while still making it possible to trace, replace or remove a cable in future if something changes."
The importance of good ventilation
“Ventilation is another area that is often overlooked," warns Gail Bignel. "Technology generates heat, particularly when several devices are housed together, so completely enclosing equipment simply for the sake of a cleaner look can create problems. There needs to be enough space around devices for air to circulate and for heat to escape, which is why the internal layout of the furniture matters just as much as the way it looks from the outside.
“I would also avoid designing a media wall too tightly around the technology you own today," she adds. "Fitted furniture is designed to last for years, while technology can change much more quickly. Screens get larger, routers are replaced and new devices are added, so allowing some flexibility in shelving, cable routes and access points can make the furniture far easier to live with over time.
“The best bespoke media furniture should make technology feel discreet and integrated into your living room ideas, but it should never make it difficult to maintain," she concludes. "If you have to dismantle cabinetry simply to change a cable or replace a router, the space has not been planned properly.”
With a deep understanding of how people really live, Gail helps shape Sharps’ design direction across bedrooms, home offices and living spaces. Her work focuses on creating fitted furniture that makes better use of space, while feeling natural to the home and the people who live there.
FAQs
Should you limit the electrical load in a living room?
Although from the point of view of managing your energy bills it's important to choose energy-efficient products where possible, it's impossible to design a living room with a specific load in mind says Paul Collins.
“There is no typical electrical single average load for a modern living room, as it will vary depending on the type, number, and rating of the equipment being used at the same time. However, modern televisions, laptops, games consoles, chargers and LED lighting are generally more energy-efficient than older products," he agrees, so this can help.
In addition, “when buying new appliances or electrical equipment, make sure you look at the energy label and choose the most efficient products you can," he continues. "For example A-rated appliances are a much more efficient option than a G-rated appliance. You can also reduce electricity use by switching off equipment and appliances when they are not in use, rather than leaving it on standby.”
Although living rooms are a prime location for electrical overload, it's important to make sure your whole home is up to standard and doesn't need rewiring before you start, concludes Paul Collins. “It’s not necessarily about using more electricity in one room. It’s about the growing complexity of the electrical installation in homes and our increasing dependence on it. When electrical systems have been added to or altered over many years, it’s important that the installation remains safe and suitable for how the home is used today.”
If you do find you need a total upgrade, here's how much to budget for rewiring costs, and if you are considering adding additional electrical features to your home, such as an EV charger, make sure you also understand the changes to regulations which dictate where you can install electrical systems in or around your home.
