Now here's a glimmer of hope for those of you who are attached to using your hair dryer in the bathroom!
Discussions are currently in progress for the next major revision of the IEE Wiring Regulations (the electrical code for buildings which is adopted widely in the U.K.), due to be published in 2008.
Although there is still a long way to details being finalized, one of the proposals is that the code should be revised to allow the installation of a regular electrical receptacle in a bathroom. This is in contrast to the present rule (which has been in effect for decades) which allows only special isolated, low-power outlets for electric shavers.
Unfortunately, the proposed revision as it stands at present is not all good news.
This section now allows socket-outlets (other than SELV and shaver supply units to BS EN 60742) to be installed in locations containing a bath or shower 3m horizontally beyond the boundary of zone 1.
http://www.iee.org/Publish/WireRegs/DPC/DPC_Introduction.pdfIn plain English, that means that if you extend an imaginary wall directly upwards from the outer edge of the bathtub or shower basin, then any socket must be more than 9' 10" away from that imaginary wall.
Obviously that's still going to preclude a socket in many postage-stamp sized British bathrooms (and even moderately sized ones), but at least it's a start, and there's still time for that distance requirement to be subject to revision before the new edition comes into effect in a little over 18 months.
