From three-phase supply sizing to gas interlocks, emergency switching to EICR intervals — every electrical requirement for restaurants and commercial kitchens in the UK, referenced to BS 7671:2018+A4:2026.
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Written and reviewed by Andrew Moore, founder of Elec-Mate, against BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, IET Guidance Note 3 and the IET On-Site Guide.
The short answer
Most commercial kitchens need a three-phase supply: 100A three-phase gives roughly 69 kW against a typical post-diversity demand of 40-80 kW. Each fixed appliance takes its own circuit (Reg 314.2) with a local means of isolation (Reg 462.2). Socket-outlets up to 32A need 30 mA RCD protection (Reg 411.3.3), emergency switching off must be red on a contrasting background and latch off (Reg 537.3.3), and gas cooking equipment must be interlocked with the extract ventilation.
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01 · Commercial Guide
Restaurants, cafes, and commercial food establishments have some of the most demanding electrical installations in the commercial sector. High-power cooking equipment, mechanical extract ventilation, emergency lighting, fire alarm systems, refrigeration, EPOS tills and ambient lighting combine into a load that needs careful design, correct circuit division, and ongoing maintenance in a genuinely hostile environment.
| Instrument | What it covers here |
|---|---|
| BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 | Design, installation, inspection and testing of the fixed electrical installation. |
| Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 | Duty on the duty holder to maintain systems so as to prevent danger. |
| Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 | Overarching duty of care to employees and members of the public. |
| Fire Safety Order 2005 | Fire risk assessment, escape route lighting, fire detection and alarm provision. |
| Building Regulations Part B and Part F | Fire safety, and ventilation of the food preparation area. |
| Building Regulations Part P | Electrical safety in dwellings only. It bites on a restaurant fit-out only where the premises include or adjoin a dwelling, such as a flat above. |
| Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regs 1998 | Gas side of the extract interlock, with BS 6173 for catering appliances. |
Part P is the one most commonly cited in error. Approved Document P applies to electrical installations in dwellings — a standalone restaurant unit is not notifiable work under Part P, though a mixed-use building with flats above may well be. The rest of the fixed installation is governed by BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.
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02 · Commercial Guide
The first question for any restaurant installation is whether the existing supply is adequate. Reg 311.1 requires maximum demand to be determined so the installation is designed within thermal limits and admissible voltage drop, and permits diversity to be taken into account. Start with what the supply can actually deliver:
| Supply | Approximate capacity | Realistic for |
|---|---|---|
| 100A single-phase | ~23 kW | Cafe, sandwich bar, takeaway with domestic-grade equipment |
| 100A three-phase | ~69 kW | Most mid-size sit-down restaurants |
| 200A three-phase | ~138 kW | Large restaurant, two combi ovens, full extract plant |
| 400A three-phase | ~276 kW | Hotel kitchen, central production unit, multi-unit site |
Capacities are the arithmetic product of the supply voltage and current at unity power factor (three-phase: 3 × 230V × I). Treat them as a sanity check, not a design figure — confirm the agreed capacity in kVA with the DNO.
| Equipment | Typical load | Supply and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Combi oven | 15-40 kW | Three-phase, hardwired. The single largest load in most kitchens — and some kitchens have two. |
| Commercial dishwasher | 6-18 kW | Pass-through types typically 32A; rack conveyor types usually three-phase. |
| Extract ventilation system | 2-7 kW | Canopy extract plus make-up air. Often three-phase on larger systems. |
| Walk-in cold room and freezer | 1-3 kW each | Dedicated circuits; condensing unit usually external. |
| Power, lighting, EPOS, CCTV | 5-15 kW | Front and back of house power, ambient and feature lighting, tills, security. |
Total connected load commonly reaches 60-120 kW before diversity. After diversity, maximum demand typically falls to 40-80 kW — which is why a 100A three-phase supply suits many mid-size restaurants and a single-phase supply rarely does. If the premises are single-phase, a three-phase upgrade must be arranged through the Distribution Network Operator, involving a formal application, a connection quotation, and a lead time of 6-12 weeks.
03 · Commercial Guide
Mechanical extract ventilation is not optional in a commercial kitchen. Building Regulations Part F covers ventilation of the food preparation area, and the detailed specification is set out in DW/172 (the BESA Specification for Kitchen Ventilation Systems).
The gas interlock is the most safety-critical element of the electrical installation in a gas kitchen. It must be tested at commissioning and at every subsequent gas safety inspection. The electrician installs and maintains the electrical components — current sensor, relay, control panel and wiring — while the Gas Safe registered engineer installs the solenoid valve and certifies the gas side.
04 · Commercial Guide
Every piece of commercial kitchen equipment has specific electrical requirements that must be settled at fit-out. Get the manufacturer data sheets before you design the board schedule — power rating, number of phases, connection type and protective conductor current all vary between models.
The most power-hungry item in most kitchens, commonly 15-40 kW on a three-phase supply, hardwired on a dedicated circuit with a local means of isolation. Water and drain connections are also required, and the position must allow clearance for ventilation and servicing.
Pass-through (hood-type) models typically need a 32A supply. Rack conveyor models need three-phase, often 32A or 63A depending on the model, and flight-type machines for high-volume operations can exceed 50 kW. Each takes a dedicated circuit with a means of isolation adjacent to the machine.
Dedicated circuits, typically 16A or 20A, with the condensing unit usually sited externally or in a plant area. An internal emergency door release must be fitted, and an internal alarm is recommended. Luminaires inside must be rated for the temperature and humidity — IP65 LED fittings are standard.
Electric fryers range from about 3 kW (single-tank countertop) to 25 kW (double-tank floor-standing, three-phase). They sit under the extract canopy on dedicated circuits, with a means of emergency switching off within reach of the operator — see the section below for what BS 7671 actually requires of that control.
This is the requirement most often missed on commercial kitchen fit-outs. Combi ovens, dishwashers, induction ranges and variable speed drives all carry EMC filters, and their protective conductor current in normal service is frequently above 10 mA. BS 7671 then imposes three separate obligations:
The same accumulation of filter current is the usual cause of nuisance RCD tripping in kitchens. Reg 314.1(d) lists reducing unwanted tripping of RCDs due to excessive protective conductor currents as an explicit reason to divide the installation into more circuits — which is a better answer than uprating the RCD.
In AC systems, 30 mA RCD additional protection is required for socket-outlets rated up to 32A in locations where they are liable to be used by ordinary persons (BA1) or children (BA2), for socket-outlets up to 32A in other locations, and for mobile equipment up to 32A used outdoors. The documented risk-assessment exception applies to the second of those only. In a restaurant, kitchen and front-of-house sockets are used by ordinary persons, so the exception is not available for them — and the regulation's own note is explicit that an ordinary person instructed in the use of the installation does not stop being an ordinary person. Training the kitchen brigade does not buy you out of the requirement.
Before starting any fit-out, collect the manufacturer data sheets, calculate the total connected load, apply diversity, and design the board schedule around it. Use Elec-Mate's max demand calculator to confirm the supply is adequate before you commit.
05 · Commercial Guide
Isolation and emergency switching off are two different functions with two different sets of requirements, and commercial kitchens need both. Confusing them is a common EICR observation.
Reg 462.2 requires every circuit to be provided with a means of isolation for all live conductors, and Reg 462.3 requires isolation devices to be designed or installed so as to prevent unintentional or inadvertent closure — by being within a lockable enclosure, by padlocking, or by being located adjacent to the associated equipment. For fixed kitchen equipment, a local isolator beside the machine is the practical answer: it matches the third of those examples and lets an engineer work on a fryer without shutting the whole kitchen down.
Reg 465.1 requires a means of emergency switching off for any part of an installation where it may be necessary to control the supply to remove an unexpected danger — a fryer, a mixer, a slicer. Reg 465.3 requires it to act as directly as possible on the supply conductors, with a single action interrupting the supply. Section 537 sets out what the device itself has to do:
Restaurants nearly always have a protected escape route, and Reg 422.2.201 restricts what may run through a firefighting shaft or a protected stairway: only an essential fire safety or related safety system, general needs lighting, or socket-outlets provided for cleaning or maintenance. Reg 422.2.1 further restricts which cables may be installed in protected escape routes to fire-resistant cables meeting Reg 560.8.1, or cables with resistance to flame propagation to the relevant part of the BS EN 60332-3 series, among the listed options. Reg 422.2.202 deems cables to be outside the escape route where they are installed in a fire-resisting enclosure of the same fire resistance as the compartment they pass through. Routing a general power circuit up a protected stairway to save a few metres of cable is a straightforward non-compliance.
06 · Commercial Guide
Emergency lighting is a legal requirement for restaurants and commercial food premises under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The system must comply with BS 5266-1:2016 and illuminate escape routes, exit doors, and high-risk areas including the kitchen, on failure of the normal supply.
| Area | Minimum illuminance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Escape routes | 1 lux across the full width | Uniformity ratio no worse than 40:1 between brightest and darkest points. |
| Open areas (anti-panic) | 0.5 lux | Applies to open areas larger than 60m², such as the main dining room. |
| High-risk task areas | 10% of the normal maintained illuminance, or 15 lux, whichever is greater | The commercial kitchen is a high-risk task area — staff need enough light to shut equipment down safely. |
| Duration | 3 hours | 1 hour is only acceptable where premises are evacuated immediately and not reoccupied until the supply is restored. |
Illuminated exit signs, maintained or non-maintained, go above every final exit door and at any point where the direction of escape is not immediately obvious; signs comply with BS 5499.
Testing is mandatory: a monthly functional test (simulate supply failure and confirm every luminaire illuminates) and an annual full-duration test (run the system for its full rated duration on battery and confirm illumination is maintained throughout). Every result goes in the log book, which the Fire and Rescue Service may ask to see. For more on test procedure and order, see our testing sequence guide.
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07 · Commercial Guide
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person — typically the restaurant owner or operator — to ensure appropriate fire detection and alarm systems are in place. The system is designed, installed and maintained to BS 5839-1:2025, with the category set by the fire risk assessment.
Manual system only — call points at exit doors, no automatic detection. Suitable for smaller premises with simple layouts and a low fire risk, where occupants would discover a fire quickly.
Automatic detection in defined high-risk areas (kitchen, store rooms, plant rooms) plus all escape routes and rooms opening onto them. The most common category for mid-size restaurants.
Cooking produces heat and airborne particles that trigger false alarms, so heat detectors — rate-of-rise or fixed-temperature, rated for the environment — are used in cooking areas rather than smoke detectors. Multi-sensor detectors are increasingly used in transitional areas such as the pass between kitchen and dining room.
Maintenance is weekly user testing of the alarm, plus periodic inspection and servicing by a competent fire alarm engineer at the frequency set by BS 5839-1 and the fire risk assessment. Keep every record.
08 · Commercial Guide
There is no fixed BS 7671 maximum interval for commercial premises. Reg 652.1 requires the frequency of periodic inspection and testing to be determined having regard to the type of installation and equipment, its use and operation, the frequency and quality of maintenance, and the external influences to which it may be subjected — and the results and recommendations of previous certificates and condition reports must also be taken into account. Reg 653.4 then requires the report to indicate a recommended interval until the next inspection, supported by an explanation for the recommendation.
Read those two together and a commercial kitchen argues itself into a short interval. Heat, steam, grease, water, aggressive cleaning chemicals and heavy daily use are exactly the “external influences” and “use and operation” factors Reg 652.1 puts in front of the inspector. IET Guidance Note 3 gives the same steer for periodic inspection of commercial installations.
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (Regulation 4 in particular), the duty holder must ensure electrical installations are maintained so as to prevent danger. A current EICR is the standard evidence of that. Failing to hold one can lead to enforcement action from the HSE, invalidated insurance, and difficulty renewing a premises licence.
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BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 compliance for restaurant kitchens. Calculate load demands, design circuits, and issue certificates. Free guide for electricians.
09 · Commercial Guide
Work through this before signing off a restaurant installation or closing out an EICR. Regulation references are to BS 7671:2018+A4:2026.
10 · Commercial Guide
Restaurant and commercial kitchen work is a strong specialism. Periodic EICRs, emergency lighting testing, fire alarm servicing, in-service appliance testing and reactive maintenance together produce a recurring income from every restaurant client — and the barrier to entry is knowing Section 543, Chapter 46 and Section 537 well enough to specify properly.
Elec-Mate covers the full range of certificates restaurant work needs — EICR, EIC, Minor Works, fire alarm, emergency lighting and appliance testing. Complete each one on your phone, generate a professional PDF, and send it to the owner before you leave the premises.
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EICR, EIC, Fire Alarm, Emergency Lighting, PAT Testing — complete every certificate a restaurant needs on your phone.
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