A working-from-home setup puts a permanent, always-on load in a room that was never planned for it. The fixes are inexpensive and worth doing once, properly, rather than by adding another adaptor each time a new device appears.
Power where you actually sit
Quad outlets at desk height rather than behind furniture, USB-C where you charge, and enough capacity that the desk does not need a four-way. Where a room has become a permanent office, its own RCBO is worth discussing so a fault elsewhere does not interrupt a call.
Lighting for screens
Overhead-only lighting produces glare and shadow. A layered arrangement — general light plus a controllable task light, positioned to the side of the screen rather than behind it — makes long days considerably easier.
Data and tidiness
A wired data run to the router beats a repeater for reliability, and running it during any other work in the room costs very little. Cable routes behind the desk keep the whole thing looking deliberate rather than improvised.
Common questions
- Can you add a dedicated circuit for the office?
- Yes, subject to board capacity, and it is a common request.
- Is surge protection worth it here?
- If the room holds significant equipment, an SPD at the board is worth pricing.
- Can you run network cable too?
- We can install data cabling as part of the same visit.
- How disruptive is it?
- Usually a single day for a typical room, with chasing dust contained as far as possible.
Describe your desk layout and equipment and we will suggest positions before quoting.
Related guides
- Adding Sockets Instead of Living With Extension LeadsExtension leads are a symptom: the room has fewer outlets than the way you live in it.
- USB Sockets Versus Plug-In ChargersBuilt-in USB is about tidiness and permanence rather than raw charging speed.
- Surge Protection Devices in a Domestic BoardAn SPD protects connected equipment from transient voltage spikes — not from every electrical mishap.