I have bought new chrome power sockets for my home to replace the standard plastic sockets, there is two earth cables going in to the earth terminal on the plastic socket but on the chrome socket there is two earth terminals, one either side of the socket. do i put the two earth cables in the one side of the socket then run a short earth cable sleeved to the other side? as you can tell i am a total novice,thanks for your help in advance.

Lisa, November 2009

Ideally, the two earth terminals are used for the ring main continuity, and a separate earth wire connection to the metal back box that the sockets screw on to. Unless your walls are dry lined of course, and then the second earth is ignored.

John, November 2009

If you examine the back of the new double socket you should notice a metal strip joining the two Earth terminal holes and it will very probably be fixed to the metal face-plate too i.e. all the earthing points are electrically joined up for you - if you have two earth wires and two earth sockets put the wires in the earth terminal hole(s) that are most easy for you.

Good luck...

Peccavi, November 2009