Short answer
NEN 1010 divides the bathroom into zones, measured from the bath and the shower. In and directly around the bath almost nothing is allowed. Outside the zones a socket is allowed, provided it is protected by a 30 milliamp RCD. Lighting and mirror cabinets must have an ingress protection rating that suits their zone.
Who this article is for Anyone renovating a bathroom. This is work where the standard is binding and where doing it yourself really is not a good idea.
Why the bathroom has its own rules
Water and wet skin lower your body's resistance dramatically. A voltage that gives you a fright in the living room is life-threatening in a bath. That is why NEN 1010 has separate rules for bathrooms, built around zones.
The zones, in plain language
In the bath or shower tray itself. Only equipment made explicitly for that purpose and running on extra-low voltage.
Directly above it and against it. Only permanently connected equipment with a high protection rating, such as a shower spotlight made for the purpose.
A short distance next to it. Fixed equipment is allowed, provided it is splash-proof. An ordinary socket does not belong here.
Beyond that. Sockets and normal light fittings are allowed, provided the circuit is protected by a 30 milliamp RCD.
The exact dimensions are in the standard and depend on the shape of the room. I mark them out during a site survey, because in a small bathroom the boundaries shift quickly.
The RCD is not optional
Every circuit that goes into a bathroom belongs behind a 30 milliamp RCD. In older homes it is sometimes missing entirely. That is the first thing I then deal with, before anything else.
How to tell what you have is explained in recognising an old installation.
Supplementary bonding
In a bathroom, metal parts you can touch are connected to each other with a bonding conductor: pipework, a metal waste pipe, sometimes the reinforcement in a floor. That way there can never be a voltage difference between two things you touch at the same time.
In a renovation where pipework is replaced with plastic, this needs to be reassessed.
Underfloor heating and radiators
Electric underfloor heating in a bathroom needs its own circuit and a thermostat in the right place. The heating element itself has an earth or a screen, and that must be connected; it is sometimes skipped when people lay it themselves.
A towel radiator with an electric element falls under the same zone rules as everything else.
What I always advise
- give the bathroom its own circuit, not shared with the bedrooms
- sockets by the washbasin, outside the zone, earthed
- lighting on a separate line, so you are not left in the dark if there is a fault
- a mirror cabinet with its own connection instead of an extension lead behind the cabinet
I still come across that last one far too often, and it is exactly the wrong place for it.
I still come across that last one far too often, and it is exactly the place where you do not want it.
From my own work
In a home in Nuth the previous owner had fitted a socket next to the bath himself, within arm's reach of the bath. There was no RCD on the circuit. That is exactly the combination where things really go wrong. The socket is gone, an RCD has been fitted and the mirror cabinet has been given its own connection in the right place.
When to call an electrician
- A new bathroom is going in or the layout is changing
- You want a mirror cabinet, underfloor heating or a radiator with an electric element
- There is a socket in a place where you doubt whether it is allowed
- The bathroom circuit has no RCD
This is exactly the work where the standard really matters. Request a quote or call +31 43 204 18 26.
Frequently asked questions
Is a socket allowed in the bathroom?
Yes, outside the zones and behind a 30 milliamp RCD. By the washbasin is the usual place.
Can I do the work in the bathroom myself?
Better not. Here the standard is binding and the consequences of a mistake are greater than anywhere else in the house.
What is supplementary bonding in a bathroom?
Metal parts you can touch are connected to each other, so there can never be a voltage difference between two things you touch at the same time.
Further reading
What does an electrician cost in 2026? Hourly rate and call-out charge explained
Hourly rate, call-out charge, material margin and VAT, without beating about the bush. Including what I charge myself and why a fixed call-out charge is fairer.
Electrics in a new kitchen: which circuits and where
A modern kitchen easily has four to six circuits. Induction almost always needs its own power circuit.
Concealed or surface-mounted cabling: what works where
Concealed is neater, surface-mounted is quicker and cheaper. In a load-bearing wall or a listed building you do not always have a free choice.
Questions and comments
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