dumb and dimmer

[SeanB]

Common for suspended ceiling installations, so you can just do the wiring for the lights, then later the ceiling and partition fitters come through, put up the framing and suspension frame, and then simply plug the light in ( supplied with a 5A plugtop already on, and with both a kite mark, VDE and other certifications as well) and place in the frame as they go along. No sparky needed to do then, saving a second call out for the lights at the end.

Makes an office remodel very easy as well, and still specified here on large installs, though they often put in a special dedicated socket ( not red like the UPS versions)  for larger light load units that draw over 5A. makes repairing the lights in a large area easy to repair, as you do not have to drop an entire open office area into darkness to change a ballast.

[Zero999]

Common for suspended ceiling installations, so you can just do the wiring for the lights, then later the ceiling and partition fitters come through, put up the framing and suspension frame, and then simply plug the light in ( supplied with a 5A plugtop already on, and with both a kite mark, VDE and other certifications as well) and place in the frame as they go along. No sparky needed to do then, saving a second call out for the lights at the end.

Makes an office remodel very easy as well, and still specified here on large installs, though they often put in a special dedicated socket ( not red like the UPS versions)  for larger light load units that draw over 5A. makes repairing the lights in a large area easy to repair, as you do not have to drop an entire open office area into darkness to change a ballast.

Yes, 5A lighting sockets are commonplace in offices but I've never seen them in the domestic environment.

[SeanB]

Lucky you, I lived in an old building ( built 1939) and I had a few of the original 5A socket outlets there. Did a replace though, as the wiring at least was from the 1970's and was rated for 16A socket outlets, and the fuse box had been replaced with a more modern version with a RCD device. At least I did not have to pull new cables and earth wiring through the steel conduit, which is a pain in older buildings, as they all had 3 wires. Some flats still have the wiring from that time, complete with crumbly gutta percha DCC rubber wire, which tends to shed insulation almost by looking too hard at it. I really dislike that stuff, at least the 1960's 70's PVC only sheds PCB oil in the green goo, and does not go bang in the night and weld into the conduits.

Worse is the cheapskates who only replace the active conductor and not the neutral, to keep cost down yet have a working RCD, and you have to work on that polished bovine deposit later.