What is 13a socket outlet?

A '13-A socket outlet' is the popular name for the standard electrical socket used in the UK and other various other countries under the British sphere of influence such as the Arab Gulf countries.

The term derives from the fact that the socket is designed to take fused plugs which are rated at 13-A which, with a nominal voltage of 230 V, supply loads up to 3 kW. In the UK, these sockets are connected using a ring main system, rather than a radial system used in most other countries.