"17 edition"consumer units still being sold.

If you have a look to see what is gone on mainland Europe you will find they’re the equivalent of a dual RCD consumer unit with one split protected by a type AC RCD supplying lighting etc and the other with a type A supplying the EV charger, hob and washing machine.

Is it typical the traditional British trait of going over the top showing through with type A RCDs being used for all circuits?

I don't think it is in this case (over the top).  When you say "mainland Europe" you perhaps are thinking of France (or Italy?).  In Germany and Sweden (and, if it follows the usual pattern, most/all others with German/Scandinavian languages) the type AC has not been used in some decades.   Rather strangely, this means there's a correlation between having extensive use of TT systems and permitting use of type-AC - the opposite correlation would be easier to understand, due to the typical dependence of TT ADS on the RCD.


My price comparisons last summer suggest that A would be cheaper in the UK if one didn't use AC. This is based on comparing prices between countries that do or don't still allow type-AC: when type-A is a special thing just for the few who bother to think and ask, it's more expensive; or to put it another way, if you have both, without any other difference, the A should cost more if there's to be any reason for having the AC at all.  And looking at ready-made CUs in the UK, or at many retailers' RCD selections, it's just obvious that the flexibility of the UK regulations is abused: CUs commonly have purely type-AC for the one or two RCDs covering all circuits.


Admittedly, if you were to push me to show a single case of a death due just to RCD type, I wouldn't be able to point to such a case. Anyone?  It does rather surprise me, in millions of TT installations.

If you have a look to see what is gone on mainland Europe you will find they’re the equivalent of a dual RCD consumer unit with one split protected by a type AC RCD supplying lighting etc and the other with a type A supplying the EV charger, hob and washing machine.

Is it typical the traditional British trait of going over the top showing through with type A RCDs being used for all circuits?

I don't think it is in this case (over the top).  When you say "mainland Europe" you perhaps are thinking of France (or Italy?).  In Germany and Sweden (and, if it follows the usual pattern, most/all others with German/Scandinavian languages) the type AC has not been used in some decades.   Rather strangely, this means there's a correlation between having extensive use of TT systems and permitting use of type-AC - the opposite correlation would be easier to understand, due to the typical dependence of TT ADS on the RCD.


My price comparisons last summer suggest that A would be cheaper in the UK if one didn't use AC. This is based on comparing prices between countries that do or don't still allow type-AC: when type-A is a special thing just for the few who bother to think and ask, it's more expensive; or to put it another way, if you have both, without any other difference, the A should cost more if there's to be any reason for having the AC at all.  And looking at ready-made CUs in the UK, or at many retailers' RCD selections, it's just obvious that the flexibility of the UK regulations is abused: CUs commonly have purely type-AC for the one or two RCDs covering all circuits.


Admittedly, if you were to push me to show a single case of a death due just to RCD type, I wouldn't be able to point to such a case. Anyone?  It does rather surprise me, in millions of TT installations.