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It's not illegal for you to open the consumer unit and connect a cable to a breaker if that's what you are proposing but it doesn't sound from your description of the problem like you know enough about it to be guided some internet advice.
Personally I wouldn't be happy guiding you if you don't have basic equipment like a voltage tester and properly insulated tools. There are also some tests to ensure that the breaker would operate in the case of a fault which should be carried out after the installation.
Unless this is a socket 1m from the consumer unit with surface mounted cable and you are going into a spare properly rated breaker there are a few tests you should carry out. It's possible the electrician who left it disconnected had tested the cable and found some issue.
According to the letter of the law you would not be allowed to add a new breaker and cable to a socket. That would be 'adding a new circuit' and requires building control sign off which could be achieved by hiring a registered electrician.
Airhead-
Unless this is a socket 1m from the consumer unit with surface mounted cable and you are going into a spare properly rated breaker there are a few tests you should carry out. It's possible the electrician who left it disconnected had tested the cable and found some issue.
Thank you, super useful. I think I'm asking if this is one of those 'you can do it if you're careful' things or if it's a 'no get someone in' type situation. It is >1m from the unit, but I've no idea how the cable gets from the socket to the consumer unit - it's hidden from view - but the cable in the understairs bit definitely relates to the socket, because it used to work then didn't once it was disconnected. I'd 'just' be reconnecting it.
The electrician I hired didn't connect the socket because he said he didn't know what it was for - I didn't have anything plugged into it at the time so I didn't notice.
ReekBlefs
Alright kids. I got a consumer unit installed last year, and the guy left one socket unattached - didn't realise until he'd left. The wire is still present, just not connected.
I did have a handyman come over and I asked him to connect it up, and he said he wasn't super comfortable doing it as there were a lot of wires going into the box. I don't fully understand this.
But is there any reason I can't connect up the wire to the sockets spur (may not be the right word) in the consumer unit myself, assuming I take the electricity down and take all precautions?