A Power Translation

While I was looking into various items and options in a consumer unit or breaker panel, I noted the difference in terms used in North America. Predominantly these are terms used in the USA and UK. I decided that I would compile a table allowing a comparison of some of the common terms used in domestic electrical systems.  It also helps to vaguely highlight some of the differences in design and implementation of regulations.

Here is a quick translation table for a simplistic comparison of terms between the UK and the USA

USA Terminology	UK Terminology
Ground (normally bear wire or Green)	Earth (green/yellow sleeving)
Hot (normally Black but could be also Red in 240v circuits)	Live (normally Brown but also Red)
Neutral or Grounded conductor (normally white)	Neutral (normally Blue but also Black)
Traveller wire (3 cores + or - ground)	3 core & earth (exactly as stated)
Radial circuit	Radial circuit
- No equivalent -	Ring Main
- No equivalent -	Fused Spur
Circuit Breaker Panel	Consumer Unit
Main Breaker.	Isolator Switch
Circuit breaker.	Miniature Circuit breaker (MCB)
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)	Residual Current Circuit Breaker (RCCB)
Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI)	- No Equivalent -
Combination type Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (Combo AFCI)	{Implemented in some parts of Europe but not UK as yet} Arc Fault Detecting Device (AFDD)
- No equiv but AFCI often have GFCI/CB abilities	Residual Current Breaker with overload (RCBO)
USA Domestic fittings	UK Domestic fittings
Outlet or Receptacle.	Socket (normally includes switch)
GFCI receptacle	Residual Current Device (RCD) Socket
AFCI receptacle	- No equivalent -
- No equivalent -	Ceiling rose
- No equivalent - but like terminal box	Junction box (screw terminals)
Wire nut	- not used - screw terminal/clamp or crimp
Wago (Technically, this is a trademark of manually operated spring loaded clamp)	Wago (Technically, this is a trademark of manually operated spring loaded clamp)
Light switch	Light switch
3 way switch	2 way switch
4 way switch	Intermediate switch