Type G
Direct Answer
Type G, the British standard (BS 1363, 1947), is the only common plug type with a fuse built into every single plug -- protecting the appliance's cord, not just the household circuit. It's used across the UK, Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and much of the Gulf.
Source: BS 1363
Specs
| Pins | 3 rectangular pins in a triangle (earth pin longer than power pins) |
| Rated Current | 13 A |
| Rated Voltage | 230-240 V |
| Grounded | Yes |
| Common Regions | UK, Ireland, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Malta, Cyprus, Gulf states, over 50 countries total |
The Only Plug That Carries Its Own Fuse
BS 1363, published in 1947, replaced the earlier BS 546 (Type D) as Britain's domestic standard, adding rectangular rather than round pins and a longer earth pin for the usual connect-first, disconnect-last safety sequencing. Its genuinely distinctive feature, though, is one shared by almost no other plug type worldwide: every single BS 1363 plug is required to contain its own cartridge fuse (to BS 1362), rated to the specific appliance -- commonly 3A or 13A.
That fuse protects the flexible cord between plug and appliance from overheating, a job every other plug type worldwide leaves entirely to the household circuit breaker upstream. Type G's wide adoption beyond Britain -- Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and much of the Gulf among them -- traces to former British colonial and Commonwealth trade influence.