Britain is poised to introduce a major change that could affect all phones.
If introduced, new rules will change the way you use devices ranging from smartphones and tablets to cameras and headphones.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has opened a consultation on making the USB-C cable the common charger for all electronic devices.
Just two years after the government ruled out this option, the UK’s product safety regulator is now considering its own version of the controversial EU regulation.
This will mean saying goodbye to custom cables – but could make buying a new device better for the environment.
The UK is poised to make a big change which would affect all phones, as the Government’s product safety regulator mulls introducing an EU-like common cable directive (stock image)
In 2022, the EU introduced the ‘Common Charger Directive’ which required all portable electronic devices to use the standard USB-C charger.
Although the law doesn’t come into force until December this year, many phone makers have already made the change.
Notably, Apple has ditched its patented Lightning Charger on all iPhone models since the iPhone 15 in favour of the USB-C.
The same laws will also come into effect for laptops from 2026, requiring them to use the standardised USB-C charging ports already found on MacBooks.
Now, the UK government’s product safety regulator is also considering introducing a standardised charger.
On October 9, the OPPS issued an open call for evidence on the introduction of a common charger for all electrical devices.
The body is seeking views from trade associations, manufacturers, distributors, and consumers on whether this would be helpful.
Introducing the consultation, the OPPS wrote: ‘Recent developments in wired charging technologies and evolving international standards provide potential opportunities to reduce electronic waste and benefit consumers though [sic] enabling the adoption of a standardised charger for smartphones and similar devices.’
Since the iPhone 15 (pictured), Apple has made the USB-C charger the standard cable for all its devices following an EU law called the Common Charger Directive
The OPPS added that they believe the introduction of a common charger could ‘help businesses and deliver consumer and environmental benefits’.
One of the main appeals of the common charger initiative is that it will reduce the number of chargers consumers need to buy.
When customers move to a new device or companies update their designs, old chargers are simply thrown away.
According to those in favour of a common charger, this means that consumers end up spending more money on chargers which ultimately end up in landfills.
In 2021, the European Commission estimated that discarded and unused chargers create 11,000 tonnes of e-waste each year in the EU.
The EU rules require all devices, including laptops from 2026, to use the USB-C cable. The UK’s Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has opened a consultation on making the USB-C cable the common charger (stock image)
However, despite the average consumer owning three mobile phone chargers, the same study found that around 40 per cent still report they occasionally cannot charge their device due to not having the right cable.
At this stage, the proposal is just a consultation so the government has not yet decided on whether to make any new laws.
But this consultation already marks a significant change in attitudes, just two years after the government explicitly said it would not follow the EU’s example and introduce a common charger.
If the UK were to make a common charger mandatory, it could mean some big changes for consumers.
The most obvious difference would be that all phones and portable electronic devices would be fitted with a USB-C charger.
A USB-C cable is capable of transmitting both power and data, meaning you will no longer need separate leads for different roles.
Higher quality standardised cables could also mean that transfer and charging rates increase on average.
But it is unlikely that the UK’s decision will change whether you ultimately end up with a USB-C charger or not.
When the EU introduced the law it led to many companies selling USB-C chargers or adaptors (pictured) separately. The OPSS thinks that this could lead to further charger and device ‘unbundling’
It is extremely unlikely that international producers will create different models of their devices for the UK and EU markets.
This means that the UK will likely end up with devices which match the EU’s standardisation requirements whether this is mandatory in the UK or not.
For an example of this effect, tethered bottle caps are now common in the UK after being made mandatory in the EU.
The only difference is that devices made in the UK would also be required to match those produced abroad.
The bigger change is that phones and other devices may stop arriving with charging cables as standard.
When each company offers its own unique charger design, it is assumed that the consumer will not already have a cable of their own.
This means that most devices arrived with a cable in the box but, with standardised cables, it will be assumed that the consumer should already have at least one USB-C cable.
This means that producers are likely to start selling cables and phones separately.
In the consultation, the OPPS says it is seeking views on ‘unbundling the sale of a charger from the sale of the electrical/electronic device’.
The consultation currently does not mention laptops so it is not clear whether these would be included in the changes.
The consultation is accepting evidence until midnight on December 4.
To have your say, follow this link to the OPPS website and select ‘Respond online’.