What's the difference between a single phase and three phase electricity supply?

Three phase and single phase are electricity supplies and it’s the amount of power that is different. A single phase supply is smaller and most domestic houses with gas central heating need single phase and have this as standard. If you require two or more electricity meters then you need a three phase supply.

To be entirely sure if you need a three phase electricity supply, we recommend that you speak to a qualified electrician first who will be able to assess all the equipment you will be running and determine how much power you need. 

The best way to tell if a property has a three phase supply is by looking at the electrical fuse (sometimes called electricity supply, service head, cut out). Typically a single phase will have one fuse and a three phase will have three 100amp fuses.

An example of a single phase fuse

An example of a single phase fuse

An example of a three phase fuse setup

An example of a three phase fuse setup