The U.S. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is the group that creates and updates the National Electrical Code® (NEC®), which is then adopted in whole or partly by your municipality. The NFPA updates the code every three years to meet the increasing requirements of the modern kitchen. If you remodel your older existing kitchen, most jurisdictions require you to bring your new kitchen up to the current code requirements. Learning basic kitchen electrical code can also create a safer, better functioning space. What can be noted as a major change in the 2023 NEC® is that receptacle outlets for islands and peninsulas are no longer able to be installed below the countertop and work surface level.
A major change for islands and peninsulas
An adequate number of receptacles throughout a home discourages the need for unsafe extension cords, especially in a busy kitchen. Decades ago, only a minimum number of island and peninsula receptacles were required. In later years, the code required additional receptacles due to all the countertop kitchen appliances that came into use. Now, instead of mandating receptacles at all, the 2023 NEC® now simply states that receptacles are optional on islands and peninsulas. If you are choosing to install them to serve an island or countertop work surface, only a few basic rules need to be followed.
Receptacle locations
If receptacles are installed, they are allowed in one or more of the following locations:
- On or above the countertop or work surface, but not more than 20 inches above (this could include installing receptacles on the underside of overhead cabinets).
- On or recessed in a countertop using a receptacle outlet assembly specifically approved for countertop use by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), ETL Intertek (ETL), Canadian Testing Standards Association (CSA) or a similar product testing organization.
- On or recessed in a work surface using a receptacle outlet assembly specifically approved for use in a work surface or countertop by a product testing organization.
(Countertop vs. work surface: A work surface is typically intended for dry use, other than food preparation, where the risk of spilled liquids impacting receptacles is incidental and limited to smaller quantities. For example, a built-in desk in a kitchen. A countertop is typically intended for food preparation and serving. The routine risk of spilled liquids often involves larger quantities that could impact receptacles mounted directly on or recessed in the surface.)
Future additions. During new construction, if a receptacle is not being installed to serve the countertop or work surface, provisions need to be provided at the island or peninsula for the future of one or more.
Why Did NEC® Kitchen Island Requirements Change?
When the 2020 NEC® was being revised for 2023, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) provided data complied over the past 20 years that showed thousands of injuries and burns and several deaths caused by countertop cooking appliances. CPSC investigations showed young children often pulled on appliance cords draped over the edge of countertops which caused tipping and spillage of hot liquids. As part of its substantiation for the change, NEC® Code Making Panel 2 cited data showing that between 1991 and 2020, an estimated 9,700 people, many of them children, were treated in U.S. emergency departments for burns and other injuries after pulling on or running into power cords plugged into receptacle outlets installed below island and peninsula work surfaces.
If you already have kitchen island side receptacles, there’s no need to worry. Existing kitchen island and peninsula receptacles can continue to be used. However, knowing that side-mounted receptacles can be a potential hazard, this may be a good time to improve safety in your kitchen. Task Lighting & Power is among the manufacturers offering receptacle assemblies approved for overhead cabinet locations, countertops, and work surfaces. Task Lighting offers a variety of Angled Power Strip fixtures to neatly tuck under cabinets and shelves to hide power. Other solutions like pop-up hidden countertop outlets are available elsewhere.
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