Utilities and Services
Electricity
The voltage used in Britain is 240 Volts AC at 50HZ. Most power sockets are designed for standard 3-pin square plugs. Electrical appliances in Britain generally use the British standard plug with 3 square pins. Plug socket adaptors and power transformers are widely available, you can buy them at most airports, electrical shops and hardware stores.
Water
The quality of tap water in Britain is very high. You can usually drink from all taps that supply water to kitchen areas. Bottled water is also common and available in all local grocery shops and supermarkets.
Gas
Gas is often used in homes for cooking, central heating and to heat water. Some cookers may use both gas and electricity, for example they may use gas for the hob and electricity for the oven.
Car fuel
Most cars in Britain run off petrol, but there are also a large number of cars and lorries that run off diesel. Petrol is usually sold as either Four Star (usually a red pump), or Unleaded (usually a green pump); both types are available for most petrol stations. You will also see an increasing number of electric or electric-petrol combined and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cars on the road.
Hotels
Most hotel bills include a service charge, usually 10-12%. Where a service charge is not included in a hotel restaurant, it is customary to give 10-15% of the restaurant bill and for rooms an optional amount to room staff.
Restaurants
Some restaurant bills include a service charge; where a service charge is not included it is customary to leave a tip of 10-15% of the bill. Some restaurants now include a suggested tip in the bill total.
- Porterage: 50-75p per suitcase
- Taxis: 10-15% of the fare
- Hairdressers: £2
Opening times for businesses and services can vary hugely. Use this guide as a very general outline for what to expect, but for exact opening times you should contact the organisation directly. Also note, most British businesses do not close for lunch:
| Banks & building societies | 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday 09:00-12:30 Saturday (limited branches) |
| Clinics and doctors' surgeries | 08:30-18:00*
Monday-Friday *Many surgeries and clinics only see patients during
certain hours. Some offer out-of-hours and weekend services. If you have a medical emergency you should go to the Accident and Emergency department of the nearest hospital – Emergency services can be called free on 999. |
| Emergency services – hospitals, police and fire stations | 24 hours a day. You can call emergency services free on 999 |
| High street shops | 10:00-18:30* Monday-Saturday 11:00-17:00* Sunday *Larger shopping areas and centres may stay open later, sometimes up to 22:00, especially in busy periods like Christmas. |
| Museums & galleries | 10:00-17:30* Monday-Saturday Around lunchtime – 17:30* Sunday *Times vary and some museums and galleries may close one day during the week. |
| Nightclubs | 10:00-04:00* *Nightclub closing times can vary greatly, some close around 02:00, while some stay open all night. |
| Post offices | 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday 09:00-12:30 Saturday (main offices only) |
| Pubs | 11:00-23:00* Monday-Saturday 11:00-22:30* Sunday *Pubs in Britain have had the right to apply for a 24-hour drinking licence, so you will frequently find pubs open well after 23:00. |
| Restaurants | 18:00-11:00* *Again, opening times can vary |
| Supermarkets | 09:00-22:00 Monday-Sunday |
| Taxi stations | 24 hours a day |
| Tourist information centres | 09:00-18:00* Monday-Friday 09:00-17:00* Weekends Opening time vary, especially weekends. Some centres may close on Sundays. |
Local public services
Local public services include:
- Barclays and Natwest banks on Brentford High Street
- Numerous places of worship for various religious faiths
- Brentford library
- A post office
Public payphones
Wherever you find yourself in the UK, you will never be too far way for a public payphone, and these days they can often offer a lot more than simple telephoning services including email, mobile phone text messaging, and internet services. Most payphones accept 10p, 20p, 50p & £1 coins. Some payphones accept £2 coins. Calls are charged to the nearest 10p. Only unused coins are returned so you should avoid using 50p, £1 or £2 coins for short calls. Some payphones accept 50c, 1 Euro and 2 Euro coins. The exchange rate is 1 Euro = 60p and Euros can only be used for directly dialed calls. Major credit/debit cards and country calling cards can also be used from most payphones.
Domestic calls – cash calls to domestic numbers cost 30p for the first 15 minutes, then 10p for every 7.5 minutes after that. If you use a credit or debit card, the minimum fee for domestic calls is 95p. Calls to premium-rate numbers, mobile phones or calls made via the operator are £1.20p
- International calls – the minimum fee is £1.20
- Internet Access – £1 for the first 15 minutes, then 10p per 1.5 minutes
- Web based email – £1 for the first 15 minutes, then 10p per 1.5 minutes
- Text messages – 10p per standard 160 character message
- Instant email – 20p per message
Mobile phones
Most dual and tri band mobile phones that have GSM 900 or 1800, will work via roaming in Britain. Check with your mobile phone provider before you leave that the ‘roaming’ function is activated on your phone. You can buy a British prepay mobile phone including phone number and SIM card for as little as £10 in many high street shops. You do not need to provide identification to purchase a prepay phone, but you will need to provide identification and proof of address in Britain to set up a mobile phone contract.