Power is taken out to a marquee in at least one of three ways:

Extension leads are easy to set up and the cheapest option:

• Be sure not to take more than 3KW (13amps) from any one lead
• take leads from different parts of the house to avoid any one ringmain becoming overloaded
• if your sockets are not protected with a 30mA RCD you should always fit an RCD adapter to each extension lead
• ensure all plugs and sockets are protected from the elements

Temporary circuits fall under the category of Part P so must only be connected by a qualified electrician. Increasingly it is more economical to hire a generator instead.

Generators are easy to use but can be noisy:

• 'Supersilent' generators are considerably quieter than standard ones
• Make sure the generator hire includes the cables to the marquee and spare fuel