Power cords: what a metre costs, from C7 to C19

Two cables, both three metres, both doing the same job: carrying mains power from a wall socket to a device. One costs 1.33 €/m, the other 44.33 €/m. Nothing about the copper explains a 33-fold gap. What changes is the connector on each end — and whether the cable is sold as a consumer lead or as a rack accessory.

This is a small, boring category where the price per metre is almost entirely decided by two things: the IEC connector and the packaging format. Below, 14 power cords from the live catalogue, sorted by what a metre actually costs.

The metre is not what you are paying for

Look at the cheapest rows. A 3 m C7 lead is 3.99 €. A 3 m C5 lead from another brand is also 3.99 €. A 2 m version of the same C7 lead is 2.99 €. The metre adds roughly 0.50 € per extra metre of cable — the rest is the moulded plug, the strain relief and the fact that someone has to stock it.

That is why the price per metre of a short lead looks alarming and the price per metre of a long one looks like a bargain. It is the same cable, just divided by more metres.

The table: 14 cords, ordered by price per metre

Minimum variant price from the catalogue on 5 November 2026. €/m = price ÷ length stated in the product title.

Short cords cost more per metre

Across the sample, cords up to 1.8 m have a median of 6.38 €/m. Cords between 4 and 7.9 m sit at 3.30 €/m. The pattern is identical to HDMI: a fixed cost — two connectors, a moulding, a cable tie — spread over fewer metres.

The practical reading: if you need 1.5 m, buying a 2 m or 3 m lead usually costs less per metre and gives you slack. If you need exactly 1 m behind a rack, you will pay the highest per-metre price in the catalogue and there is no way around it.

C7, C13, C19: what each connector adds

The connector type is the real price driver. Same brand family, same 3 m, same black PVC:

• C7 (figure-eight) — 1.33 €/m. The cheapest standard lead: TVs, radios, small chargers.
• C5 (cloverleaf) — 1.33 €/m in 3 m. Laptop bricks and projectors.
• C13 (kettle lead) — 2.22 €/m at 1.8 m, 2.33 €/m in 3 m with 3×1.0 mm² copper. Monitors, PCs, most office gear.
• C19 (16 A, heated) — 2.22 €/m for a 1.8 m moulded lead, but 44.33–45.33 €/m once it is a locking C19-to-C20 rack cord. Nothing in the copper changes; you are paying for the lock, the 16 A rating and the fact that it is sold as server hardware.

Conductor gauge is not the explanation either. The 3×1.0 mm² cord is cheaper per metre (2.33 €/m at 3 m) than the 3×0.75 mm² one (2.77 €/m at 1.8 m), purely because it is longer. Do not pay a premium for gauge alone; pay it only if the appliance actually draws more than 10 A.

The 45-pack: 4.33 € per cord

One item in the collection breaks the metric on purpose: a bulk pack of 45 one-metre C13 cords at 194.99 €. As a single line it looks like 194.99 €/m, which is nonsense — the pack contains 45 cables. Per cord it works out at 4.33 €, more than any single 1 m lead in the table costs as a unit price.

It is the clearest reminder of what this whole exercise measures: the price per metre is an artefact of how the product is packaged, not a property of the cable.

What to check before you buy

• Connector at both ends. C7, C5, C13 or C19 are not interchangeable. A C13 will not fit a C19 socket.
• Current rating. 10 A covers almost everything domestic; 16 A (C19/C20) is for servers, UPS units and heaters.
• Length is in the title, not the photo. The listings here state it; the images rarely do.
• Angled or straight plug. Several rows above are 90° angled — worth 1 € when the socket is behind furniture.
• Stock. Some active listings carry a single unit. If you need a matched pair, check inventory first.

Related guides

• Power strips and surge protectors: from 3.99 € to 201.99 €
• USB-C cables: what 9 €, 15 € and 34 € buy at 60 W, 100 W and 240 W
• Rack UPS units: what 188.99 €, 880.99 € and 1,151.99 € buy per watt

What you will not find in this power cord comparison

What you will not find here is price per metre sold without the conductor cross-section. Two cords at the same price per metre can differ by half their copper, and that is what decides whether a 2 kW appliance heats the cable. We also do not recommend cords without an EU declaration of conformity, however cheap the reel.

The cords listed are in stock, with 14 days to return, a 2-year warranty and delivery in 3-7 working days.

FAQ

How much does a power cable cost per metre?

From 1.33 €/m for a 3 m C7 lead at 3.99 € to 45.33 €/m for a 3 m locking C19-to-C20 rack cord at 135.99 €. The median across the sample is around 4 €/m.

Why is a 1 m cable more expensive per metre than a 5 m one?

Because the plug, the moulding and the packaging cost the same regardless of length. That fixed cost is divided by fewer metres, so the ratio rises.

Do I need a 16 A C19 cable?

Only for equipment that draws more than 10 A: rack servers, large UPS units, some heaters. For a monitor, a PC or a laptop brick, a standard C13 lead is correct and costs a fraction.

Is a thicker conductor worth paying for?

Only above 10 A. In the data, the 3×1.0 mm² cord is cheaper per metre than the 3×0.75 mm² one simply because it is 3 m instead of 1.8 m. Gauge alone does not justify a premium.

Are angled plugs more expensive?

No. Several 90° angled leads in the table sit between 2.00 and 3.00 €/m, in line with straight ones. The angled moulding is standard, not a premium feature.

Methodology. 400 listings were pulled from the Power Cables collection (4,035 products) ordered by sales and filtered to active products that state a length in the title, excluding power strips, drums and multi-socket extensions. That left 89 cords. Prices are the lowest variant price; stock is total inventory at the time of query. The 45-pack is shown as a per-cord figure, not per metre.