You do see the occasional europlug here, anything with a schuko plug generally gets it cut off and a BS1363 plug fitted. For whatever reason appliences shipped without fitted plugs in the UK for many years until an EU directive was passed so people are very used to fitting plugs and wouldn't think twice about cutting a 2-pin schuko plug off and fitting a "proper one". I noticed that italians are more reluctant to do that and rewirable plugs arn't as easily available.
I wouldn't advocate changing the BS1363 system for any technical reasons. It's a perfectly good standard, works well and causes no problems. It's just it is a little out of sync with the rest of Europe and is just another annoying little difference that doesn't really need to be there.
Also having people by-pass its plug-top fuses by wedging europlugs into outlets is far from safe and happens regularly in Ireland anyway. Thankfully most of the sockets are slightly too tight to accept a 16 amp schuko plug, the pins are too fat to go in so at least we don't have the danish and italian problem of appliences not being earthed but working perfectly.
Also since Ireland used/uses 220V it tended to get european versions of appliences shipped with 220V ratings and European plugs. Also since we've joined the Euro it makes a lot more sense to source electrical equipment from distribution centres within the Eurozone as you avoid sterling-euro conversions so once again many appliences are shipping with european plugs. This usually applies to stuff that is relatively cheap and doesn't have to be localised (i.e. doesn't have to be printed up in English). It would be rare to get a washing machine shipped with a schuko plug for example because of the need to have the front panel in English. TVs, VCRs, small appliences etc often do however. Many stores just throw one of those european converter plugs into the box!
