Consumer Unit Upgrades: The Complete Guide
Your consumer unit (also called a fuse board or distribution board) is the nerve centre of your home’s electrical system. As a NAPIT-registered contractor, we carry out consumer unit upgrades throughout Teesside and the North East as part of our consumer unit upgrade service. This guide explains when you need an upgrade, what it involves, and what to expect from the process.
Signs You Need a Consumer Unit Upgrade
Your consumer unit may need upgrading if any of the following apply:
- Old rewirable fuse board: Still has ceramic fuse carriers with wire or fusewire. These are obsolete and provide inadequate protection. They also cannot accommodate RCDs for shock protection.
- Single RCD protecting all circuits: Often called a “split load” board with only two RCD protection groups. If one circuit trips, it may take out half your house. Modern boards protect each circuit individually.
- No RCBO protection: Modern boards use RCBOs (combined RCD and MCB) on each circuit, providing both overcurrent protection and shock protection per circuit. Older boards often lack this.
- Planning to add EV charger or solar panels: A modern consumer unit is essential for safe integration of new high-current circuits.
- EICR findings: Your EICR has returned C1 or C2 codes relating to the consumer unit or its protection devices.
What a Modern Consumer Unit Provides
A modern 18th Edition compliant consumer unit (to BS 7671:2018+A2:2022) provides individual RCBO protection for each circuit, meaning a fault on your kitchen ring main trips only that circuit — not your lights, heating and every other circuit simultaneously. It also provides:
- Surge Protection Device (SPD) — required by the 18th Edition for new installations, protects connected equipment from voltage spikes
- Full compliance with current regulations — important for insurance, property sales and mortgage applications
- Capacity for additional circuits (EV charger, heat pump, solar inverter connection, garden circuit)
Consumer Unit Upgrade Cost
A consumer unit upgrade for a typical 3-bedroom property with 10–14 circuits costs £500–£900 fully installed, including the new unit, all new breakers, reconnection of all existing circuits, and an Electrical Installation Certificate. Properties with more circuits, or those requiring additional work (new earthing, bonding upgrades, rewiring of the tails), will cost more. We provide a fixed, all-inclusive price after a free assessment visit.
The Upgrade Process
A consumer unit upgrade typically takes 4–8 hours for a standard property. The process involves: isolating the supply, removing the old consumer unit, installing the new board and all new protective devices, reconnecting every circuit individually, testing all circuits, and completing the Electrical Installation Certificate. The power supply to your property is off for the duration — approximately 4–6 hours.
