Consumer Unit & Fuse Board Upgrades
MCS certified, award-winning installation by ALPS Electrical. 500+ five-star reviews on Checkatrade.
Why Upgrade Your Consumer Unit?
Your consumer unit, often still referred to as a fuse board or fuse box, is the heart of your home's electrical system. Every circuit in your property runs through it, and it is responsible for protecting you, your family and your home from electrical faults that could cause electric shock or fire. If your consumer unit is outdated, it may not provide the level of protection that modern safety standards require, leaving you exposed to risks that are entirely preventable.
A consumer unit upgrade is one of the most important safety improvements you can make to your home. It is also frequently required before installing an EV charger, solar panel system or battery storage unit, because these additions place new demands on your electrical system that an older board simply cannot accommodate safely. ALPS Electrical carries out consumer unit upgrades across Teesside and the North East, providing modern RCBO-protected boards that bring your home up to the latest edition of BS 7671.
Old Fuse Boards vs Modern Consumer Units
If your home still has a fuse board with rewirable fuses or an older consumer unit with MCBs (miniature circuit breakers) and a single RCD, it is worth understanding what you are missing in terms of protection.
Old Rewirable Fuse Board
- • Slow to operate, can be fitted with wrong fuse wire rating
- • No protection against earth faults
- • Cannot detect small leakage currents from touching live conductors
- • Will not save you from electric shock
Modern RCBO Board
- • Individual RCBO on every circuit
- • Fault on one circuit only affects that circuit
- • Overcurrent, short circuit AND earth fault protection
- • Metal enclosure meeting current fire safety standards
Modern RCBO consumer unit installation
Older consumer units with a split-load arrangement (typically two RCDs protecting groups of circuits) are better than rewirable fuse boards, but still have a significant limitation. When one circuit develops a fault, the RCD trips and cuts power to every circuit on that side of the board. This means a tripping cooker could take out your lighting, your fridge freezer and your central heating at the same time. Upgrading to individual RCBOs resolves this completely.
What Is RCBO Protection?
An RCBO (Residual Current Breaker with Overcurrent protection) combines the function of an MCB and an RCD in a single device. It protects against three types of fault: overcurrent (too much current flowing through the circuit), short circuit (a direct connection between live and neutral), and earth fault (current leaking to earth through a person, a faulty appliance or damaged wiring).
30mA
Leakage current detection threshold
<40ms
Disconnection time
Fast enough to prevent fatal electric shock in most circumstances
The 18th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations (BS 7671:2018, Amendment 2:2022) effectively requires RCD protection on all circuits in domestic properties. While there are specific technical exemptions, the practical outcome is that any new consumer unit installed in a home should have RCBO protection on every circuit. This is the standard we work to on every installation.
When Is a Consumer Unit Upgrade Needed?
There are several common situations where a consumer unit upgrade is either necessary or strongly recommended.
Installing an EV Charger
EV chargers draw a significant load (typically 7.2kW on a 32-amp circuit). Your existing board may not have the capacity, spare ways or required protection to accommodate this safely.
Installing Solar Panels or Battery Storage
Solar PV and battery storage systems require their own dedicated circuits with appropriate protection. Upgrading at the same time ensures everything is properly protected and compliant.
EICR C1 or C2 Defects
Common findings include lack of RCD protection, non-fire-rated enclosure (plastic consumer units), inadequate earthing, or a board modified beyond its safe capacity.
Frequent Nuisance Tripping
If multiple circuits go off at the same time, a split-load board with grouped RCDs is usually the culprit. Individual RCBOs resolve this and make fault diagnosis simpler.
Kitchen/Bathroom Renovation or Extension
The marginal cost of upgrading alongside other work is lower than as a standalone project, and it future-proofs your installation for years to come.
What Does a Consumer Unit Upgrade Involve?
A consumer unit upgrade typically takes a full day to complete. The power to your home will need to be turned off for a significant portion of the work, usually four to six hours, although we restore power to essential circuits as quickly as possible.
The process involves removing the old consumer unit and installing a new metal-clad unit in its place. Every circuit is reconnected to its own RCBO, and the electrician will test each circuit to confirm it is safe and functioning correctly. We also check and upgrade the main earthing and bonding if necessary, as these are critical safety components that must meet current standards.
Keep your certificate safe
On completion, you receive an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) which confirms that the work complies with BS 7671 and Part P of the Building Regulations. This certificate is an important document that you should keep safely, as it provides evidence that the work was carried out by a qualified, registered electrician and that it meets the required safety standards. You may need it when selling your property or for insurance purposes.
Consumer Unit Upgrade Cost Guide
Typical 3-Bedroom House (8-12 Circuits)
- New consumer unit with full RCBO protection
- All reconnection work and earthing upgrades
- Full testing, certification and EICR
Properties with more circuits, multiple consumer units or significant remedial work will be at the higher end of this range or above. If the upgrade is being carried out alongside other work such as an EV charger installation or solar panel system, the combined cost is typically lower than having each element done separately, as there are efficiencies in doing the work at the same time.
We provide fixed-price quotations after surveying your property, so you know the exact cost before any work begins. There are no hidden charges, and the price we quote is the price you pay.
Professional consumer unit upgrade in progress
Preparing Your Home for the Future
The way we use electricity at home is changing rapidly. Electric vehicles, heat pumps, solar panels, battery storage and smart home systems all place increasing demands on domestic electrical installations. A modern consumer unit with adequate capacity and proper protection is the foundation that everything else builds on.
When we upgrade a consumer unit, we always consider your future plans. If you are thinking about getting an EV in the next couple of years, we will include a spare way and appropriate capacity for the charger circuit. If solar panels are on the horizon, we will plan for that too. This forward-thinking approach saves you money in the long run by avoiding the need for further modifications later.
ALPS Electrical is NAPIT registered, meaning all our work is self-certified under the Competent Person Scheme and complies with Part P Building Regulations. We cover the whole of Teesside, the North East and North Yorkshire. Call us on 01642 790 489 or use the contact form to arrange a free survey and quotation for your consumer unit upgrade.
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Frequently Asked Questions
An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is a comprehensive inspection of your property electrical wiring, consumer unit, earthing and bonding. Landlords are legally required to have an EICR every 5 years for rented properties. Homeowners are recommended to have one every 10 years or when buying a property. An EICR identifies any defects that could pose a safety risk.
A consumer unit (fuse board) upgrade typically costs between £450 and £800 depending on the number of circuits and complexity. This includes a new metal consumer unit with RCBO protection on every circuit, all reconnection work, minor earthing and bonding upgrades if needed, and an EICR on completion. A modern consumer unit is often required before installing EV chargers or solar panels.
The recommended intervals are: rental properties every 5 years (legal requirement), homeowner-occupied properties every 10 years, commercial properties every 5 years, and swimming pools/special locations annually. You should also have electrics tested when buying a property, after any flood or fire damage, or if you notice warning signs like flickering lights, burning smells or frequently tripping breakers.
We prioritise urgent electrical safety issues during our working hours (Monday to Friday 8am-6pm, Saturday 9am-2pm). If you have a complete power loss, burning smell, or other electrical emergency outside hours, call your electricity distributor (Northern Powergrid: 105) for supply issues, or contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible the next working day.
We cover the whole of Teesside (Middlesbrough, Stockton, Darlington, Hartlepool, Redcar, Yarm, Thornaby, Eaglescliffe, Billingham, Ingleby Barwick, Guisborough), North East England (Durham, Sunderland, Newcastle, Gateshead), North Yorkshire (Northallerton, Stokesley, Thirsk, Ripon, Richmond, York), and parts of West and South Yorkshire.
Yes. ALPS Electrical is registered with NAPIT as a Registered Competent Person for electrical work. This means we are authorised to self-certify notifiable electrical work under Part P of the Building Regulations without needing to involve Building Control. All our work is fully compliant and certified.
A Registered Competent Person is an electrician or electrical firm registered with a government-approved scheme (such as NAPIT) to self-certify that their electrical work complies with Building Regulations Part P. This gives you the assurance that the electrician has been assessed, is regularly audited, and their work meets the required safety standards.
Yes, we install a range of smart home electrical systems including smart lighting control, automated blinds wiring, multi-room audio preparation, outdoor lighting and security lighting, USB charging sockets, and whole-home surge protection. We also integrate EV chargers and solar/battery systems with smart home platforms for unified energy management.