Landlord compliance

Fuse Box Installation (Consumer Unit Replacement)

Metal 18th-Edition consumer units supplied, installed, tested and certified.

From £730 (inc VAT) Usually completed in a single day 12-month workmanship guarantee

Book this service 07426 409342

Starting from

£730inc VAT

6-way board · supply, install, test and certify

Metal 18th-Edition boards, compliant with Amendment 3

RCBO per circuit as standard, not a cheaper shared-RCD arrangement

Usually completed within a single working day

Electrical Installation Certificate issued on completion

Book online

Overview

What is a Fuse Box Installation certificate?

The consumer unit — still widely called the fuse box — is the control centre of a property's electrical system. It takes the incoming supply and divides it into individual circuits, each protected by a device designed to disconnect automatically in a fault. We replace outdated boards with modern metal-clad units carrying RCD or RCBO protection, install them to the current edition of BS 7671, test the whole installation afterwards, and issue the Electrical Installation Certificate you need as proof.

Why it matters

Why it's worth getting right

An old fuse box is the single most common reason a property fails its EICR. Rewireable fuse carriers and plastic enclosures were compliant decades ago but offer no protection against electric shock, no protection against fire spreading from the board itself, and no way to isolate a single faulty circuit. Replacing the board is often the difference between an Unsatisfactory report and a Satisfactory one — and between a fault that trips a breaker and a fault that starts a fire.

Regulations and certification

Replacing a consumer unit is notifiable work under Part P of the Building Regulations in England, which means it must either be carried out by an installer registered with a competent person scheme, or notified to and inspected by building control. Our electricians are NICEIC / NAPIT registered, so the work is self-certified and the notification is handled for you. Amendment 3 to BS 7671, in force since January 2016, requires consumer units in domestic premises to be manufactured from non-combustible material or enclosed in a non-combustible cabinet — in practice, steel. You will receive an Electrical Installation Certificate on completion, which you should keep with your EICR.

Regulations & standards

The rules this work is carried out to

Every inspection we do is measured against a published standard — here are the ones that apply to this service.

BS 7671 Amd 3

Non-combustible consumer unit enclosures (from January 2016)

Domestic boards must be metal, or enclosed in a non-combustible cabinet.

Part P

Building Regulations — Electrical Safety (England)

Consumer unit replacement is notifiable work; we self-certify under our scheme.

BS EN 61439-3

Consumer units — construction and IP2X requirements

Live parts must not be accessible to a standard test finger.

In detail

Understanding your Fuse Box Installation

The technical detail behind the certificate — what gets checked, what the results mean, and the decisions that actually affect your property.

What is a consumer unit?

The consumer unit is the point at which the electricity supply entering your property is split into the individual circuits that feed your sockets, lights, cooker, shower and boiler. It contains a main switch that isolates the whole installation, and a protective device for each circuit. Under BS 7671 a domestic consumer unit must be constructed from non-combustible material — steel in practice — must achieve at least IP2X so that live parts cannot be touched by a finger, and must be capable of withstanding the fault energies of a modern supply. The older plastic units found in most pre-2016 properties meet none of these requirements.

RCD, RCBO and split-load boards — what is the difference?

An RCD (Residual Current Device) monitors the current flowing out on the live and back on the neutral. If those figures differ by more than about 30 mA — because some current is flowing to earth, possibly through a person — it disconnects in well under a second. A dual-RCD or split-load board divides the circuits across two RCDs, so a fault on one half does not black out the other. An RCBO combines RCD and overcurrent protection into a single device per circuit, which is the arrangement we recommend and fit as standard: a fault on the shower circuit trips only the shower, leaving lights, freezer and heating running. For a tenanted property that difference matters, because it turns a total blackout call-out into a single dead socket.

AFDDs and surge protection in the 18th Edition

The current edition of BS 7671 introduced two further devices you will see quoted. An SPD (Surge Protective Device) protects the installation and connected equipment from transient overvoltages, typically caused by lightning or switching on the supply network, and is now required in many domestic situations following a documented risk assessment. An AFDD (Arc Fault Detection Device) detects the signature of a dangerous arcing fault — the loose or damaged connection that a conventional breaker will happily ignore until it starts a fire — and is strongly recommended in higher-risk premises including HMOs and purpose-built flats. We will tell you where each is genuinely required for your installation and where it is optional.

How do I know my board is out of date?

There are four reliable indicators. First, the enclosure: if it is plastic, it predates the 2016 amendment. Second, the protective devices: if you replace a fuse wire or push a cartridge fuse back in rather than flicking a switch, the board is likely 1980s or older. Third, RCD protection: if there is no test button anywhere on the board, you have no shock protection at all. Fourth, capacity: if every way is occupied and there is nowhere to add a circuit for an EV charger, an electric shower or a garden supply, the board has been outgrown regardless of its age. Any one of these is worth a conversation; two or more and replacement is almost certainly the right call.

What is a skeleton board, and when do you need one?

A skeleton or 'kit form' board is an enclosure fitted out with individually specified protective devices rather than a manufacturer's pre-populated configuration. It is what we use when an installation does not fit a standard board — a property with an unusual mix of circuit types, a supply requiring specific discrimination between devices, or a building where an existing sub-main has to be integrated. It costs more because the components are specified and assembled per circuit, but it avoids the far more expensive alternative of forcing an installation to fit a board that was never designed for it.

Warning signs

Signs your fuse box needs replacing

Any of these is a reason to have the board assessed — several together usually means replacement:

A plastic enclosure, which means the board predates the January 2016 requirement for metal

Rewireable fuse wire or cartridge fuses instead of switched circuit breakers

No test button anywhere on the board — no RCD protection at all

A cast-iron or wooden-backed board, indicating pre-1960s installation

Every way occupied, with no capacity for an EV charger or electric shower

Repeated nuisance tripping that takes out the whole property rather than one circuit

Buzzing, warmth or scorch marks at the board itself

A C2 observation on your EICR relating to the distribution board

The risks

The risks of keeping an outdated board

An obsolete consumer unit is rarely a standalone problem:

!No RCD means no protection against electric shock — the fault has to reach a person to be noticed

!A plastic enclosure can sustain a fire that starts inside it, rather than containing it

!Rewireable fuses are frequently overrated with the wrong gauge wire, removing overload protection entirely

!It will fail an EICR, blocking compliant letting until it is replaced

!One faulty appliance blacks out the entire property, generating out-of-hours call-outs

!No capacity to add circuits, blocking EV charging, electric showers and heat pumps

!Surveyors and buyers treat an old board as evidence of a wider deferred-maintenance problem

How long does a consumer unit last?

A modern metal board installed to current standards has a realistic service life of 25 to 30 years, but it is the regulations rather than the hardware that usually dictate replacement — standards have changed substantially every ten years or so. Practically speaking, if your board is more than 20 years old or predates the 2016 metal-enclosure requirement, plan for replacement rather than waiting for it to fail. Between times, press the test button on each RCD or RCBO once a quarter: the device should trip instantly, and if it does not, it is not protecting anyone. Keep the board accessible and never box it in behind a cupboard or plasterboard.

Why us

The benefits of booking your Fuse Box Installation with us

Accredited, transparent and built around making compliance easy.

Metal 18th-Edition boards, compliant with Amendment 3

RCBO per circuit as standard, not a cheaper shared-RCD arrangement

Usually completed within a single working day

Electrical Installation Certificate issued on completion

Part P notification handled for you

Fixed price agreed before we start — additions never applied retrospectively

What's included

Everything covered in your Fuse Box Installation

One all-inclusive price — here is exactly what the engineer does on site and what you receive afterwards.

Supply and installation of a new metal 18th-Edition consumer unit

RCBO protection per circuit as standard — one fault does not black out the property

Surge protection assessed and fitted where the installation requires it

Full circuit identification and a new labelled schedule

Testing of the complete installation after installation

Electrical Installation Certificate issued on completion

Part P notification handled under our competent person scheme

Pricing

Simple, all-inclusive pricing

The price you see is the price you pay — VAT included, with no hidden call-out fees. Your final price depends on the size of your property; we'll confirm an exact, all-inclusive quote before we attend.

Fuse Box Installation from

£730inc VAT

6-way board · supply, install, test and certify

Get my exact price

All prices include VAT · 12-month workmanship guarantee

Consumer unit installation pricing

Board type	Price (inc VAT)
6 Way Consumer Unit	£730.00
10 Way Consumer Unit	£790.00
15 Way Consumer Unit	£870.00
Skeleton Board	£990.00

Prices include the board, installation, full testing and your Electrical Installation Certificate. Where existing circuits are found to be faulty during installation, any additional work is quoted and agreed before we proceed — never added afterwards.

Prices are all-inclusive of VAT with no hidden call-out fees. Where they genuinely apply, parking (£5) and the London Congestion Charge (£18) are passed on at cost and always shown up front.

The process

How your appointment works

Simple, transparent and designed around you and your tenants.

Step 1

Assess the existing installation

We check the intake, earthing arrangement and circuit count to confirm the right board and a fixed price.

Step 2

Isolate and remove the old board

Supply is isolated safely, the old unit removed and every existing circuit identified and labelled.

Step 3

Install and connect the new unit

The new metal board is mounted and each circuit connected to its own protective device, with earthing and bonding upgraded where required.

Step 4

Test, certify and hand over

The full installation is tested, your Electrical Installation Certificate is issued, and we walk you through the new board before leaving.

FAQs

Fuse Box Installation — frequently asked questions

Most domestic replacements are completed within a single working day, typically four to six hours. Where earthing or bonding also needs upgrading, or circuits are found to be faulty once the old board is off, it can extend into a second day — we will tell you as soon as we know rather than at the end.

No, but it will be off for a significant part of it. We isolate at the main switch to remove and install the board, then restore supply for testing. Plan for several hours without power and let your tenant know in advance.

There is no law requiring you to replace a compliant-when-installed board retrospectively. However, the metal enclosure requirement applies to any board installed since January 2016, and an old plastic unit without RCD protection will usually attract a C2 on an EICR — which makes the report Unsatisfactory and must be remedied within 28 days.

No. Consumer unit replacement is notifiable work under Part P of the Building Regulations and must be carried out by a registered competent person or notified to building control. Beyond the legal position, the work involves the unfused supply tails and carries a genuine risk of fatal injury.

On an RCD board, circuits are grouped behind one or two RCDs, so a single fault takes out everything on that group. With RCBOs, each circuit has its own combined device, so a fault on the shower trips only the shower. We fit RCBOs as standard because in a tenanted property it prevents most out-of-hours call-outs.

Sometimes, but not always. If the tripping is caused by a genuine fault on a circuit or a faulty appliance, a new board will simply detect the same fault more precisely. We diagnose the cause first — see our electrical diagnostic service — so you are not paying for a board that was never the problem.

Book now

Book your Fuse Box Installation today

Fill in the form and we'll confirm your appointment and an all-inclusive price, usually within the hour. Prefer to talk? Call us and we'll book you in within two minutes.

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07426 409342

Mon–Sat · bookings confirmed in under 2 minutes

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