Consumer Unit Upgrades & Fuse Board Replacements in London & Kent

If your lights flicker when the kettle goes on, your trips keep tripping for "no apparent reason," or your fuse box still has wooden backs, cast-iron switches, or round ceramic fuses, your home is running on borrowed time.

Old fuse boards aren't just inconvenient, they are a silent fire and shock hazard that simply cannot handle modern household electrical loads.

Most homeowners don't think about their consumer unit until something stops working. But waiting for a complete failure usually means emergency call-out fees. Here are the telltale signs your fuse board needs an urgent upgrade:

• You still have re-wireable fuse wire: If your fuses blow and you have to manually wrap copper wire around ceramic holders, your board lacks modern electronic safety cut-outs.
  
• Frequent, unexplained tripping: If your RCDs or miniature circuit breakers (MCBs) trip whenever you plug in a hairdryer, toaster, or washing machine, your circuits are either overloaded or the components have degraded.
  
  
• No RCD protection: Modern safety standards require Residual Current Devices (RCDs) to instantly cut power if a person touches a live wire or an appliance faults. If your board doesn't have test buttons (marked 'T'), it lacks this life-saving protection.
  
  
• Cracked plastic, burn marks, or buzzing: Any signs of discoloration, melting, a humming sound, or a faint burning smell near the board means it's a severe fire risk and needs immediate attention.
  
  
• Property renovations or new appliances: Adding an extension, an EV charger, a heat pump, or a new kitchen means your old fuse board won't have the capacity or spare ways to support the extra load.

Replacing a fuse box or installing a new consumer unit typically costs between £375 and £550 (labour + parts + certification). However, final price depends on:

• Number of circuits in your house.
• The condition of existing wiring & whether earth / bonding checks are required.
• Type of consumer unit installed (single vs dual RCD vs high integrity split circuits).
• Access conditions, location of board, and whether additional safety improvements are needed.

We always provide free, no-obligation quotes so you know exactly what you pay.

1. Pre-Upgrade Inspection: We test your existing circuits to ensure there are no pre-existing faults or dangerous hidden wiring that could cause nuisance tripping once the new high-sensitivity safety devices are installed.
   
   
2. Installation of a Modern Metal Consumer Unit: Under UK wiring regulations, consumer units must be constructed from non-combustible metal enclosures to contain potential internal fires.
   
   
3. Advanced Circuit Protection (RCBOs / AFDDs): We install modern RCBOs (combined overload and earth-leakage protection for individual circuits) so that if one appliance faults, only that specific circuit trips—leaving the rest of your house powered up.
   
   
4. Full Post-Installation Certification: Every upgrade is fully tested, certified, and registered with your local authority under Part P building regulations, and you receive an official Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) for your records.