Fuse boards and consumer units

What you get

• An RCBO on every circuit. A breaker and an RCD in one, so a fault on the kitchen ring does not take the lights out with it.
• Surge protection for the wiring and everything plugged into it.
• A metal enclosure, as the current regulations require.
• Main bonding checked to the gas and water, and put right if it is missing.
• Every way labelled, so the next person who opens it knows what is what.
• Every circuit tested, a certificate issued, and building control notified.

Signs yours is due

Wire fuses or pull-out fuse carriers rather than switches. A wooden back board. One RCD covering the whole house, or none at all. A board that trips for no reason you can find. Or you are adding something the board cannot take, which is usually an EV charger, an electric shower or a heat pump.

Age on its own is not a fault. Plenty of older boards are working exactly as they should. The difference is what happens when something goes wrong: an old board disconnects late, or not at all, and a modern one disconnects in a fraction of a second.

What can change the price

That covers a standard swap where the wiring behind the board is sound, and it is usually a day. Three things move it. Circuits that fail their test have to be put right before the new protection will hold, and you get told what and how much before anything else happens. Missing earthing or bonding has to be added. And moving the board to a different spot means new cable and more time.

If a lot of circuits fail, a board change can be money spent twice. That is the point where a rewire is worth pricing instead, and a rewire includes the new board anyway.

The day itself

Power off in the morning, old board out, new one in, every circuit tested and energised one at a time, then labelled up. Back on and working before we leave, with the certificate to follow. If anything is going to take longer than the day, you will know before we start rather than at five o'clock.

Questions people ask

How long is the power off?

Most of the working day. Fridges and freezers are fine for that long if you keep them shut.

What happens if a circuit fails when the new board goes on?

You get told there and then, with what it is and what it costs, before any more work happens. The new protection is more sensitive than whatever it replaced, so a fault that an old board tolerated for years can show up on the day. It is found on the test, not left to trip on you next winter.

Do I need a new board for an EV charger?

Only if the existing one cannot take it safely. The EV estimator asks about your board and prices it in if it needs doing.

Will it need building control?

Yes, replacing a consumer unit is notifiable work in Wales. It is notified through our scheme, so there is nothing for you to apply for.