Fuse box and consumer unit replacement in London
The consumer unit, or fuse box, is where every circuit in your home is protected. An old one with wire fuses and no RCDs does very little to protect people from an electric shock, and plastic units are no longer allowed for new installations in homes. Our electricians test your circuits, replace the unit with a modern metal-cased one, and handle the certificate and the Building Regulations notification, with the price agreed before any work starts.
- Registered electricians
- Engineers DBS-checked and fully insured
- 24/7 emergency callouts
- Price agreed before we start
- Workmanship guaranteed
Monday – Sunday, 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Out-of-hours emergency? Call 020 3576 5825
Get a price for fuse box replacement
Name, phone and postcode are all we need to start. Everything else can wait.
Thank you — your enquiry is in
Expect a call back on the number you entered. For anything urgent, there is no need to wait: ring 020 3576 5825.
Included in the job
- Old rewireable fuse boxes replaced
- Modern consumer units with RCD protection
- Surge protection where the regulations call for it
- Every circuit tested before and after the change
- Electrical Installation Certificate on completion
- Building Regulations notification handled for you
Read this before you ring
You may find you can sort some of this yourself, without calling us. We are fine with that, and would rather you knew it.
Signs your fuse box is due for replacement
Fuses with fuse wire, a wooden backboard, no RCD protection, trips you cannot explain, or scorch marks and a warm smell around the unit. Any one of these is worth an electrician looking at. If you are not sure what you have, send us a photo of it.
Why modern units are metal
Since 2016 the wiring regulations have required consumer units in homes to have an enclosure made of non-combustible material, which in practice means steel. It keeps a fault inside the box from spreading, which matters most where the unit sits under the stairs, the usual escape route.
Testing comes first
A new consumer unit only protects properly if the circuits it feeds are sound. The electrician tests the existing circuits before the change, because RCDs will trip on faults an old fuse box ignored. If a circuit has a fault, we tell you and price the fix before going further.
The paperwork
Replacing a consumer unit is notifiable work under Part P of the Building Regulations. As registered electricians we notify it for you, and you receive an Electrical Installation Certificate and a Building Regulations compliance certificate. Keep both with the house documents, because a buyer’s solicitor will ask for them.
What changes the price
A consumer unit replacement is priced after a look at the existing installation, and you get the price before any work starts.
The number of circuits
More circuits means a larger unit, more protective devices and more testing. Homes that have been extended over the years often have more circuits than you would expect.
What the testing finds
Faults that the old fuses ignored will trip modern RCDs. If testing finds a fault on a circuit, it has to be put right before the new unit goes in, and that is priced separately.
The earthing and bonding
A new unit needs a sound main earth and, where required, protective bonding to the gas and water pipes. Older homes sometimes need these brought up to standard at the same time.
Where the unit is
Swapping a unit in the same place is straightforward. Moving it, for example out from under the stairs or to a more accessible spot, means extending the tails and the circuits.
We agree the price with you before any work begins, and accept both card and cash.
Questions we often get
Do I need to replace my fuse box?
Not always. If it is an old rewireable type with no RCD protection, replacement is strongly recommended. If it is a newer unit that keeps tripping, the fault is more often on a circuit than in the unit, and we will find it first.
What is an RCD?
A residual current device detects current leaking to earth, as happens when someone touches a live part, and cuts the power in a fraction of a second. It is one of the most important safety features a modern installation has.
Will the new unit trip more than the old one?
It can at first, because it detects faults the old fuses could not. That is the unit doing its job. Testing beforehand finds most of these so they can be fixed as part of the same job.
Is replacing a consumer unit notifiable?
Yes. Replacing a consumer unit in a home is notifiable under Part P. We notify it through our registration scheme, so you do not have to deal with building control yourself.
Can you move the fuse box somewhere more convenient?
Often, yes. The supply cables and circuits have to be extended to the new position, and some positions are not allowed, so we will tell you what is possible when we look at it.
Do I need surge protection?
The current wiring regulations call for surge protection in most new consumer unit installations. We will explain whether yours needs it when we price the job.
Other electrical jobs we do
-
Emergency Electrician
Power loss, trips that will not reset, burning smells and water in the electrics. We take calls around the clock.
Read about Emergency Electrician -
Electrical Repairs
Tripping circuits, dead sockets, faulty lighting and extractor fans, traced and fixed with the price agreed first.
Read about Electrical Repairs -
EICR Certificates
Electrical Installation Condition Reports for landlords, homeowners and buyers, with any remedial work priced separately.
Read about EICR Certificates -
Rewiring
Full and partial rewires for houses and flats, planned around you and the other trades, then tested and certified.
Read about Rewiring -
EV Charger Installation
Home charge points surveyed, fitted, notified and certified, with any supply upgrades priced up front.
Read about EV Charger Installation
Looking for fuse box replacement in London?
Tell us what is wrong and where you are, and you will have the price before any work begins.