Consumer Unit Upgrades in Leicestershire: New Fuse Boards
An old fuse box is one of the most common problems we find in older homes. A modern consumer unit adds RCD protection, surge protection and room to grow.
We carry out consumer unit upgrades in Leicestershire for homes, rental properties and small businesses. The consumer unit, often called the fuse box or fuse board, controls every circuit in the property. If yours still has rewireable fuses, a wooden back or no RCDs, it is well overdue for replacement.
Our customers usually come to us after an EICR has flagged the board, when a new kitchen or extension needs extra circuits, or before fitting an EV charger.
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Why upgrade your consumer unit?
- RCD protection. Residual current devices cut the power in a fraction of a second if current leaks to earth, which greatly reduces the risk of a fatal shock.
- Fire safety. Since 2016, consumer units in homes must be housed in a non-combustible enclosure, usually metal.
- Surge protection. A surge protection device helps protect TVs, computers and appliances from voltage spikes.
- Fewer nuisance trips. With RCBOs, a fault on one circuit only switches off that circuit, not half the house.
- Space for new circuits. A new board has room for an EV charger, garden office or heat pump.
Our consumer unit upgrades in Leicestershire, step by step
- Pre-inspection. Before we quote, we check the existing circuits and earthing. Old wiring sometimes has faults that an old fuse box ignored but a sensitive RCD will not.
- Installation. The power is switched off, the old board removed and the new consumer unit fitted and labelled. Most domestic upgrades are done within a day.
- Testing. Every circuit is tested and any faults found are explained to you before we leave.
- Certification. Replacing a consumer unit is notifiable under Part P. We register it through the NICEIC and you get an Electrical Installation Certificate plus a Building Regulations compliance certificate.
Choosing the right board
We fit quality boards from established manufacturers and will talk you through the options. For most homes we recommend a fully RCBO-protected board with surge protection, which gives the best balance of safety and convenience. Arc fault detection devices (AFDDs) can also be added to circuits where the regulations recommend them.
If you're planning an EV charger, a garden room or an extension, tell us at the survey stage so the new board has enough spare ways.
Is a new consumer unit enough?
Sometimes it isn't. If testing shows the cables themselves are degraded, a new consumer unit will not fix that and may trip constantly. In those cases we'll recommend a part or full rewire and explain why. You can read more about fuse box safety on the Electrical Safety First website.
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We provide consumer unit upgrades across Leicestershire and Rutland, including:
Consumer Unit Upgrades: frequently asked questions
How long do consumer unit upgrades in Leicestershire take?
Most domestic consumer unit replacements are completed in a single day. The power is off for most of that time, and we let you know when it will be back on.
Do I need a new consumer unit if mine has fuses?
Old fuse boxes with rewireable fuses have no RCD protection and are not up to modern standards. They are not automatically illegal in an owner-occupied home, but upgrading is strongly recommended, and an EICR will usually flag them.
Why does my new consumer unit keep tripping?
A new RCD-protected board detects small earth leakage that an old fuse box ignored. Nuisance tripping usually points to a fault on a circuit or appliance, and we trace it as part of the job.
Will I get a certificate for my new consumer unit?
Yes. You receive an Electrical Installation Certificate, and the work is notified under Part P so you also get a Building Regulations compliance certificate.