Signs Your Consumer Unit Needs Replacing

Your consumer unit, also known as a fuse board or fuse box, is the heart of your home's electrical system. It receives the incoming electricity supply and distributes it to individual circuits throughout your property. But how do you know when it needs replacing?

The most obvious sign that your consumer unit needs replacing is if it still contains old-style rewirable fuses. These are the type where you have to replace a piece of fuse wire when a circuit trips. Modern consumer units use Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs) that simply need to be reset. If your consumer unit has rewirable fuses, it is almost certainly old enough to warrant replacement.

Another key indicator is the absence of Residual Current Device (RCD) protection. An RCD monitors the flow of electricity through a circuit and can cut the power in as little as 30 milliseconds if it detects a fault. This can be the difference between life and death in the event of an electric shock. Modern consumer units have RCD protection on all or most circuits. If yours does not, upgrading is strongly recommended.

Frequent tripping is another sign that your consumer unit may need attention. While occasional tripping is normal when a circuit is overloaded, frequent unexplained tripping can indicate a fault with the consumer unit itself or with the wiring it protects.

If you are planning to add new electrical circuits, such as an EV charger, electric shower, or garden office, your existing consumer unit may not have the capacity to accommodate them. A new consumer unit with additional ways can be installed at the same time as the new circuit.

Since 2016, all new consumer unit installations in domestic premises must use metal-clad units to comply with Amendment 3 of BS 7671. This requirement was introduced to reduce the risk of fire spreading from a faulty consumer unit. If your consumer unit is plastic, it predates this requirement and may be worth replacing on safety grounds alone.

I carry out consumer unit replacements across Wigan and the North West. All replacements are carried out to BS 7671 standards with full certification. Get in touch for a free, no-obligation quote.