Are you worried the fuse box in your house is too old and no longer complies with electrical UK regulations? Is it time to replace it with a more modern consumer unit? How long is it going to take and more specifically, how much is it going to cost? Read on and you’ll find out all the answers to these questions including what is involved in the replacement process so you can make the right choice for your household.

What is the difference between a fuse box and an electrical consumer unit?

A fuse box and a consumer unit serve the same purpose. They distribute electricity in your house through multiple circuits and instantly turn the power off whenever a power overload occurs on one of the circuits, which is commonly known as “tripping”.

When “tripping” occurs, a consumer unit will switch the power off using the circuit breaker linked to the overloaded circuit. It will turn itself to the position OFF making the faulty circuit easily identifiable. Once the circuit is fixed, the circuit breaker can be switched back on and the power restored.

A fuse box uses fuses instead of circuit breakers. Each fuse contains a wire which will melt if there is an electrical overload and make the circuit trip and switch the power off. It is not as easy to identify a faulty circuit when using a fuse box and the, now melted fuse, will need to be replaced before the power can be restored. Consumer units are basically the modern and safer version of fuse boxes which in most cases are no longer compliant with current electrical regulations. If your house is fitted with an old fuse box, it might be time to for you to replace it.

Consumer Units

Essex Electrical Electrical Services specialise in both the repair and replacement of consumer units. Replacement is particularly recommended if your property still has a plastic unit. While plastic units are not illegal, modern metal clad is considerably safer. During the electrical consumer unit installation, a member of our accredited team will complete a thorough inspection of the unit and all associated switchgear. They will check the current positioning of boards to ensure that it does not pose any dangers. For example, opting to place units under wooden stairs come alongside high fire risks, so will be moved to a safer location in the property. It can then be determined whether your home would be best suited to a fully loaded, main switch or high integrity consumer unit.

How do I know if I have an old-fashioned fuse box?

It’s very easy to tell if you have an old-style fuse box or a more modern consumer unit. An old-style fuse box will have a series of fuses contained inside fuse carrier which you can manually remove and replace when one of them goes off following a power overload.

The picture on the top left shows a typical fuse box. A consumer unit, however, will be made of a horizontal row of what is known as MCB (Mini circuit breakers). Each MCB will have a switch which can go off in case of an electrical fault. The picture on the bottom left shows a typical consumer unit.

How much does it cost to replace a fuse box or electrical consumer unit?

The costs of replacing a fuse box or upgrading a consumer unit to a more recent one can vary greatly as it will depend on many factors such as:

• Which type of consumer unit is needed
• The number of circuits required
• How old the exiting installation is

It is best to speak to one of our qualified electricians first to get a free quote. A typical replacement (labour and parts) will cost between £550 and £850 and will include:



• A consumer unit
• NICEIC electrical installation certificate and part P notification to building control

The quote in this example does not include the earth and bonding check, which need to be carried out before the replacement takes place. The earth and bonding inspection will establish if there is any fault in the existing installation which need to be addressed before the fuse box can be replaced.