Consumer unit upgrades
Consumer Unit Upgrade Electrician in Harrogate
An old fuse box, no RCD protection, or a board showing signs of heat? A modern consumer unit protects every circuit separately, and it’s usually a one-day job.
The consumer unit decides how fast the power cuts out when something goes wrong. Older boards with rewireable fuses or a single RCD across everything leave you more exposed and can plunge the whole house into darkness when one appliance fails.
A new board with RCBOs protects each circuit on its own, and surge protection guards electronics against spikes. Before the swap, every circuit in your Harrogate home is tested, because a new board can reveal faults the old one was masking. If something changes the picture, you get a phone call before anything else happens.
Time to upgrade if
- You still have a rewireable fuse box
- There’s no RCD protection, or one RCD for everything
- The board is plastic and sits under the stairs
- There are scorch marks, buzzing or a hot smell
- One fault takes out half the house
- You’re adding an EV charger, heat pump or extension and there are no spare ways
How a board change works
- Test the existing circuits
Earthing, bonding and every circuit are checked first.
- Fit and label
The new metal-cased board goes in, with every way clearly labelled.
- Certify
Everything is tested, you get an Electrical Installation Certificate and the work is notified under Part P.
Boards in Harrogate’s older homes
Plenty of Harrogate houses, from Victorian villas to 1930s semis, have boards that were fitted decades ago, often in a cellar or under the stairs. Larger homes with extensions, garden rooms and EV chargers frequently need a bigger board with spare ways for the future.
Consumer unit questions
How much does a new consumer unit cost?
It depends on the number of circuits, the state of the earthing and bonding, and what we find once the old board is off. We quote a fixed price before we start.
Do I definitely need to upgrade?
Not automatically. If you have an old fuse box, no RCD protection or signs of heat damage, it’s worth doing. If your board is in good order, we’ll tell you.
Will I get a certificate?
Yes: an Electrical Installation Certificate, plus a Building Regulations compliance certificate once the work is notified.
Thinking about a new consumer unit?
Send a photo of your board and we can often give you a price straight away.