Consumer Unit Specialists

Consumer Units.
Upgraded. Protected. Certified.

Old rewireable-fuse and early plastic boards no longer meet the wiring regulations. We test, maintain and replace consumer units and distribution boards with 18th Edition metal-clad RCBO enclosures and surge protection — inspected against BS 7671 and certified as notifiable work under Part P.

NICEIC REGISTERED BS 7671 18TH EDITION BUILDING REGS PART P METAL-CLAD RCBO + SPD
Why it matters

The standards we work to

Every board we test, maintain or replace is specified and certified against the current wiring regulations and the statutory duties your property type is held to.

BS 7671:2018+A2:2022

18th Edition wiring regs

Amendment 2 requires non-combustible (metal) enclosures for consumer units in domestic premises and RCD/RCBO protection on final circuits.

BS EN 61439-3

Consumer units & boards

The product standard for low-voltage consumer units and distribution boards — every board we fit is a compliant, type-tested assembly.

BS 7671 §443 / §534

Surge protection (SPD)

Sets when a surge protection device is required and how it is coordinated and installed within the consumer unit to protect against transient overvoltage.

Building Regs Part P

Notifiable work

Replacing a consumer unit is notifiable work — we self-certify under our registration and issue Building Regulations compliance.

Electrical Safety Standards (PRS) Regs 2020

Landlord duty

A board that fails inspection triggers remedial action within 28 days at private rented properties in England — replacement is often the fix.

Electricity at Work Regs 1989

Workplace duty

Requires distribution boards in any workplace to be maintained in a safe condition to prevent danger to persons.

Board types

Know your board — from fuse wire to full RCBO

Consumer units have moved through several generations. We identify what you have, explain how it protects (or doesn't), and specify the right replacement for your installation.

FUSE

Rewireable-fuse board — obsolete, no RCD protection, replacement strongly advised

MCB

MCB board with a single RCD — dated, one fault trips the whole board

SPLIT-LOAD

Dual-RCD split-load board — circuits split across two RCDs, still nuisance-prone

RCBO

Full RCBO board — individual RCD+MCB per circuit, faults isolate to one circuit

METAL 18TH

Metal-clad 18th Edition enclosure — non-combustible, the current compliant standard

BOARD + SPD

Metal-clad RCBO board with surge protection device fitted per BS 7671 §443

Where we work

Every sector puts a different demand on the board

The right board and protection level depends on how the installation is used and by whom — we specify to the sector, not a generic minimum.

FULL RCBO

Domestic (owner-occ)

Metal-clad 18th Edition board with SPD as the standard upgrade

FULL RCBO

Private Rented

Replacement to clear C1/C2 findings under the PRS Regs 2020

FULL RCBO

HMO

Board upgrades tied to licence conditions and fire strategy

SUB-BOARDS

Residential Blocks

Landlord supply board plus individual flat consumer units

3-PHASE DB

Commercial / Office

Three-phase distribution board replacement with SPD and metering

3-PHASE DB

Industrial / Warehouse

Heavy-duty distribution boards, sub-mains and switchgear

FULL RCBO

Education

Board upgrades scheduled around term breaks and holidays

ROBUST + SPD

Healthcare & Care Homes

Resilient boards with surge protection for critical circuits

FULL RCBO

Hospitality & Hotels

Guest-area and kitchen distribution boards upgraded out of hours

SUB-BOARDS

Student Accommodation

Block distribution and per-room boards on a whole-site programme

Replacement options

Straight swap, full 18th Edition upgrade, or board plus circuits

A consumer unit is the heart of the installation. Pick the level that matches the age of your board and how much of the wiring behind it needs bringing up to standard.

Tier 1
RCBO Board Replacement
£450/ single-phase, fitted

A like-for-like upgrade to a modern consumer unit with individual RCBO protection on every circuit.

  • Full RCBO consumer unit supplied & fitted
  • Circuit testing before & after swap
  • Electrical Installation Certificate issued
  • Part P Building Regs notification
Choose RCBO Board
Tier 3
Board + Circuit Upgrades
£1,150/ typical scope, fitted

Metal-clad board with SPD plus remedial work on the circuits that fail inspection when the board comes off.

  • Everything in Metal-Clad 18th Edition + SPD
  • Tails, meter connection & earthing upgrade
  • Remedial repair of failing final circuits
  • Satisfactory EICR issued on completion
Choose Board + Circuits
Commercial / Portfolio
Enterprise Plan
Customquoted per board or portfolio

Three-phase distribution boards, sub-mains and multi-site board replacement programmes.

  • Three-phase distribution board replacement
  • Out-of-hours & phased changeover to limit downtime
  • Portfolio board condition survey & schedule
  • Full compliance pack per site
Request a scope
Previous work

Board upgrades across every sector

A representative sample of recent consumer unit and distribution board work. Full case studies and references available on request.

Single-Let Home
Domestic · Hertfordshire

Plastic board → metal RCBO

Ageing plastic split-load unit replaced with a metal-clad 18th Edition board and Type 2 SPD.

BS 7671 / Part PCertified — SPD fitted
6-Bed HMO
HMO · London

Rewireable-fuse board replaced

Obsolete fuse-wire board removed and replaced with a fully RCBO-protected metal consumer unit.

PRS Regs 2020C2 cleared — board replaced
Victorian Terrace
Domestic · London

Split-load to full RCBO

Dual-RCD board upgraded to individual RCBOs, ending nuisance tripping across the whole property.

BS 7671Certified — 0 defects
Office Block
Commercial · London

Three-phase DB replacement

Main three-phase distribution board replaced out of hours with SPD and updated circuit schedule.

BS EN 61439-3Certified — no downtime
Distribution Warehouse
Industrial · Essex

Sub-main & board upgrade

Loading-bay sub-distribution board replaced and re-fed with correctly rated protective devices.

BS 7671Certified — SPD fitted
Care Home
Healthcare · Surrey

Resilient board + SPD retrofit

Surge protection retrofitted and a failing board replaced to protect critical care circuits.

BS 7671 §443Certified — C1 resolved
Boutique Hotel
Hospitality · London

Kitchen DB replacement

Commercial kitchen distribution board replaced overnight with a metal-clad RCBO board.

BS 7671 / Part PCertified — out of hours
Purpose-Built Flats
Residential Block · London

Landlord supply + flat boards

Communal landlord distribution board upgraded alongside individual flat consumer units.

BS 7671Certified — 12 boards
Student Halls
Student Accommodation · Essex

Whole-block board programme

Phased replacement of distribution boards across a 120-room block during the summer break.

BS EN 61439-3Certified — full block

Representative examples — site names withheld for client confidentiality. Ask for references relevant to your sector.

Coverage

Areas we serve

Accredited consumer unit and distribution board engineers across London and the South East, with every certificate logged to your compliance record wherever your properties are.

London — all 33 boroughs

Every borough, one service team

CamdenIslingtonHackneyWestminsterKensingtonChelseaHammersmithFulhamWandsworthLambethSouthwarkTower HamletsNewhamBarnetEnfieldHaringeyWaltham ForestRedbridgeHounslowEalingBrentHarrowHillingdonCroydonBromleyLewishamMertonSutton

Hertfordshire

WatfordSt AlbansStevenageWelwyn Garden CityHatfieldHertfordCheshuntPotters BarHarpenden

Essex

ChelmsfordColchesterBasildonSouthendBrentwoodHarlowEppingLoughton

Kent

MaidstoneCanterburyDartfordMedwayTunbridge WellsSevenoaks

Surrey

GuildfordWokingEpsomReigateCamberley

Berkshire

ReadingSloughWindsorMaidenheadBracknell

Buckinghamshire

Milton KeynesAylesburyHigh Wycombe

Bedfordshire

LutonBedfordDunstable

Norfolk

NorwichKing's LynnGreat Yarmouth

Suffolk

IpswichBury St EdmundsLowestoft

Cambridgeshire

CambridgePeterboroughEly
Ad-hoc pricing

Prefer to pay per job? Fixed prices for that too

Every consumer unit and distribution board service is available as a one-off, fixed price agreed upfront before we start.

ServiceStandardFrom
Testing & Inspection
Consumer unit / board condition inspectionBS 7671£95
RCD / RCBO trip-time test (per device)BS 7671£15
Board thermal & connection checkBS 7671£75
Replacement Boards
RCBO consumer unit (single-phase, fitted)BS 7671 / Part P£450
Metal-clad 18th Edition board + SPDBS 7671 / Part P£595
Board + circuit upgrades (typical scope)BS 7671 / Part P£1,150
Commercial three-phase distribution boardBS EN 61439-3Custom quote
Add-ons
Surge protection device (SPD) retrofitBS 7671 §443£120
Additional way / circuit added to boardBS 7671£85
Tails, meter connection & earthing upgradeBS 7671£180
Book or enquire

Book a visit, or send us your enquiry

Domestic and single-property jobs — book a live slot instantly. HMO, commercial and portfolio work — send an enquiry and we'll come back with a fixed quote.

Book a live slot

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Send an enquiry

Sent securely to our team — no email app required.

We reply within one working day. For anything urgent, call 0203 908 4790.

Questions

Frequently asked

Is replacing a consumer unit notifiable work?

Yes. Replacing a consumer unit is notifiable under Building Regulations Part P. As a registered installer we self-certify the work and issue the Building Regulations compliance certificate, so you don't need to notify Building Control separately.

Do I need RCBOs, or will a cheaper board do?

The 18th Edition requires RCD protection on final circuits, and individual RCBOs are the recommended way to provide it. Unlike a shared RCD, an RCBO isolates only the faulty circuit — so a fault in the kitchen won't plunge the whole property into darkness.

What is an SPD and do I need one?

A surge protection device (SPD) protects your wiring and appliances from transient overvoltage — for example from lightning or grid switching. BS 7671 §443 requires an SPD in most modern installations unless a documented risk assessment shows it isn't needed, so we fit one as standard.

How long does a consumer unit replacement take?

A straightforward single-phase board swap is usually a same-day job of around four to six hours, including testing and certification. If failing circuits are found once the board is off, we'll agree any remedial work with you before continuing.

Do I have to upgrade from my old fuse board?

There's no law forcing an upgrade in an owner-occupied home, but a rewireable-fuse or early plastic board offers no RCD protection and will typically fail an inspection. For rented properties, a failing board must be remedied within 28 days under the Electrical Safety Standards (PRS) Regulations 2020.