Consumer units (fuse boards) in Reading.

What’s involved

If your fuse board still uses rewireable fuses, has plastic enclosures, or trips half the house when one circuit faults, it is due an upgrade. A modern 18th Edition consumer unit has metal enclosure, RCBOs on every circuit (so a fault on the kitchen does not take out the upstairs lights), and a Type 2 Surge Protection Device to protect electronics against grid spikes. The work usually takes 4–6 hours, leaves the property fully tested, and comes with an Electrical Installation Certificate.

FAQs

Common questions

• How long will the power be off for?

  Usually 3–5 hours. We give you a window to keep the freezer closed and run important appliances beforehand. Power is restored circuit by circuit as we test.
• Why RCBOs instead of a split-load board?

  RCBOs give per-circuit protection. On a split-load board, an earth-leakage fault on the dishwasher trips the whole half of the house. With RCBOs, only the dishwasher circuit drops out — the rest of the house keeps running.
• Do I need a surge protection device?

  BS 7671 requires SPD consideration on all new installations and most upgrades. Practically, an SPD is the cheap insurance for £40–£60 of components against a thousand pounds of damaged TVs, boilers and appliances after a grid spike.
• Will my old wiring still work with a new board?

  Usually yes — the new board is designed to protect the existing circuits more sensitively. We run insulation resistance and earth fault loop tests on every circuit before recommissioning. Anything that fails is flagged in writing with a remedial quote; nothing is changed without your sign-off.
• Will the meter need moving or upgrading?

  Not usually. Meter and tails are the supplier's responsibility (UK Power Networks or Octopus). If we spot tails that are too short, undersized, or pre-1990 we will tell you and arrange the supplier visit before booking the consumer unit work.

Other services

Related work we do

• Domestic electrical workInstallations, repairs and alterations across the home.
• EICR inspections & certificatesPeriodic safety reports for homeowners and landlords.
• Fault-finding & repairsTracking down trips, dead sockets, and intermittent issues.
• Lighting installationIndoor and outdoor lighting, LED panels, dimmers, downlights.
• Sockets & switchesAdditional sockets, USB outlets, outdoor sockets, switches.
• EV charger installationHome EV chargers, OZEV-compatible where applicable.