Are you considering replacing your fusebox with a consumer unit? Replacing your old fuse box and upgrading it with a new consumer unit could significantly improve the electrical safety of your home or business, as well as increase the value of your property if you are looking to sell. Stone’s Electrical Solutions offer Consumer Unit upgrades and fusebox replacements for all kinds of properties – commercial and domestic. Get in touch if you need help with a new fusebox replacement or consumer unit installation in Sussex or Surrey.
We’ll be able to assess the condition of your existing fuse box or consumer unit, and ascertain whether it is safe for use and adheres to current electrical regulations. If not, you may need a consumer unit upgrade which we will be able to install quickly and efficiently, causing as little inconvenience as possible to your family or business. All the consumer units we install will come with all the relevant documentation and certification to prove that it meets current electrical wiring regulations.
If you would like a free no obligation quote to upgrade your fusebox, then please get in touch.
What is a Consumer Unit?
Put simply, a consumer unit is a modern version of a fusebox. While most people still refer to the part in their home where electricity is controlled and distributed as ‘the fusebox’, if you have had it upgraded or replaced in recent years then your home most likely has a consumer unit. These upgraded units are essentially a lot safer than outdated fuseboxes, but still carry out the exact same function. A modern unit will contain a main switch, MCBs (miniature circuit breakers), RCDs (residual current devices) or RCBO’s which is what we fit at Stone’s. These are what we fit as standard as each circuit is covered by its own Specific RCD, rather than one RCD covering several circuits. The consumer unit (or in the past fusebox or fuse board) is essentially the electrical beating heart of any electrical installation, responsible for powering the circuits in the building.
Fusebox Consumer Unit FAQs:
Do I need surge protection on my consumer unit?
Surge protection is now mandatory for many domestic and commercial installations. We always fit surge protection as standard.
Do plastic consumer units need to be replaced?
Although metal consumer units are considered safer due to greater fire protection, not all plastic consumer units need to be upgraded. It’s more important for safety to consider what is inside the board protecting your circuits. For example, if you have a plastic board with RCDs or RCBOs of the correct type already installed, perhaps it’s not time for an upgrade just yet.
If you don’t have it and would like surge protection added, this can be installed separately to your consumer unit.
How much to replace a consumer unit?
Costs vary depending on the number of circuits, the location of the installation and the condition of the existing wiring. Costs for the main consumer unit in a house start at around £350 + vat.
If faults are found in the existing wiring that poses a safety concern, they must be rectified at the time to allow us to sign off the installation as safe. There is an extra hourly charge for fault finding.
Some commercial premises now require AFDDs (protective devices installed in consumer units to provide protection from arc faults), we can help customers work out if they will require arc fault detections within their properties.
If you have a question, then please get in touch, we’d be happy to advise.
Areas We Service
We serve domestic households and commercial businesses across the Sussex and Surrey area with surroundings towns including:
Why Choose Us
We are proud to offer our customers a professional and reliable service across Sussex and Surrey, find out more about what we offer our customers:
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If you’d like to enquire about our services, discuss an upcoming project, ask a question or to get your free, no-obligation quote, get in touch!