0800 050 2424 · NICEIC Registered · Certificated on Completion
If your fuse board is old, frequently tripping, or no longer coping with the demands of a modern home, ATO Solutions can replace it. We carry out fuse board replacements — also known as consumer unit upgrades — for homes and businesses across Wimbledon and the wider South West London area, bringing older installations up to current safety standards.
Based in Wimbledon, SW19, our NICEIC-registered electricians have over 17 years’ experience. Every replacement is carried out to the current IET Wiring Regulations (BS 7671), fully tested, and certificated on completion — giving you documented proof that your new installation is safe and compliant.
What Is a Fuse Board?
Your fuse board — more accurately called a consumer unit — is the heart of your property’s electrical system. It is the box, usually near your electricity meter, that takes the incoming electricity supply and distributes it to the individual circuits around your property: lighting, sockets, cooker, shower, and so on. It also houses the protective devices that disconnect a circuit when something goes wrong.
The terms fuse board, fuse box, and consumer unit are used more or less interchangeably. Strictly, “fuse box” describes the older type with rewirable fuses, while “consumer unit” describes the modern type with circuit breakers and RCD protection — but most people use all three to mean the same thing.
Why Replace Your Fuse Board?
Older boards often fall short of what modern homes need, and what current electrical regulations require. Common reasons for replacement include:
- No RCD protection — older boards using rewirable fuses or basic circuit breakers may lack Residual Current Devices (RCDs), which cut the power within milliseconds if a fault occurs. RCD protection is one of the most important electrical safety measures in any property, guarding against electric shocks and electrical fires.
- Nuisance tripping — a board that trips repeatedly for no clear reason may be struggling with the load of a modern home, or masking an underlying fault such as a faulty appliance or deteriorating wiring that needs investigating.
- No surge protection — modern consumer units can incorporate Surge Protection Devices (SPDs), which guard sensitive electronics against damage from a power surge. Older boards offer no such protection.
- Adding new circuits — if you are adding an electric shower, EV charger, loft conversion, extension, or additional circuits, an older board may not have the capacity to accommodate them safely.
- Age and condition — older boards, particularly those with rewirable fuses or made of outdated materials, may no longer meet current standards and are frequently flagged during an EICR.
- Selling or letting — an outdated consumer unit is often raised during a property sale or an Electrical Installation Condition Report on a rental property.
What a Modern Consumer Unit Gives You
A modern consumer unit does considerably more than the old fuse boxes it replaces:
- RCD protection that disconnects the supply the instant it detects a dangerous fault, helping prevent electric shock and fire
- The ability to reset a tripped circuit at the flick of a switch, rather than replacing a blown fuse wire
- Individual protection for each circuit, so a short circuit or fault on one does not necessarily take out others
- Capacity for additional circuits, giving you room to expand as your electrical needs grow
- Optional surge protection to guard against power surges
- Compliance with current wiring regulations (BS 7671)
Modern units use circuit breakers (MCBs) and RCDs — or combined RCBOs — in place of the old rewirable fuses. This is a significant safety improvement: a blown fuse in an old board could be, and sometimes was, “fixed” with fuse wire of the wrong rating, defeating the protection entirely. A modern breaker simply resets, and cannot be tampered with in the same way.
Types of Consumer Unit
Not every consumer unit is the same, and the right one depends on the property and how it is used. When we quote for a replacement, we will recommend the most appropriate type for your installation:
- Standard dual-RCD units — the most common choice for domestic properties, splitting the circuits across two RCDs so that a fault on one group of circuits does not disconnect the whole property.
- High integrity consumer units — these provide additional resilience by allowing critical circuits to be kept separate, reducing the risk of a single fault taking out multiple circuits. Useful where continuity of supply matters.
- RCBO units — where each circuit has its own combined breaker and RCD, so a fault on one circuit affects only that circuit and nothing else. This offers the highest level of discrimination and is increasingly the preferred option.
We will explain the options in plain terms and recommend what genuinely suits your property, rather than simply fitting the most expensive unit available.
Signs Your Fuse Board May Need Replacing
It is not always obvious that a board needs attention. Some signs worth looking out for:
- The board has old-style rewirable fuses rather than plastic circuit breaker switches
- Circuits trip frequently for no obvious reason
- The board is made of an older material such as cast iron or wood, or has a wooden back
- There is no RCD — no test button anywhere on the unit
- The board feels warm, or shows any scorching or discolouration
- You are adding load — a new shower, EV charger, or extension
- An EICR has flagged the consumer unit as a C2 or C3 observation
If any of these apply, it is worth having the board assessed. We will give you an honest view of whether a replacement is genuinely needed or whether a smaller piece of remedial work would do.
Fully Tested and Certificated
Replacing a fuse board is notifiable work under Part P of the Building Regulations. This means it must either be carried out by a registered competent person or notified to your local building control department. As a NICEIC-registered contractor, we self-certify our work, which means you do not need to arrange a separate inspection with local building control — we handle the notification and issue the appropriate certificate on completion, confirming the work meets current standards.
As part of a replacement, we also check that the surrounding installation and existing wiring are safe to connect to the new board. Occasionally a replacement uncovers a wider issue with the wiring — if that happens, we will explain clearly what we have found and what your options are before going any further.
Why Choose ATO Solutions?
- NICEIC-registered — independently assessed, fully certificated work
- Based in Wimbledon — genuinely local to South West London, with fast response and no inflated travel charges
- 17+ years’ experience across domestic and commercial electrical work
- Fully tested on completion — with the certificate to prove it
- Honest advice — if a full replacement is not what you actually need, we will tell you
- Transparent pricing — quoted upfront, before any work begins
Areas We Cover
We are based at 60 Windsor Avenue, Wimbledon, SW19, and carry out fuse board replacements across South West London, including:
- Wimbledon (SW19, SW20) — Village, town centre, South and West Wimbledon
- Merton — Raynes Park, Merton Park, Morden, Mitcham, Colliers Wood
- Wandsworth — Tooting, Balham, Battersea, Putney, Earlsfield
- Kingston, Sutton, Richmond, and Lambeth
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a fuse board replacement take?
Most domestic consumer unit replacements are completed within a day. The exact time depends on the number of circuits and whether any remedial work is needed to bring the installation up to standard before the new board can be connected. We will give you a realistic timeframe when we quote.
Will my power be off during the work?
Yes, the power needs to be off for part of the job while the old board is removed and the new one installed and tested. We keep the disruption to a minimum and will let you know what to expect before we start.
How much does a fuse board replacement cost?
Consumer unit replacement prices depend on several factors: the number of circuits, the type of consumer unit required (standard, high integrity, or full RCBO), the installation location and how accessible it is, and whether any remedial work is needed to bring the existing wiring up to standard before the new board can be connected. Occasionally this remedial work adds to the final cost, which is why we always assess the installation properly before quoting. We provide a clear, no-obligation quote upfront, so you know exactly what you are paying before any work begins. Call us on 0800 050 2424 for a quote.
Is a consumer unit replacement a legal requirement?
There is no law that forces you to replace a working consumer unit simply because it is old. However, any electrical installation must be safe, and replacement work — like all notifiable electrical work — must comply with the current wiring regulations and Part P of the Building Regulations. If an EICR identifies your consumer unit as dangerous or potentially dangerous (a C1 or C2), remedial action is required to keep the installation safe and, for rental properties, to remain compliant with your legal obligations as a landlord.
What is surge protection, and do I need it?
A Surge Protection Device (SPD) protects your installation and the electronics connected to it from sudden voltage spikes — caused by anything from lightning strikes to switching events on the electricity supply. Under the current wiring regulations, surge protection is now required in many situations, particularly where a surge could affect safety or result in significant damage. We can advise whether an SPD is recommended or required for your property as part of a consumer unit replacement.
Do I need a new fuse board if my EICR flagged it?
Not necessarily — it depends on the code assigned. A C1 or C2 observation relating to the consumer unit usually does require action, while a C3 is a recommendation rather than a requirement. We can review your EICR findings and advise on the right course of action. See our EICR page for more.
What is the difference between a fuse board and a consumer unit?
They refer to the same thing. “Fuse board” and “fuse box” are the older terms, and “consumer unit” is the modern name for the up-to-date version with circuit breakers and RCD protection. When we replace a fuse board, we are installing a modern consumer unit.
Book a Fuse Board Replacement
For a quote or to arrange a visit, call ATO Solutions on 0800 050 2424, email info@ato-solutions.co.uk, or use the contact form on this page.
ATO Solutions — NICEIC Registered · Based in Wimbledon SW19 · 17+ Years Experience
