How do I know if my consumer unit needs replacing?

Signs include an old ceramic fuse board with rewireable fuses, no spare circuit ways left, frequent nuisance tripping, or an electrician flagging it as outdated during an inspection.

Will I lose power for long during the upgrade?

The main supply usually needs to be isolated for part of the job, generally a few hours rather than days, but timing depends on the complexity and whether TNB needs to be involved.

Is this the same as a full rewire?

No. A consumer unit upgrade replaces the board and protection devices. A full rewire replaces the cabling throughout the property. Many jobs only need the board upgraded.

Consumer unit and switchboard upgrade or replacement

This is a specific, bounded job within rewiring work: swapping out an old fuse box or undersized consumer unit for a modern one with proper ELCB/RCCB protection and enough breaker ways for current household load. It is different from a full house rewire, and different from a one-off socket repair, which is why it is worth separating out.

Typical triggers are an old ceramic fuse board that still uses rewireable fuses, a consumer unit that has run out of spare ways after adding aircon or an EV charger circuit, or a unit flagged as non-compliant during a property sale or renovation. An electrician will assess your current load, check earthing, and size the new board and main breaker accordingly.

Useful if you are adding aircon units, an EV charger or solar inverter and the existing board has no spare capacity
Also common when older landed houses still run on an old-style fuse board rather than a modern breaker panel
The electrician should test earthing and bonding as part of the upgrade, not just swap the box

What it costs

The price depends on the number of ways (circuits) in the new consumer unit, whether the main incoming cable and earthing also need upgrading, and how accessible the existing board is. A straightforward like-for-like swap costs less than an upgrade that also involves rerouting circuits or increasing the main supply size.

Top 3 by our score

Ranked from our published scoring of public Google reviews for rewiring & renovation electrical work.

1. TK Electricians
5.0★ · 344 reviews

94
2. Sd Paint Construction & Renovation
5.0★ · 151 reviews

93
3. Sense Lite Sdn. Bhd.
4.9★ · 376 reviews

93

FAQ

How do I know if my consumer unit needs replacing?: Signs include an old ceramic fuse board with rewireable fuses, no spare circuit ways left, frequent nuisance tripping, or an electrician flagging it as outdated during an inspection.
Will I lose power for long during the upgrade?: The main supply usually needs to be isolated for part of the job, generally a few hours rather than days, but timing depends on the complexity and whether TNB needs to be involved.
Is this the same as a full rewire?: No. A consumer unit upgrade replaces the board and protection devices. A full rewire replaces the cabling throughout the property. Many jobs only need the board upgraded.