Consumer unit upgrades in Folkestone and across Kent

A consumer unit, or fuse box if that is what you call it, is the thing every circuit in the house runs back through. When it is old it does two things badly: it does not cut the power fast enough when something goes wrong, and it takes half the house out when one circuit trips. A modern board fixes both.

Ours start at £550. Most domestic boards land between £550 and £900 fitted and tested. The spread is not us guessing, it is real differences in the job, and the section below explains exactly what moves it.

What actually moves the price

• How many circuits you have. A small flat on six ways is a different job from a four bedroom house on twelve.
• RCBOs instead of RCDs. An RCBO gives every circuit its own protection, so a fault in the garden lights does not kill the upstairs sockets. It costs more up front and it is the single upgrade most people are glad they paid for.
• Surge protection. A surge protection device fitted into the board protects everything plugged in behind it. Worth it on any house with a lot of electronics.
• Main bonding. Gas and water need bonding conductors of the right size before a new board goes in. On older houses they are often undersized or missing, and that gets found when we look, not after.
• What we find behind it. Old rubber or fabric wiring, a borrowed neutral, or a circuit that will not pass a test. If that turns up you get told before anything is charged.

Signs yours is due

• A board with ceramic fuses and fuse wire, or old rewirable carriers.
• A plastic board rather than a metal one.
• No RCD protection at all, so nothing cuts out fast enough on a shock.
• It trips constantly and resetting it has become a household routine.
• Any scorching, buzzing or warmth at the board itself. That one is not a wait and see.

If you are not sure which of those you have, send a photo. It takes a minute and it is the quickest way to get a real number rather than a range.

If you can smell burning, see smoke or sparks, or anyone has had a shock, ring 999 first. Then switch it off at the fuse box if you can reach it safely, and ring us on 07840 429873 after that.

What the day looks like

Most board changes are a day, some are half a day. The power goes off while the work is done, so it is worth knowing that in advance if you work from home. We test every circuit before the board goes back live, label it so the next person can read it, and clear up after ourselves.

All completed work is inspected, tested and certificated through a registered contractor we work with, and we provide all the required certificates. Where the work is notifiable, certification and any Building Control notification is handled as part of the job, not left with you.

Where we work

Based in Folkestone, covering Hythe, Sandgate, Cheriton and Hawkinge every day, and Dover, Deal, Ashford, Canterbury and Romney Marsh when the job makes the trip worthwhile. On a CT or TN postcode and not sure? Ask.