What electrical work costs
Consumer Unit Replacement Cost: Fuse Box Upgrade Prices
Replacing a fuse box means buying a new consumer unit, paying for the fitting and having the old board taken away, and the total rises with the number of circuits in your home. Here are the UK prices by home size and by part, what an RCBO or dual RCD unit changes, and the certificates you should get once the work is done.
Fuse box replacement cost by home size
Checkatrade’s consumer unit cost guide, with prices last updated in June 2026, puts replacing a fuse box with a populated 10-way RCBO consumer unit at around £485, including installation and excluding VAT. The price rises with the number of circuits, and the same guide sets it by the size of the home.
| Home or consumer unit | Replacement cost |
|---|---|
| Smaller home, 6 circuits | From £350 |
| Populated 10-way RCBO consumer unit | Around £485 |
| Semi-detached house | £550 |
| Large detached house | £750 |
| Larger home, 12 or more circuits | Up to £800 |
Checkatrade’s electrician rates guide prices replacing a fuse box at £450 to £800, with an average of £625, excluding VAT.
Consumer unit parts and labour costs
Checkatrade’s price table splits the job into its parts, each an average excluding VAT.
| Item | Average price |
|---|---|
| Populated 10-way consumer unit with MCBs, supply only | £120 |
| Populated 10-way consumer unit with RCBOs, supply only | £250 |
| Meter tail cables | £4 per metre |
| Installing a consumer unit | £160 |
| Replacing a circuit breaker | £52.50 |
| Removing a fuse box or consumer unit | £75 |
| Electrical inspection | £210 |
On Checkatrade’s figures, installation labour stays around £160 whichever type of unit goes in, and a standard replacement takes 4 to 7 hours. The headline £485 is three of those rows added together.
Replacing a fuse box with a 10-way RCBO consumer unit
| Populated 10-way RCBO consumer unit, supply only | £250 |
|---|---|
| Installing the consumer unit | £160 |
| Removing the old fuse box | £75 |
Total £485
Every row is a Checkatrade average excluding VAT. Moving the consumer unit costs £400, and moving it with the incoming mains cable from the street £2,000 or more.
Replacing the cables to every socket and light is a full rewire, priced as a separate job.
RCBO, dual RCD and high integrity units compared
In a consumer unit, an MCB (miniature circuit breaker) trips on overloads and short circuits, an RCD (residual current device) trips when current leaks to earth, and an RCBO does both. RCDs are tested to trip within 30 milliseconds, so leaking current cuts the power almost instantly.
Checkatrade’s supply-only prices change with the type of unit.
| Consumer unit type | Supply-only price |
|---|---|
| Main switch, part populated | £30 to £200 |
| Dual RCD, part populated | £80 to £200 |
| High integrity, populated | £70 to £250 |
With RCBOs, every circuit has its own RCBO, which gives full circuit separation. The components cost more, and a populated 10-way RCBO unit averages £250 supply only, against £120 with MCBs. On a dual RCD unit, everyday circuits such as lights and sockets share an RCD. A high integrity unit balances the two designs.
When the electrics keep tripping, an RCBO unit switches off only the circuit with the fault, while on a dual RCD unit one fault can switch off several areas of the house at once.
When to upgrade an old fuse board
A consumer unit typically lasts 20 to 30 years, and it should be inspected every 10 years in an owner-occupied home and every 5 years in a rented one. An older fuse box with no RCD protection can get it from a separate RCD device or a consumer unit upgrade.
Adding an EV charger at home can involve the consumer unit too, and Checkatrade lists a fuse box replacement or upgrade among the possible extras for that job, at £350 or more.
Part P rules and certificates for a new consumer unit
The Planning Portal lists the installation of a new consumer unit or fuse box as notifiable work, and advises using a registered competent person, an installer on a competent person scheme who can self-certify that the work complies with the building regulations. You can check an electrician on the electrical competent person register at electricalcompetentperson.co.uk.
Do not book an installer who cannot self-certify the work
If the electrician is not on a competent person scheme, the new consumer unit has to be inspected, approved and certificated by the council's building control, a private registered building control approver or, in England only, an electrician on a third-party certification scheme.
Once the new unit is in, a registered electrician arranges for you to receive a Building Regulations compliance certificate within 30 days, and for the council to be notified. You should also get a completed Electrical Installation Certificate showing the work has been tested for safety.
Checks and certificates for a new consumer unit
- The electrician is on the electrical competent person register
- The quote says the work will be self-certified under Part P
- The quote names the certificates you will receive
- A completed Electrical Installation Certificate when the work is finished
- A Building Regulations compliance certificate within 30 days
Comparing consumer unit quotes in Nottingham
Quotes for a new consumer unit only compare when they describe the same job. Each one should name the type of unit and how many ways it has, include taking the old fuse box away, confirm the work will be self-certified under Part P and say whether VAT is added.
Asking for a consumer unit quote
Do this
Please quote to replace our fuse box with a populated 10-way RCBO consumer unit, including taking the old fuse box away. Confirm you will self-certify the work under Part P, name the certificates we will get, and say whether the price includes VAT.
Not this
How much to change a fuse box?
Among the ten Nottingham electricians we compare, A4S Elite Electrical is Part P approved and upgrades fuseboards across NG5, Arnold, Gedling and Mapperley on fixed price quotes, with same-day surveys. Urgent Electrical Services in the city centre replaces consumer units, takes online bookings at fixed prices with no call-out fees and gives a 12-month warranty on its work. Definitive Electrical Solutions in Eastwood fits consumer units and is NICEIC, TrustMark and SafeContractor approved.
Common questions
How much does it cost to replace a fuse box?
Replacing a fuse box with a populated 10-way RCBO consumer unit costs around £485 including installation, excluding VAT, on Checkatrade's consumer unit cost guide. On the same guide, a smaller home with 6 circuits costs from £350 and a larger home with 12 or more circuits up to £800. Checkatrade's electrician rates guide gives £450 to £800 for replacing a fuse box, with an average of £625, excluding VAT.
How much does an RCBO consumer unit cost?
A populated 10-way consumer unit with RCBOs costs around £250 supply only, on Checkatrade's figures, against £120 for the same unit with MCBs. Installed, with the old fuse box taken away, the RCBO unit comes to around £485 excluding VAT.
How long does it take to replace a consumer unit?
A standard consumer unit replacement takes 4 to 7 hours, on Checkatrade's figures. Installation labour costs around £160 whichever type of unit is fitted.
Do you need a certificate for a new consumer unit?
Yes, a new consumer unit is notifiable work under Part P, and the electrician should give you a completed Electrical Installation Certificate showing the work has been tested for safety. A registered competent person self-certifies the work and arranges for you to receive a Building Regulations compliance certificate within 30 days.
How often should a consumer unit be replaced?
A consumer unit typically lasts 20 to 30 years, on Checkatrade's figures. It should be inspected every 10 years in an owner-occupied home and every 5 years in a rented one, and an electrical inspection averages £210 excluding VAT.
How much does it cost to move a consumer unit?
Moving a consumer unit costs £400 on Checkatrade's figures. Moving it together with the incoming mains cable from the street costs £2,000 or more.
Where the figures come from
- Checkatrade, consumer unit replacement cost guide read 2026-09-17
- Checkatrade, electrician hourly rate guide read 2026-09-17
- Checkatrade, why an RCD keeps tripping read 2026-09-17
- Checkatrade, electric car charger installation cost guide read 2026-09-17
- Planning Portal, electrics building regulations general information read 2026-09-16
- Planning Portal, electrics building regulations checking for safety read 2026-09-17
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