Consumer Unit Upgrades
in Crawley
Modern Protection for Your Home

Your fuse board is the single most important safety device in your home. If yours is more than 15 years old, it almost certainly lacks the RCD protection required by current regulations — leaving your family exposed to electrical shock and fire.

Over 500 consumer units upgraded across Surrey and Sussex — all to 18th Edition standards

What Is a Consumer Unit Upgrade?

A consumer unit (commonly called a fuse board or fuse box) is the central distribution point for electricity in your home. It contains the main switch, circuit breakers (MCBs), and residual current devices (RCDs) that protect every circuit — from your lighting and sockets to your cooker and shower.

Older consumer units often use rewirable fuses or cartridge fuses that provide limited protection. They lack RCD coverage, which is the technology that detects earth faults and disconnects the supply within milliseconds — fast enough to prevent fatal electric shock.

A consumer unit upgrade replaces your existing board with a modern, regulation-compliant unit fitted with dual RCD protection, individual MCBs for each circuit, and surge protection where appropriate. This brings your home's electrical safety up to the current BS 7671 18th Edition standard.

Lambourn Electrical Services carries out consumer unit upgrades across Crawley, Horsham, Redhill, Reigate, and the wider Surrey and Sussex area. Every installation is Part P certified, Building Control notified, and backed by our 12-month workmanship guarantee.

The Hidden Danger of an Outdated Fuse Board

If your consumer unit still uses rewirable fuses, it cannot react to electrical faults fast enough to prevent serious harm. Rewirable fuses operate on a thermal principle — they melt when overloaded. But this takes time. In the case of an earth fault, that delay can be the difference between a trip and a fatality.

Modern RCDs detect fault current as low as 30 milliamps and disconnect the circuit within 40 milliseconds. That speed is specifically designed to prevent electrocution. Without RCD protection, touching a faulty appliance while standing on a damp floor could deliver a lethal shock.

Outdated fuse boards are also a fire risk. Loose connections in old units generate heat. Over time, this can melt terminal blocks and ignite surrounding materials. Electrical fires caused by consumer unit faults are among the most destructive because they originate at the heart of your home's wiring.

Insurance companies increasingly scrutinise the condition of electrical installations after claims. If your fuse board does not meet current standards, your insurer may reduce or reject a claim related to an electrical fault. An upgrade is not just a safety measure — it protects your financial position too.

Consumer Unit Specifications and Technical Detail

We install consumer units from leading UK manufacturers including Hager, Wylex, and Schneider Electric. These brands are specified because of their track record for reliability, build quality, and compliance with the latest BS EN 61439 standards for low-voltage switchgear assemblies.

A standard domestic upgrade typically involves a 10-way or 12-way dual RCD consumer unit. The dual RCD configuration divides your circuits into two groups, each protected by a separate 63A 30mA RCD. This means that if one RCD trips, you retain power to half your circuits — typically keeping either your lighting or your sockets operational.

For larger properties or homes with complex installations (solar panels, EV chargers, underfloor heating), we may recommend a split-load board with additional RCBO protection. RCBOs combine the function of an MCB and RCD in a single device, providing individual fault protection per circuit without affecting neighbouring circuits.

Surge Protection Devices (SPDs) are now recommended under the 18th Edition Amendment 2 for most domestic installations. We fit Type 2 SPDs as standard where the installation warrants it. These protect against transient overvoltages that can damage sensitive electronics, broadband routers, and smart home equipment.

Every upgrade includes a full assessment of your earthing and main bonding. If your earthing system is inadequate (for example, if you have an old TT earthing arrangement without an adequate earth electrode), we will upgrade it as part of the installation. Correct earthing is essential for RCDs to function properly.

After installation, every circuit is tested using calibrated multifunction test instruments. We measure insulation resistance, earth fault loop impedance, prospective fault current, and RCD trip times. These results are recorded on your Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC), which you should keep with your property documents.

The installation is notified to your local Building Control authority in accordance with Part P of the Building Regulations. You receive a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate, which is required for property sales and rental compliance.

Frequently Asked Questions