Bronze
£12/mo
Billed annually at £144Save 20%
Lower rates on every job, plus a free safety certificate each year.
- 5% off labour
- 5% off certificates
- Free safety certificate, once a year
Fuse board replacement in Colchester
Lighting Electrical replaces fuse boards, also called consumer units, in homes and commercial premises across Colchester and nearby Essex towns. We fit the new board, check the circuits and leave you with a certificate.
“Ten years on Colchester housing stock and I have seen most of it: terraces where the lighting circuit has been extended once too often, boards fitted before RCDs were standard, new builds with sockets nowhere near the kitchen. I check the earthing, the bonding and whether the supply will carry another load before I price anything, because the age of a house settles nothing on its own.”
Valandi KotorriElectrician · NAPIT
Who needs a new fuse board
- People book this when the old board is dated, overloaded or flagged on an electrical safety report, known as an EICR. We do the work for homeowners, landlords and small businesses in Colchester and the surrounding Essex towns.
- Many houses still have a wooden or plastic box with rewirable fuses. Those boards lack modern residual current devices, which cut the power if a circuit leaks. We swap them for a consumer unit with the right protection for today’s loads.
- Landlords and buyers often need a new board after an EICR finds missing RCD cover, damaged busbars or circuits that no longer match the labels. We replace the unit and retest the circuits that feed from it.
- An EV charger, solar inverter, electric shower or extra kitchen sockets often needs a spare way. If the old board is full, we fit a larger consumer unit so the new circuit can land cleanly.
What the replacement covers
A fuse board change is the consumer unit and the circuits that leave it. Anything beyond that is priced separately.
Included when agreed
- Isolation of the incoming supply and removal of the existing fuse board
- Supply and fitting of a new consumer unit with RCD or RCBO protection to suit the circuits
- Reconnection of existing circuits and labelling of each way
- Dead and live tests on the circuits that feed from the new board
- An electrical certificate and notification through NAPIT where the work requires it
Not included automatically
- Rewiring damaged cables found in walls, lofts or under floors
- New sockets, lights, showers or chargers that need extra circuits
- Making good plaster, paint or kitchen units around the cupboard
What happens on the day
Power is off while the board is changed. We talk you through the outage before we isolate the supply.
- 01
Arrival and isolation
We confirm the written price, check the meter tails and isolate the supply. Furniture and stored items in front of the cupboard need to be moved so we can work at the board.
- 02
Fitting the new consumer unit
The old fuse board comes off. We mount the new consumer unit, land the tails and earth, and connect each circuit to the correct breaker. Ways are marked as they go in.
- 03
Testing and the certificate
We test insulation, continuity and RCD or RCBO operation, restore the supply and walk the property so lights and sockets come back as expected. You receive the certificate before we leave.
What a new consumer unit costs
Consumer unit replacement starts at £450. That buys taking out the old fuse board, fitting a new consumer unit and testing the circuits that run from it.
- The starting figure is for a straightforward swap on a typical domestic board.
- A metal enclosure, extra circuits or a board in a tight cupboard can add labour time.
- We give a written price before any work starts.
What you get with a new fuse board
You are left with a marked consumer unit, working circuits and paperwork for the change.
- Board replacement and circuit checks
- The old fuse board is gone. Each circuit is on a breaker, marked, and tested from the new consumer unit so you can see what is live and what still needs repair.
- Circuit defects are not concealed in the price
- The from £450 figure is the board swap and the tests that go with it. Burnt cables, high earth readings or a circuit that will not pass stay as separate work, quoted in writing if they appear.
Trusted consumer unit guidance
Two public guides set out how a consumer unit should be changed and when building work in the home affects the electrics.
- Replacing a consumer unitElectrical Safety First sets out how an electrician should isolate the supply, select the enclosure and test circuits after a fuse board change. We follow that method on domestic and small commercial boards.
- Building work and electrical safetyThe government guide covers replacements and repairs in the home, including when electrical work must be notified. A new consumer unit sits in that category, which is why the certificate and NAPIT notice go with the job.
Why customers choose Lighting Electrical
Lighting Electrical manages the work from start to finish. You see a written price before the supply comes off, and you leave with a certificate once the new fuse board is tested.
NAPIT
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Electrical maintenance plans in Colchester
Three yearly plans. Bronze takes 5 percent off labour and certificates and includes one free safety certificate. Silver doubles that to 10 percent and adds next day priority. Gold takes 15 percent off, runs to three free safety certificates a year, and adds same day priority booking with two emergency call outs.
Silver
Popular£20/mo
Billed annually at £240Save 20%
Double the discount, next-day priority, and a free safety certificate each year.
- 10% off labour
- 10% off certificates
- Free safety certificate, once a year
- Next day priority
Gold
£31/mo
Billed annually at £372Save 20%
Best rates, same-day priority booking, three free safety certificates a year.
- 15% off labour
- 15% off certificates
- Free safety certificates, 3 times a year
- Same day priority booking
- 2 emergency call-outs a year
Recent work from Lighting Electrical
These photographs show work completed across the wider service area covered by Lighting Electrical; they are not all presented as fuse board replacement work.
Towns we cover for fuse board work
Consumer units get changed in Colchester itself, in Stanway and Great Horkesley on the edge of it, and as far out as Tiptree, Witham and Silver End.
Fuse board questions
These are the questions people in Colchester and nearby towns ask before we change a fuse board.
How much does fuse board replacement cost?+
Consumer unit replacement starts at £450. A larger board, a metal enclosure or awkward access can take the labour above that starting figure. We confirm the written price before we isolate the supply.
— Valandi Kotorri
How long is the power off?+
A straightforward domestic swap is usually done in one visit. The supply stays off from isolation until the new consumer unit is tested and switched back on.
— Valandi Kotorri
Do I need a certificate for a new consumer unit?+
Yes. Replacing a fuse board is notifiable electrical work. We issue the certificate and notify through NAPIT so the record sits with the local authority.
Can you change a fuse board in a rented house?+
Yes. Landlords book this after an EICR or when tenants report tripping fuses. We deal with you from the quote through to the certificate, including access arranged with the occupant.
Will you replace a board that still has fuse wire?+
Yes. Rewirable fuse boards are a common reason for the job. We fit a modern consumer unit and move the existing circuits onto breakers with RCD or RCBO protection.
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A photo of the existing board, plus a note on when the power can go off, is enough for us to price the change.