Fuse box guides for Greater Manchester homes and landlords

Replace it if it has rewireable fuses, no RCD protection, a wooden backboard, scorch marks or a hot smell, or if an EICR has coded it C1 or C2. A plastic board with working RCDs that passes its tests can usually stay. Most Greater Manchester homes pay £449 to £750 for a replacement, fitted and certified in one day.

An RCD protects a group of circuits against earth leakage, so one fault switches off every circuit in the group. An RCBO combines an RCD and a circuit breaker for one circuit, so only the faulty circuit goes off. RCBOs are the better choice for a family home, and every board we fit has an RCBO on every circuit as standard, at no extra cost.

No. Since 1 January 2016, new consumer units in homes must have a non-combustible enclosure, which in practice means metal. The rule is not retrospective, so a plastic board fitted before then is not illegal and does not automatically fail an EICR. Some inspectors note it as a C3, improvement recommended, which does not make the report unsatisfactory.

The power is off for roughly four to six hours. We test the existing circuits first, swap the board, connect every circuit to its own RCBO, then test every circuit dead and live before switching back on. You get an Electrical Installation Certificate, and we notify Building Control under Part P for you.

Usually one appliance has a fault: often a kettle, washing machine, oven, immersion heater or outdoor light. Unplug everything on the circuit that tripped, reset it, then plug things back in one at a time until it trips again. If it trips with everything unplugged, the fault is in the wiring and needs an electrician.

C1 means danger present, act immediately. C2 means potentially dangerous, fix urgently. FI means further investigation is needed without delay. C3 means improvement recommended. Any C1, C2 or FI makes the report unsatisfactory. Landlords in England must have those items put right within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so.

They are the same thing. Consumer unit is the technical name used in the wiring regulations. Fuse box and fuse board are what most people call it, even when it has circuit breakers instead of fuses. A distribution board is the same idea in commercial buildings, often three-phase. Replacing one costs £449 to £750 for most Greater Manchester homes.

Find the switch that is pointing down or sitting in the middle, and push it firmly back up to on. Some RCDs need pushing fully down first. If it trips again straight away, do not keep resetting it: unplug everything on that circuit and try again, or leave it off and call an electrician. If the whole street is dark, it is a power cut: call 105.

For most new installations in homes, yes. Since the 18th Edition of the wiring regulations, a surge protection device (SPD) is expected on new consumer units, and it can only be left out in limited cases. It protects electronics from short voltage spikes caused by lightning nearby or switching on the network. Every board we fit includes one as standard, at no extra cost.

Usually, if the board has a spare way, suitable RCD protection, and your supply has the capacity. A 7kW EV charger draws about 32A and a 9.5kW electric shower about 41A. Old boards with no spare way or no RCD protection, or homes on a 60A main fuse, often need an upgrade first. We check all of this from three photos and fit EV-ready boards from £449.

An old fuse box rarely stops a sale, but surveyors flag it and buyers use it to negotiate. Buyers should ask for an EICR or a fixed replacement price before exchange. Sellers can get an EICR to show it is safe, or replace the board, which costs £449 to £750 for most Greater Manchester homes and removes the question. Keep the certificate, because solicitors ask for it.

Replacing a consumer unit is notifiable work under Part P of the Building Regulations in England. The simplest way to comply is to use an electrician registered with a competent person scheme such as NAPIT, who self-certifies the work and notifies Building Control. You get an Electrical Installation Certificate on the day and a Building Regulations compliance certificate afterwards.