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.
Why there are three names
The first boxes really were full of fuses: ceramic carriers with a length of fuse wire that melted when a circuit was overloaded. Circuit breakers replaced fuses from the 1970s and 1980s, and the wiring regulations started calling the box a consumer unit, the unit where the consumer's installation begins. The old names stuck. Search for "fuse box replacement" or "consumer unit replacement" and you are asking for the same job.
A distribution board does the same job in a shop, office or block of flats, usually bigger and often three-phase.
What is inside a modern one
- Main switch. Turns off everything on the board.
- RCBOs, one per circuit, or on older boards MCBs grouped behind one or two RCDs. See RCD or RCBO.
- A surge protection device, which protects electronics from voltage spikes. See do you need surge protection?
- Busbar, neutral bar and earth bar, the metal connections behind the cover that you should never see.
After
AfterWhat is not part of it
Between the street and your board there are three other things. The cut-out, the sealed black or grey box with the main fuse, belongs to the network operator, which is Electricity North West across Greater Manchester. The meter belongs to your energy supplier. Neither should ever be opened by anyone else.
The meter tails, the two thick cables from the meter to your board, are normally the homeowner's. If they are old or too thin for the board, new ones cost £60 to £120 and we price them from your photos.
How old is yours?
| What you see | Roughly from | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Pull-out fuse carriers, fuse wire, often a wooden back | 1950s to early 1980s | No RCD protection anywhere |
| Circuit breakers, no test button | 1980s to 1990s | No RCD protection |
| Plastic board, one RCD for some circuits | 1990s to 2000s | Partial protection |
| Plastic board, two RCDs | About 2008 to 2015 | Protected, but one fault takes out half the house |
| Metal board, RCBO on each circuit | 2016 onwards | Current standard |
Dates are a guide, not a rule. Not sure? Send three photos and we will tell you what you have.
