How much does a consumer unit replacement really cost? This guide breaks down material costs from UK wholesalers, labour rates, Part P notification fees, and everything that affects the final price — whether you are a homeowner getting quotes or an electrician pricing the job.
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Written and reviewed by Andrew Moore, founder of Elec-Mate, against BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, IET Guidance Note 3 and the IET On-Site Guide.
A consumer unit replacement in the UK typically costs £450 to £2,500 in 2026, including the board, protective devices, labour, Part P notification and the Electrical Installation Certificate. The most common job — a 10-way board with RCBOs and an SPD — runs £750 to £1,200. The work is notifiable under Part P and must be certified.
Final price depends on board size, RCBOs versus split-load RCDs, the condition of the existing wiring and earthing, and your region.
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The consumer unit — also called the fuse board or distribution board — is the nerve centre of every domestic electrical installation. It distributes power to every circuit in the property and houses the protective devices that prevent electric shock and fire. When it fails or falls behind current standards, the entire installation is compromised.
Consumer unit replacement is one of the most common jobs in domestic electrical work, and one of the most frequently quoted. Whether you are a homeowner trying to understand the costs, or an electrician looking to sharpen your pricing, this guide breaks down every element of the cost — materials, labour, certification, and the factors that push the price up or down.
Under BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, Regulation 421.1.201 requires that consumer units in domestic premises shall comply with BS EN 61439-3 and have their enclosure manufactured from non-combustible material — or, alternatively, be enclosed in a cabinet of non-combustible material complying with Regulation 132.12. This non-combustible enclosure requirement has applied to all new domestic consumer units since January 2016, when it was introduced by Amendment 3 to BS 7671:2008 (BS 7671:2008+A3:2015) — a critical fire safety improvement that the current 18th Edition carries forward.
If your property still has an old plastic consumer unit, a rewirable fuse board, or a board without RCD protection, replacement is not just recommended — in many cases it is the single most impactful safety upgrade you can make to the electrical installation.
Every key change in the 2026 amendment on one page. AFDDs, TN-C-S protection, new schedule columns, model forms. Pinned on your van dash.
The material cost of a consumer unit replacement depends on the board size, the type of protective devices fitted, and whether additional components such as an SPD are included. Here is a breakdown based on current trade prices from major UK wholesalers.
| Board | Trade price | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 6-way metal unit | £90–£120 | Small flats or properties with few circuits. |
| 10–12-way metal unit | £93–£130 | Most common size for average homes with 8–10 circuits. |
| 14-way high-integrity with SPD | £630–£940 | Pre-populated with protective devices; larger properties. |
| 12-way, Type A RCBOs + SPD | £690–£935 | Full individual circuit protection, premium fit-out. |
Indicative wholesaler prices (Crabtree, Wylex, BG Electrical, Eaton, Dorman Smith) — for guidance only, not a quote. Prices vary by supplier, account and date.
| Component | Trade price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MCB | £10–£15 ea | One per circuit on an unpopulated board. |
| RCBO (Type A) | £35–£55 ea | Detects AC and pulsating DC residual currents. |
| SPD | £80–£150 | Including the dedicated MCB for the SPD circuit. |
| AFDD (BS EN 62606) | £40–£70 ea | Required on socket circuits ≤32 A in HRRBs, HMOs, student accommodation and care homes; recommended elsewhere. |
| Sundries | £20–£50 | Cable tails, earth/neutral bars, labels, glands, fixings. |
For a typical 10-way board with RCBOs and SPD, total material cost to the electrician is approximately £350 to £550 at trade prices. Pre-populated boards from BG Electrical or Wylex reduce on-site assembly time but cost more upfront.
The single biggest factor in the price of a consumer unit — after board size — is the type of protective device fitted. The choice between a split-load RCD board and an all-RCBO board changes both the material cost and the level of protection. Here is how the three common devices compare.
| Device | Protects against | On a fault… |
|---|---|---|
| MCB | Overload and short circuit (overcurrent) only | Trips that circuit on overcurrent; no earth-leakage protection. |
| RCD | Earth leakage (residual current) only | Trips and disconnects every circuit on its bank — often half the house. |
| RCBO | Both overcurrent and earth leakage, per circuit | Trips only the faulty circuit; the rest of the installation stays live. |
A board fitted with individual RCBOs per circuit gives the best fault discrimination: a fault on one circuit leaves every other circuit running. With a traditional split-load RCD arrangement, a single earth fault trips the RCD and disconnects all the circuits on that bank. The material premium for an all-RCBO board is roughly £150 to £300 over a split-load RCD configuration, which is why most modern domestic replacements specify RCBOs. For more detail on selecting and fitting an SPD alongside these devices, see the SPD surge protection guide.
Labour is typically the largest single element of a consumer unit replacement cost. The job involves safe isolation of the mains supply, removal of the old board, installation and wiring of the new board, testing every circuit, and completing the certification paperwork.
A straightforward like-for-like replacement where the existing wiring terminates correctly, the earthing arrangements are adequate, and no additional circuits are being added. Typical labour time: 4 to 6 hours. Labour cost: £250 to £450 depending on region and electrician rates.
Where additional work is needed — upgrading meter tails, replacing the earthing conductor, adding new circuits, relocating the board, or upgrading from TT to TN-C-S earthing. Typical labour time: 6 to 10 hours. Labour cost: £400 to £750. Some complex replacements may require a return visit.
Electrician day rates in 2026 range from £250 to £400 depending on location. London and the South East sit at the higher end; the North of England and rural areas are typically lower. Most electricians price consumer unit replacements as a fixed-price job rather than a day rate, which gives the customer certainty and the electrician an incentive to work efficiently.
In addition to the installation labour, the cost should include Part P notification (typically £35 to £80 through the electrician's competent person scheme) and the time to complete the Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC).
Here are realistic total costs for consumer unit replacements in 2026, covering materials, labour, testing, Part P notification, and the EIC.
| Job type | Materials | Labour | Cert + notify | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic 6-way, split-load RCDs | £150–£250 | £250–£350 | £50–£80 | £450–£650 |
| Standard 10-way, RCBOs + SPDMost common | £350–£550 | £300–£500 | £50–£80 | £750–£1,200 |
| 14–16-way high-integrity + SPD | £650–£950 | £400–£650 | £50–£80 | £1,200–£1,800 |
| Three-phase consumer unit | £800–£1,200 | £600–£900 | £50–£80 | £1,800–£2,500+ |
Indicative 2026 market guidance for England and Wales — not a quote. Standard 10-way suits homes with 8–10 circuits; large boards suit 12+ circuits with EV charger or solar PV; three-phase is for properties on a three-phase supply.
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These prices are for the consumer unit replacement itself. If the job involves additional work such as upgrading meter tails, replacing an earth rod, or adding new circuits, the additional work should be quoted separately.
No two consumer unit replacements are identical. Here are the main factors that push the cost up or down:
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Try the quoting tools freeLabour rates drive most of the regional variation in consumer unit replacement pricing — London and the South East typically run 10 to 25% above the national average, with Scotland, Wales, and the North usually at or below it. We track local price bands and labour rates for 30 UK cities:
Not every old consumer unit needs immediate replacement, but there are clear signs that the board is no longer adequate:
Consumer unit replacement is classified as notifiable work under Part P of the Building Regulations in England and Wales. This means the work must either be carried out by an electrician registered with a competent person scheme (such as NICEIC, NAPIT, or ELECSA), or the homeowner must notify Building Control before the work starts and have it inspected afterwards.
Regulation 644.1 of BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 requires that an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) — based on the model in Appendix 6 — shall be issued upon completion of the verification of a new installation, or an addition or alteration to an existing installation, including the replacement of a distribution board or consumer unit. A Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate is not an acceptable alternative for a consumer unit replacement: Regulation 644.4.201 only permits a Minor Works Certificate where the work does not include a new circuit or the replacement of a distribution board or consumer unit. The EIC documents the design, construction, inspection and testing of the installation and gives the homeowner proof of compliance.
A registered electrician will self-certify the work and submit notification to the local authority through their scheme provider. The homeowner should receive a copy of the EIC and a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate within 30 days of the work being completed.
In Scotland, the Building Standards system applies rather than Part P, and an approved certifier of construction (electrical installations) can self-certify. In Northern Ireland, Part P does not apply but the work must still comply with BS 7671 and be carried out by a competent person.
When selecting an electrician for a consumer unit replacement, check the following:
Get at least three quotes and compare them on a like-for-like basis. The cheapest quote is not always the best value — check what board they are specifying, whether RCBOs are included, and whether SPD is part of the installation.
Consumer unit replacements are bread-and-butter domestic work. They are straightforward to quote, predictable to install, and deliver good margins when priced correctly. Here are some tips for profitable CU replacement quoting:
Use Elec-Mate's quoting app to build itemised quotes with real trade pricing data. The AI cost engineer checks your material costs against current wholesaler prices and flags anything that looks too high or too low.
Complete the Electrical Installation Certificate on site using the board scanner to auto-populate circuit details. Voice-entry for test results. PDF export and email to the customer before you leave.
Take a photo of the existing board during your survey. Elec-Mate's AI board scanner identifies the devices, circuit configuration, and recommends the appropriate replacement board specification.
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