How much does it cost to replace a fuse box in the UK?
Updated 28 October 2026 · Reviewed by Steve Wolfe
Replacing an old fuse box with a modern consumer unit typically costs £600 to £1,000 in the UK including VAT, fitted, tested and certified. A small terraced house can be nearer £450, and a large house with more circuits up to about £1,200. It usually takes half a day to a day, with the power off while it's done.
Get a ballpark for your fuse box →
Typical costs
Typical UK prices including VAT, supplied and fitted by a registered electrician, with the board staying in the same place.
| Type | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Small house or flat, about 6 circuits £450–£750 A new board with RCD or RCBO protection, testing and a certificate. On site: half a day | £450–£750 |
| Three-bed semi, about 10 circuits £600–£1,000 The most common job. A metal RCBO board, often with surge protection. On site: half a day to a day | £600–£1,000 |
| Large house, 12 or more circuits £850–£1,200 A bigger board and more circuits to test. On site: about a day | £850–£1,200 |
| Moving the board somewhere else £400–£600 On top of the replacement. New cables to the new spot. | £400–£600 |
Our reading of the published guides listed under Sources, with VAT added and rounded. Repairs found during testing, earthing and bonding upgrades and a full rewire cost more.
What's in the price
Checkatrade breaks a typical 10-way job down, before VAT, into about £250 for an RCBO board and about £160 for the fitting, with about £75 to take the old fuse box away. A full quote usually covers:
- Taking out the old fuse box or consumer unit.
- The new board, usually a metal unit, with RCD or RCBO protection for each circuit.
- Testing every circuit before and after the swap.
- An Electrical Installation Certificate and the building regulations notification.
Quotes usually leave out repairs to faults found during testing, moving the board, and making good the wall around it.
What changes the price
- The number of circuits. More circuits mean a bigger board, more RCBOs and longer testing. This is the biggest difference between quotes.
- The kind of board. A dual RCD board is cheaper, but one fault can switch off half the house. A board with an RCBO on every circuit costs more and keeps the rest of the house on when one circuit trips.
- What testing finds. Old wiring, missing earth bonding to the gas and water pipes, or a faulty circuit have to be put right before the new board can be signed off.
- Moving it. Checkatrade puts moving the board at about £400 before VAT, and moving it along with the supply cable from the street at £2,000 or more.
- Where you live. Labour costs more in London and the South East.
Signs it's time for a new one
- It still has fuse wire or pull-out fuses rather than switches.
- It's a plastic box. Newer boards are metal.
- There's no RCD, usually shown by a test button.
- It trips often, buzzes, smells hot or has scorch marks. If it does, switch off at the board if it's safe and get an electrician out.
- An EICR has given it a C1 or C2 code.
Before you get quotes
- Take a photo of the board with the cover open, so electricians can see what's there.
- Count the switches or fuses, which tells them roughly how many circuits you have.
- Check each electrician is registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT.
- Ask whether surge protection, earth bonding and taking the old board away are included.
- Get two or three quotes, and ask how faults found during testing will be priced.
An example Ballpark
What Ballpark gave for this job on 28 October 2026. It’s an example we worked out, not a customer’s price.
Replace the old fuse box in a three-bed semi in Birmingham with a modern consumer unit. It has about ten circuits and the wiring was last checked a few years ago. The board stays in the same place.
-
Basic consumer unit swap £450–£650
Supply and fit of a modern RCBO or dual RCD consumer unit in the same place, with testing and a certificate.
-
Full RCBO board with testingClosest to the job £650–£950
Metal RCBO consumer unit with surge protection, earthing and bonding checks, full testing, a certificate and removal of the old board.
-
Board plus condition report £900–£1,400
Full RCBO board plus an electrical installation condition report on the whole house and minor repairs.
Based on
- Board stays in the same place
- About ten circuits, no rewiring
- Earthing and bonding are fine or need only small upgrades
- Prices include VAT
What a trade will ask you
Have answers ready and your quotes (and your ballpark) will be closer to the real price.
- What have you got now? An old fuse box with fuse wire or pull-out fuses, or a board with switches?
- Is it a plastic or metal box?
- How many bedrooms, and roughly how many circuits or switches?
- Is it staying in the same place?
- Is anything tripping, buzzing or smelling hot?
- Has an electrical inspection (EICR) said it needs replacing?
Common questions
How much does a new fuse box cost?
Usually £600 to £1,000 including VAT for a three-bed house, fitted, tested and certified. Checkatrade gives an average of about £485 for a 10-way RCBO board, about £350 for a terraced house and about £750 for a large detached house. Its figures are shown before VAT.
Is it a legal requirement to replace an old fuse box?
No. Checkatrade notes there's no legal requirement to upgrade an old fuse box to a consumer unit if it's safe. But an old fuse box has no RCD protection against electric shock, and an electrical inspection may recommend replacing it.
Who can replace a consumer unit?
An electrician registered with a competent person scheme, such as NICEIC or NAPIT. Replacing a fuse box is work that needs building regulations approval, and GOV.UK says you don't need to get approval yourself if you use someone registered with a competent person scheme. You should get an Electrical Installation Certificate when it's done.
How long does it take to replace a consumer unit?
Checkatrade puts a standard replacement at 4 to 7 hours, and up to a full day for a bigger or more complex board. The power is off for most of that time.
Do I need a rewire as well?
Not usually. The electrician tests every circuit when the new board goes in, and that can find faults that need fixing first. If the wiring is very old, an EICR before you book tells you whether you need a few repairs or a full rewire.
How long does a consumer unit last?
Checkatrade puts it at 20 to 30 years, depending on its condition and use.
What would yours cost?
Describe your fuse box and get a ballpark for your house in a couple of minutes. Free, and you don’t have to get quotes.
Get my ballparkSources
- Checkatrade, consumer unit replacement cost (Oct 2026). Prices by house size and type of board before VAT, extras, time taken and what quotes include
- GOV.UK, when you need building regulations approval. Replacing a fuse box needs approval, unless a registered competent person does it