Do You Need a Consumer Unit Upgrade? 5 Signs to Check

Updated on Oct 2, 2025

Do You Need a Consumer Unit Upgrade? 5 Signs to Check

Your consumer unit (often called a fuse board) is the hub of your home’s electrical safety. When it’s modern and correctly configured, faults are detected quickly and isolated safely. When it’s outdated or overloaded, you’re more exposed to nuisance tripping, damaged appliances, and—in the worst case—shock or fire risk. If you’re in East Kilbride and wondering whether it’s time to upgrade, this guide lays out five clear signs to look for, what a modern board should include (RCD/RCBOs and surge protection), and how to plan an upgrade without stress.

Service details: Consumer Unit Upgrades in East Kilbride
Troubleshooting: Fault Finding
Guide costs: Pricing
Ready to proceed: Request an upgrade quote

The 30-second self-check

If any of these ring true, book a professional assessment:

□ You still have re-wireable fuses or a very old board with little/no RCD protection.
□ Frequent tripping or you’ve noticed heat/browning around breakers.
□ The board is full, ways are all used, or new circuits (EV/induction/hot tub) have nowhere to go.
□ No surge protection despite lots of sensitive electronics in the house.
□ The installation looks DIY: poor labelling, mixed devices, double-stuffed conductors, or missing/undersized bonding.

If you tick two or more, an upgrade is usually the safest, cleanest solution. For investigation before deciding, see Fault Finding.

Sign 1: Your board is old-style or uses re-wireable fuses

Open the cupboard: if you see ceramic carriers with fuse wire or chunky pull-out fuses, you’re looking at an earlier generation of protection. These can still break fault current, but they don’t provide modern residual-current protection (RCD/RCBO) that dramatically reduces shock risk on socket circuits, bathrooms, and outdoor electrics.

What a modern unit adds:

RCD or RCBO protection across relevant circuits for fast disconnection on earth leakage.
Miniature circuit breakers (MCBs/RCBOs) that reset cleanly and are correctly rated.
Room to grow: spare ways for future circuits (EV charger, heat pump, garden office).
Metal, non-combustible enclosure with tidy glanding, grommets and labelling.
Optional surge protection to help protect electronics.

If you’ve still got re-wireables, upgrading is typically the single most impactful safety improvement you can make in one visit. See our Consumer Unit Upgrade page for what’s included.

Sign 2: Frequent tripping—or worse, signs of heat

Occasional trips happen (blown lamps, damaged flexes, wet outdoor fittings). But repeated trips on the same circuit suggest an underlying issue: overloads, insulation problems, moisture ingress, or many circuits sharing a single RCD (common in older split-load boards).

Red flags for immediate attention:

Browned or sooty plastic around a breaker or busbar chamber.
Warm smell from the cupboard, discolouration of covers, or melted labels.
Buzzing/crackling when high-load appliances run.

If you notice heat or smell burning, switch off the affected circuit (or the main switch if unsure) and call an electrician. Moving from shared RCDs to RCBOs on each circuit often stops nuisance tripping and isolates faults more precisely—one circuit trips, the rest of the house stays on. If you’d like a fault traced before committing to an upgrade, we can help via Fault Finding.

Sign 3: Little or no RCD/RCBO protection

Modern domestic safety expects RCD protection for many scenarios: socket circuits (especially those likely to supply outdoor equipment), bathrooms, showers, and garden power. If your sockets and outdoor circuits aren’t protected by RCD/RCBO, you’re missing a major safety layer.

Quick spot check:

Do you see test buttons (“T”) on devices covering groups of circuits (RCDs) or one on each breaker (RCBOs)?
If not, your protection is likely limited.

Why RCBOs are worth it: an RCBO combines RCD + MCB for one circuit. That means better discrimination (a fault on the garden sockets trips only that circuit, not half the house) and far fewer “mystery” whole-house trips.

Sign 4: No space for new circuits (and you’re electrifying)

Homes in East Kilbride are adding more electric load: EV chargers, induction hobs, electric showers, heat pumps, garden rooms with heating, and outbuilding supplies. If your current board is full (no spare ways) or a mismatch of brands, you may be stuck bodging add-ons with external RCDs or fused spurs. That’s messy and makes future maintenance harder.

A correctly sized new unit gives you:

Spare ways for planned circuits.
Proper protective devices for each load (e.g., EV circuits with suitable RCD/RCBO).
A cleaner layout that any electrician can understand at a glance.

Check guide costs on our Pricing page, or ask us to size the board based on your plans.

Sign 5: No surge protection (SPD) with sensitive electronics

Today’s homes are full of electronics—boiler controls, routers, TVs, gaming PCs, smart appliances, EV chargers. A modern consumer unit can include a Surge Protection Device (SPD) to help protect against transient overvoltages originating from the network or switching events. It’s a relatively small cost during an upgrade but a bigger job to add later.

When SPD is a smart add:

You work from home with valuable IT kit.
You have expensive AV/smart-home gear.
You’ve experienced unexplained device failures or flickers.
You’re installing solar PV or EV charging (more electronics to protect).

Ask us to include SPD in your specification—see options on Consumer Unit Upgrades.

What a proper upgrade includes (beyond “just a new box”)

A quality consumer unit change should tidy the entire safety picture, not just swap plastic for metal.

Pre-tests & survey
We test existing circuits (insulation resistance, polarity, fault loop impedance). If something’s not right, we’ll explain and price any remedials so the new board protects a sound installation.
Correct protective devices
Our default for most homes is RCBO on each circuit. In some cases a mix of RCBOs and RCD-protected ways can be designed, but we’ll always explain the trade-offs (cost vs discrimination).
Surge protection
We recommend adding SPD during the upgrade where appropriate—it’s cost-effective at this stage.
Load management & future-proofing
Planning an EV charger, heat pump or garden office? We’ll allow spare ways and discuss active load management if your main fuse is 60–80 A, so you don’t trip the supply.
Metal, non-combustible enclosure
Proper glands, grommets, dressing, and clear labelling. No duct-tape solutions.
Certification & handover
You’ll receive an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) for the board change, an up-to-date circuit schedule, and guidance on monthly RCD/RCBO test-button checks.

“Upgrade vs repair”: how to decide

Upgrading is generally best if two or more are true:

Board is >15–20 years old with limited/no RCD coverage.
Frequent trips or visible heat/discolouration.
No spare ways, or mixed-make breakers that are hard to source.
You’re adding high-load circuits (EV, shower, induction, outbuilding).
You want a clear, compliant baseline before a kitchen/bathroom refit or sale.

If your issue is very minor (e.g., one damaged breaker), repair might be fine—but be careful not to spend on a dead-end. An honest assessment will weigh short-term fix vs. long-term value. If you’re unsure, book Fault Finding first; we’ll test and advise.

Costs, timelines, and what changes the price

What affects cost:

Circuit count (more circuits = more devices and tests).
State of existing wiring (remedials such as missing/undersized bonding).
Add-ons (SPD, arc-fault devices where specified, EV-ready provisions).
Access and location of the existing board.
Any DNO-related works (e.g., main fuse upgrades or isolator—quoted separately if needed).

How long does it take?
A straightforward change with testing is often half a day to a full day. If we discover pre-existing faults, we’ll explain options before proceeding.

For a sense of typical ranges, see Pricing. We always provide clear, itemised quotes so you know exactly what’s included.

Preparing for upgrade day (so it runs smoothly)

Clear access to the consumer unit and meter cupboard.
List known issues (e.g., circuits that trip, outlets that feel loose).
Share your plans (EV charger, garden room, new kitchen) so we size the board with headroom.
Expect power off for parts of the day while we test and change over.

Afterwards, we’ll walk you through the layout and test buttons, and email all certificates for your records.

FAQs

Will an upgrade stop nuisance tripping?
Usually, yes—especially when moving from shared RCDs to RCBOs per circuit, which isolates faults to the affected circuit only.

Do I need surge protection?
If you have valuable electronics, smart devices, PV or EV gear, SPD is sensible and cost-effective to add during the upgrade.

Do I need to rewire first?
Not necessarily. Many homes keep existing circuits if they pass tests. Any remedials required will be itemised; we won’t hide them.

Can you make space for an EV charger later?
Yes. We’ll allow spare ways and specify suitable protection. We can also discuss load management if your main fuse is modest.

Request an upgrade quote

If your board is dated, trips often, shows signs of heat, or simply has no room left for the way you live today, a consumer unit upgrade is one of the highest-impact safety improvements you can make. You’ll gain safer circuits, clearer labelling, room for future electrics, and proper certification—all in one tidy metal enclosure.

Learn more about our process: Consumer Unit Upgrade
Compare typical costs: Pricing
Request an upgrade quote: share your postcode, photos of the current board (lid open/closed), and any plans (EV, kitchen, garden room).
→ Contact us