Consumer Unit Upgrades · Leeds
Modern Protection.
Built Around Your Home.
Your consumer unit sits at the centre of your electrical installation, distributing electricity around your home and providing protection when something goes wrong.
BRO Electrical assesses the existing installation before recommending a consumer unit upgrade, helping homeowners across Leeds understand what they have, what could be improved and the right solution for the property.
The Heart of the Installation
A Consumer Unit Upgrade Is About More Than Replacing the Box on the Wall.
A consumer unit — still commonly referred to as a fuse box or fuseboard — distributes and protects the electrical circuits throughout your property. It's the point everything runs through, and the point that responds when something goes wrong.
A replacement gives BRO Electrical the opportunity to assess the existing installation and specify appropriate protective devices for the circuits being connected, rather than simply matching what was there before.
We don't recommend replacing a consumer unit simply because it looks old. The existing installation, its condition, protection and the requirements of the property all need to be considered.
The Difference
What Changes When Your Consumer Unit Does?
Individual Circuit Protection
Where individual RCBO protection is used, a fault affecting one circuit can be isolated without unnecessarily taking unrelated circuits out with it — so a problem in one part of the house is less likely to leave the rest of it without power.
Surge Protection
A surge protective device helps protect your electrical installation and connected equipment against transient overvoltages — the brief voltage spikes that can occur on the mains supply.
A Properly Assessed Installation
Replacing a consumer unit involves considering and testing the existing installation the new equipment connects to — we're not simply removing one box and fitting another in its place.
Clear Circuit Identification
Clearly labelled circuits make it straightforward to identify and isolate the right one when you need to — rather than guessing which switch does what.
Ready for the Home's Electrical Requirements
The appropriate size and specification can take your property's existing and reasonably anticipated electrical requirements into account — particularly relevant where a renovation, extension, additional circuits or technologies such as EV charging are planned.
Testing & Certification
The completed work is inspected, tested and appropriately certified, so you have a clear record of what was done and confirmation it meets the required standard.
Inside the Consumer Unit
Protection Designed for the Circuits It Serves.
Provides overcurrent and residual-current protection for an individual circuit.
Surge Protective Device — provides protection against transient overvoltages.
Provides a means of isolating the electrical installation.
Assess First
Old Doesn't Automatically Mean Unsafe.
There's no arbitrary age at which every consumer unit automatically needs replacing. Reasons BRO may discuss an upgrade with you can include:
- Condition or suitability of the existing equipment
- Inadequate protection for the installation
- Findings from inspection or testing
- Alterations or additional circuits being planned
- Insufficient space or capacity for the proposed electrical work
- An existing installation where an upgrade would provide an appropriate improvement in protection
Before Installation
The Existing Electrics Matter Too.
The existing circuits being connected to the replacement consumer unit need to be considered, with appropriate checks and testing carried out as part of the work.
A new consumer unit doesn't make existing wiring defects disappear. If testing identifies an issue that affects the proposed work, we'll explain what we've found and what needs to happen before or as part of the upgrade.
How It Works
The BRO Process.
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01
Assess
We establish what is currently installed and understand the property and any electrical work you're planning.
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02
Specify
We determine the appropriate consumer unit and protective devices for the agreed installation.
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03
Clear Quotation
We provide a clear quotation for the agreed work before the upgrade is carried out.
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04
Pre-Installation Checks
The existing installation is appropriately checked so issues relevant to the replacement can be identified.
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05
Install
The existing consumer unit is replaced and the circuits connected to the new equipment.
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06
Test & Certify
The completed work is inspected and tested, and the appropriate electrical certification is provided.
Looking Ahead
Your Electrical Installation Needs to Work With What You're Building Next.
A kitchen renovation, extension, major refurbishment, EV charger or other planned electrical work may introduce new circuits or change the requirements of your installation.
This can be a sensible point to assess your existing consumer unit and determine whether it remains suitable for the proposed work — though not every renovation requires a new one.
Completion
Installed. Tested. Certified.
Consumer unit replacement is notifiable electrical work in England. The completed installation is inspected and tested, and the appropriate electrical certification and Building Regulations notification are dealt with through the applicable process.
NICEIC Domestic Installer
Customer Reviews
What Consumer Unit Customers Say About BRO.
Google Review
Tom is a very approachable guy. Explains everything in detail. Leaves a neat and tidy job. It was apparent both Tom and Kev have pride in their work. Price was very reasonable also. If you need electrical work, these are your guys
Google Review
Tom was upfront about all work needed to be done and all priced up with no hidden costs. Work done on dates agreed. Kevin who is Tom's sidekick was a very hard worker and a polite guy. Tom was equally the same and someone who is proud of his work.
Google Review
Tom came out to us within the day after a call to him regarding our fuse board. Tom solved the issue and fitted us with a new fuse board straight away and the job was completed promptly and cleaned and tidied afterwards. Will be using him again and recommending to everyone.
Consumer Unit FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions.
What is the difference between a fuse box, fuseboard and consumer unit?
Homeowners commonly use these terms interchangeably. Consumer unit is the modern terminology used for the equipment that distributes and protects your home's circuits — fuse box and fuseboard describe the same thing.
How do I know if my consumer unit needs replacing?
Condition, existing protection, the requirements of your installation and the findings from inspection and testing are far more useful indicators than age alone. We can assess this for you.
Does an old fuse box automatically need replacing?
No. Age alone isn't enough to determine this — BRO Electrical can assess your existing installation and explain whether an upgrade would provide a meaningful improvement.
What is an RCBO?
A device that provides overcurrent and residual-current protection for an individual circuit, so that circuit can be isolated without necessarily affecting others.
What is surge protection?
A surge protective device (SPD) helps protect your electrical installation and connected equipment against transient overvoltages on the mains supply.
Will my electricity need to be turned off?
Yes, electrical isolation is required while the relevant work is carried out. We can't promise a fixed outage duration since this depends on the property and the work involved.
Do you test the existing wiring before replacing the consumer unit?
Yes. Appropriate pre-work checks and testing are carried out on the circuits being connected to the new consumer unit, so relevant issues can be identified before or as part of the upgrade.
What happens if you find a fault?
We'll explain what has been identified and any work necessary in relation to the upgrade, before proceeding.
Will a new consumer unit mean my whole house has been rewired?
No. Replacing the consumer unit is a distinct piece of work from a full house rewire — the two are not the same thing.
Can you install a larger consumer unit for future electrical work?
Appropriate additional capacity can be considered where practical and relevant, but the specification is based on your property and planned installation rather than unlimited future capacity.
Will I receive certification?
Yes — appropriate electrical certification and applicable Building Regulations notification.
Can you upgrade the consumer unit as part of a renovation or extension?
Yes, where appropriate — see Extensions & Renovations.
Which areas do you cover?
Leeds and the surrounding areas.
Thinking About an Upgrade?
Start With What Your Home Actually Needs.
Whether you've been advised that your consumer unit needs attention, you're planning wider electrical work or you simply want to understand the protection currently installed in your home, BRO Electrical can assess the installation and explain the appropriate next step.
