Why Upgrading Your Consumer Unit Matters The Ultimate Guide to Consumer Unit Upgrades in Leicester: Is Your Home Safe?

A Litt • 1 November 2025

Consumer Unit or Fuse Box

The Ultimate Guide to Consumer Unit Upgrades in Leicester: Is Your Home Safe?

At 786 Electricals, we are your local Leicester electricians, and one of the most common questions we hear is: “Do I really need to upgrade my consumer unit?”

If you live in a Leicester property built or last rewired before the 2000s, the answer is very likely yes.

Your consumer unit (also known as a "fuse box") is the single most important safety device in your entire home. It's the central hub that protects your circuits, your appliances, and—most importantly—your family from fire and electric shock.

Many homes across Leicester and Leicestershire, from Victorian terraces in Clarendon Park to 1970s builds in Oadby and Wigston, are still operating with outdated, non-compliant fuse boxes.

This guide will explain why this matters, what modern safety looks like, and what the process of an upgrade involves.

🔌 What Is a Consumer Unit?

Think of your consumer unit as the "brain" of your home's electrical system. It takes the main power supply coming into your property and distributes it to the various circuits—your lights, sockets, cooker, shower, etc.

Crucially, it contains protective devices (fuses or circuit breakers) designed to "trip" and cut the power instantly if a fault occurs. This prevents a simple fault from causing a devastating fire or a fatal electric shock.

Signs Your Leicester Home Needs a Consumer Unit Upgrade

Go and look at your fuse box right now. If you see any of the following, you should call a qualified electrician for an inspection immediately:

An Old Wooden Backboard: Many old units are fixed to a piece of wood. This is a significant fire hazard.
Rewireable Fuses: These are the old-fashioned porcelain holders with fuse wire. They are slow to react and offer minimal protection against electric shock.
A Cast Iron Unit: These are relics from the 1950s/60s and offer virtually no modern protection.
No RCDs (Residual Current Devices): Look for a device with a small "T" or "Test" button. If your unit doesn't have one (or only has one for the whole house), it is dangerously outdated.
A Plastic Casing: While newer than wooden boxes, plastic consumer units installed before 2016 are no longer compliant for new installations as they are not fire-resistant. All new units must have a metal, non-combustible casing.
You're Planning Home Improvements: If you're adding a new kitchen, an extension, a high-powered shower, or an EV car charger, your old unit will likely not be ableto cope with the extra load and will require an upgrade to be safe and compliant.

🛠️ The 3 Biggest Reasons to Upgrade Your Fuse Box

Upgrading isn't just about "ticking a box" for regulations. It's about fundamental safety.

Massive Improvement in Safety (Fire & Electric Shock) Modern consumer units, built to the 18th Edition of the BS 7671 Wiring Regulations, provide two critical layers of protection that old fuse boxes lack:
MCBs (Miniature Circuit Breakers): These replace old fuses. They are more sensitive and trip faster when a circuit is overloaded (e.g., plugging too much into one extension lead). They are also easier to reset—no more fuse wire in the dark.
RCDs (Residual Current Devices): This is the single most important safety feature. An RCD monitors the flow of electricity and, if it detects the tiniest imbalance (like the current flowing through a person's body instead of the circuit), it cuts the power in milliseconds. This is what saves lives and prevents serious electric shock. Modern standards require RCD protection on virtually all circuits.
Legal Compliance (Especially for Landlords) If you are a landlord in Leicester, you are legally required to have the electrical installation in your rental property inspected and tested by a qualified person every 5 years. This test results in an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report). An old fuse box without RCD protection will almost certainly fail this report, requiring an immediate upgrade.
Future-Proofing Your Home A new 18th Edition consumer unit is built to handle the demands of modern life. It includes Surge Protection Devices (SPDs) to protect your expensive electronics (TVs, computers, smart appliances) from power surges. It also provides a safe, reliable foundation for future additions like solar panels or EV chargers.

🧾 The EICR: Your Electrical "MOT" in Leicester

You wouldn't drive a car without an MOT, so why risk living in a home with unchecked electrics?

An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is exactly that—a comprehensive "MOT" for your home's wiring. A qualified 786 Electricals engineer will visually inspect and electronically test your entire installation to find any potential dangers, damage, or wear and tear.

We highly recommend an EICR if:

You are a landlord (it's a legal requirement every 5 years).
You are buying a new home in Leicester (a survey won't find hidden electrical faults).
You haven't had your electrics checked in 10 years (for homeowners).
You have any doubts about your installation.

Understanding EICR Codes

After the inspection, you'll get a report with any faults categorised:

C1 (Danger Present): Risk of injury. Requires immediate action. (e.g., exposed live wires).
C2 (Potentially Dangerous): Needs to be fixed urgently. An old consumer unit with no RCD protection is a very common C2 fault.
C3 (Improvement Recommended): Not dangerous, but not up to modern standards.
FI (Further Investigation): We couldn't fully test a circuit and need to investigate more.

A C1 or C2 fault will result in an "Unsatisfactory" report, which must be rectified.

✅ Don't Forget: Press the RCD Test Button!

Your RCD is a life-saving device, but its mechanical parts can stick over time. You must test it to ensure it's working.

Every 6 months, simply press the "T" or "Test" button on your RCD. The power to those circuits should cut out instantly. If it doesn't, or if it's stiff and won't reset, call us immediately as it may not protect you in an emergency.

Why Choose 786 Electricals for Your Leicester Upgrade?

When it comes to your electrical safety, you need a local, qualified, and trustworthy electrician.

We Are Local: We are based in and serve all of Leicester & Leicestershire. We understand the local property stock and its common issues.
Fully Qualified: Our engineers are City & Guilds qualified to the latest 18th Edition (BS 7671) standards and registered, giving you peace of mind.
Transparent Pricing: We offer fair, upfront, and no-obligation quotes for all consumer unit upgrades and EICRs.
A Complete Service: We don't just fit the box. Your upgrade from 786 Electricals includes a full test of every circuit in your property and an Electrical Installation Certificate to prove the work is safe and compliant.