What a modern consumer unit is
Under BS 7671:2018 Amendment 2:2022 a domestic consumer unit is a metal-enclosed board with individual RCBO protection on every final circuit. Type A RCDs (not Type AC) are required to detect the DC fault currents that modern equipment leaks - LED drivers, EV chargers, heat pumps, induction hobs. A surge protection device (SPD) is required unless a documented risk assessment shows it is not needed - in practice, on any Dover install, we fit one.
What you probably have
Around Castle Ward, Buckland and Maxton, most Victorian and Edwardian terraces still run one of three older boards:
- BS 3036 rewireable fuses - the classic wooden or brown-bakelite board with pull-out fuse wire carriers. No RCD protection at all. Legally allowed as a distribution board but always a C2 code on an EICR. If you have this, you need a new board.
- Wylex plug-in MCBs - a rewireable base with plug-in miniature circuit breakers retrofitted into the fuse ways. Often no main switch RCD, sometimes just a single 30mA RCD covering half the board.
- Split-load boards with dual 30mA RCDs - late 1990s to mid-2010s. Compliant when installed but no longer meeting Amdt 2:2022; a single RCD fault takes out half the house. RCBOs remove that whole failure mode.
What we install
- Individual Type A RCBO on every circuit (RCD + MCB in one)
- Type 2 SPD for surge protection
- Main switch with a proper 100A isolator
- Full test to Regulation 643 - insulation resistance, earth fault loop, polarity, RCD timing
- Meter tails and main earth upgraded if undersized (usually 25mm for TN-S)
- Domestic Electrical Installation Certificate emailed to you
Pricing
Straight consumer unit swap on a modern property (up to 8 circuits, no tails upgrade): from £600. On a Victorian or Edwardian terrace with an old TN-S service head where tails and main earth need upgrading: £750 to £900. On a large 4-bed detached in Kearsney or Temple Ewell with 12+ circuits: £900 to £1,150. All fixed price.
Does Dover District Council need to be notified?
Consumer unit replacement is notifiable work under the Building Regulations, so it needs to be notified to Dover District Council building control. We talk you through the route when we quote.
Timing
A straight swap takes about half a day - power is off for around 3 to 4 hours. We plan around your work-from-home schedule and can do Saturdays at no extra cost.