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How Much Does a New Fuse Board Cost in Peterborough? (2026 Price Guide)

If your Peterborough home has an outdated fuse board, you’re probably wondering what replacing it actually costs. A consumer unit upgrade is one of the most important electrical safety improvements you can make—transforming protection for your family and property in just a few hours.

Fuse board costs vary depending on the type of unit, your property’s requirements, and the complexity of installation. This guide provides honest, up-to-date pricing for consumer unit upgrades across Peterborough in 2026, helping you budget effectively and understand what you’re paying for.

Understanding Fuse Board Costs

A consumer unit upgrade replaces your existing fuse board with a modern unit featuring RCD or RCBO protection. This protection detects electrical faults in milliseconds, cutting power before dangerous situations develop—something older boards with rewirable fuses or early MCBs simply cannot do.

In Peterborough and the surrounding Cambridgeshire area, expect to pay between £350 and £800 for a standard consumer unit upgrade, depending on the type of board and installation complexity. More complex installations requiring additional work can cost £800-£1,200 or more.

Let’s break down costs by consumer unit type.

Consumer Unit Costs by Type

Dual RCD Consumer Units: £350-£500

Dual RCD boards are the most common and affordable option for Peterborough homes. Two RCDs protect all circuits, splitting them between two banks. If a fault occurs, the relevant RCD trips, cutting power to half your circuits while the other half remains live.

What’s included:

 

• • Supply and installation of dual RCD consumer unit

• • Reconnection of all existing circuits

• • Full testing and verification

• • NICEIC certification and building control notification

• • Labelling of all circuits

Dual RCD boards suit most domestic installations where budget is a consideration. Properties across Bretton, Werrington, and Orton commonly choose this option for reliable protection at an affordable price. Installation typically completes within 3-4 hours.

RCBO Consumer Units: £500-£750

RCBO boards provide individual protection for every circuit. Each RCBO protects a single circuit, so faults only affect the specific circuit involved—your freezer keeps running if a fault occurs on your lighting circuit.

What’s included:

 

• • Supply and installation of RCBO consumer unit

• • Individual RCBO for each circuit

• • Full testing and verification

• • NICEIC certification and building control notification

• • Comprehensive circuit labelling

RCBO boards cost more than dual RCD alternatives but offer superior convenience and protection. They’re particularly valuable for homes with vulnerable occupants, medical equipment, or where power continuity matters. Properties across Longthorpe, Woodston, and Stanground benefit from RCBO protection that minimises disruption when faults occur.

High-Capacity Consumer Units: £550-£800

Larger Peterborough homes with extensive electrical installations need consumer units with sufficient capacity for all circuits. High-capacity boards accommodate additional circuits for EV chargers, electric showers, home offices, garden rooms, and modern electrical demands.

What’s included:

 

• • Supply and installation of high-capacity consumer unit

• • Additional ways for future expansion

• • Full testing and verification

• • NICEIC certification and building control notification

• • Comprehensive circuit documentation

Properties across Eye, Thorney, and surrounding villages often feature larger homes requiring high-capacity boards. Planning for future additions—EV chargers, garden offices, hot tubs—makes sense when upgrading your consumer unit.

Amendment 3 Compliant Boards with AFDD: £700-£1,000+

Current regulations (18th Edition Amendment 3) require enhanced protection including AFDDs (Arc Fault Detection Devices) in certain circumstances. AFDDs detect dangerous electrical arcs that standard RCDs miss—arcs that can cause fires even when current flow appears normal.

What’s included:

 

• • Supply and installation of Amendment 3 compliant unit

• • AFDD protection on relevant circuits

• • Full testing and verification

• • NICEIC certification and building control notification

• • Comprehensive documentation

While AFDD protection isn’t mandatory for all installations, homeowners wanting maximum protection increasingly choose this option. We advise on current requirements and whether AFDD protection is recommended for your situation.

What Affects Fuse Board Costs?

Beyond the consumer unit type, several factors influence your final price.

Number of Circuits

More circuits mean larger consumer units and longer installation times. A typical Peterborough home has 8-12 circuits. Properties with extensive electrical installations—multiple lighting circuits, dedicated appliance circuits, outdoor supplies—may have 15-20 or more circuits requiring larger boards with more components.

Additional circuits typically add £30-£50 each for RCBO boards, where individual protection is provided per circuit.

Earthing Upgrades

Older properties often have earthing arrangements that don’t meet current standards. If your earthing requires upgrading during consumer unit replacement, additional work is needed.

TT earthing installation: £150-£300 Required where existing earthing is inadequate and mains earthing isn’t available.

Earthing conductor upgrades: £100-£200 Replacing undersized or deteriorated earthing conductors.

Main bonding upgrades: £100-£250 Upgrading bonding to gas, water, and other services to current standards.

Properties across Peterborough’s older areas—near the city centre, Longthorpe, and Woodston—more frequently require earthing upgrades alongside consumer unit replacement.

Meter Position and Tails

The distance between your electricity meter and consumer unit affects installation complexity. Long cable runs require larger cables and more installation time.

Standard installation (meter adjacent): Included in standard pricing Extended tails (up to 3 metres): Add £50-£100 Significant relocation: Add £150-£300+

Some properties benefit from relocating consumer units during upgrade—moving boards from under stairs to more accessible locations, for example.

Additional Circuits

If you’re adding circuits during your upgrade—perhaps for an EV charger, electric shower, or garden office—the consumer unit can be specified with additional capacity.

Additional circuit installation: £150-£300 per circuit Includes cable, protective device, and connection to new outlet or equipment.

Planning additional circuits during consumer unit upgrade often proves more cost-effective than separate projects later.

Condition of Existing Installation

If your existing wiring has issues—poor connections, undersized cables, or deteriorated insulation—these may need addressing during consumer unit replacement. Significant wiring defects might indicate partial or full rewiring is more appropriate than standalone consumer unit upgrade.

We assess your existing installation during survey, advising honestly if additional work is needed beyond consumer unit replacement.

Signs Your Fuse Board Needs Replacing

Wondering whether your Peterborough property actually needs a new consumer unit? These signs suggest upgrade is warranted:

Rewirable fuses: If your board has fuses with wire that can be replaced, it predates modern safety standards and should be upgraded.

No RCD protection: Modern regulations require RCD protection. Boards without RCDs don’t provide adequate shock protection.

Wooden backing: Older boards mounted on wooden backings present fire risks and indicate outdated installation.

Frequent tripping: Regular nuisance tripping may indicate an overloaded or failing board.

Burning smells or scorch marks: These indicate serious problems requiring immediate attention.

Insufficient capacity: If your board is full and you need additional circuits, upgrade provides both modern protection and expansion capacity.

Insurance requirements: Some insurers require modern consumer units, particularly for rental properties.

Age: Boards over 25 years old have typically reached the end of their reliable lifespan.

Properties across Peterborough vary enormously in age and electrical installation history. If you’re unsure whether upgrade is needed, we provide honest assessment during a free survey.

What Happens During Installation?

Understanding the process helps you prepare for your consumer unit upgrade.

Before Installation

We survey your property, assessing your existing board, earthing arrangements, and circuit configuration. You receive a detailed quotation specifying exactly what’s included.

During Installation

Power isolation: Your electricity supply is switched off for the duration—typically 3-5 hours depending on complexity.

Old board removal: The existing consumer unit is carefully disconnected and removed.

New board installation: The new consumer unit is mounted, and all circuits are reconnected.

Testing: Every circuit is tested to verify correct operation and protection.

Certification: NICEIC certification is completed, and building control is notified.

After Installation

You receive documentation including your Electrical Installation Certificate. We explain your new board, demonstrate how RCDs work, and answer any questions. Your home now has modern electrical protection.

Preparing for Your Upgrade

To prepare for installation:

 

• • Ensure clear access to your consumer unit

• • Save any work on computers before the appointment

• • Be aware that power will be off for several hours

• • Consider timing—avoid days when power loss would be particularly inconvenient

Consumer Unit Upgrade vs Rewiring

Sometimes homeowners wonder whether they need a consumer unit upgrade or a full rewire. The answer depends on your wiring condition.

Consumer unit upgrade suits:

 

• • Properties with acceptable wiring but outdated fuse boards

• • Installations that pass EICR testing apart from consumer unit deficiencies

• • Situations where wiring is relatively modern but protection is inadequate

Rewiring may be needed if:

 

• • Wiring is over 30-40 years old throughout

• • EICR reveals multiple serious defects

• • Cables have deteriorated insulation

• • Circuits lack proper earthing

If you’re unsure, an EICR provides objective assessment of your installation’s condition, identifying whether consumer unit upgrade alone is sufficient or wider work is needed.

Getting Accurate Quotes

Online guides provide starting points, but accurate pricing requires assessment of your specific property. Every installation differs, and factors invisible from outside significantly affect costs.

When getting quotes:

 

• • Get at least two or three quotes from NICEIC registered electricians

• • Ensure each electrician assesses your existing installation

• • Check what’s included—earthing upgrades, certification, building control notification

• • Ask about consumer unit specification—brand, type, capacity

• • Verify certification and guarantees

Be cautious of quotes significantly below others—they may exclude essential elements or indicate inexperience.

Next Steps

Understanding costs helps you budget effectively and evaluate quotes confidently. The next step is arranging a survey to assess your specific property and requirements.

We install new consumer units throughout Peterborough and surrounding areas including Werrington, Bretton, Orton, Longthorpe, Woodston, Stanground, Fletton, Eye, Thorney, Whittlesey, Yaxley, Sawtry, Stilton, and surrounding Cambridgeshire villages. Our NICEIC registered electricians assess your installation, explain your options, and provide detailed quotations with no hidden costs.

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Considering a new fuse board for your Peterborough home? Contact us for a free survey and no-obligation quotation.