Many houses in Welling still run on the fuse box that was put in when the house was last rewired, sometimes 30 or 40 years ago. An old board isn't automatically dangerous, but some signs mean it's time to get it checked properly. This guide covers what to look for, what a replacement involves and what it is likely to cost.
Much of Welling, East Wickham and Falconwood was built between the wars, and many of those semis and terraces were last rewired in the 1970s or 1980s. Back then a fuse box with rewireable fuses or early circuit breakers was normal. The board did its job, but it was never designed for today's kitchens, electric showers, heat pumps or EV chargers.
The biggest gap is RCD protection. A residual current device cuts the power in a fraction of a second if current leaks to earth, for example through a person touching a damaged cable. Older boards often have none, or only one RCD covering the sockets.
If you notice any of the following, ask a qualified electrician to have a look. Several of them at once is a strong hint that replacement is the sensible option.
A good electrician will test the existing circuits before quoting. Faults that an old fuse box ignored, such as a borrowed neutral or a damp outside light, will trip a modern RCD straight away, so they need finding first. That's why some quotes include an EICR or an allowance for fault finding.
On the day, the power is off for roughly half a day to a full day for a typical three-bedroom house. The electrician will also check the main earth and the protective bonding to your incoming gas and water pipes. In older homes where copper pipework has been partly replaced with plastic, the bonding often needs updating. If we're working on your boiler or plumbing at the same time, it makes sense to coordinate the two jobs.
Replacing a consumer unit is notifiable work under Part P of the Building Regulations. The electrician should be registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT so they can self-certify. Otherwise the job has to go through Bexley Council's building control, which costs more and takes longer. Either way, you should get an Electrical Installation Certificate and, a few weeks later, a building regulations compliance certificate. Keep both, because solicitors ask for them when you sell.
For a straightforward swap to a modern metal unit with RCBOs or dual RCD protection, most households in the Bexley area can expect to pay somewhere in the region of £450 to £900. The price depends on the number of circuits, whether you choose individual RCBOs (more expensive, but one fault won't take out half the house) and how easy the board position is to reach.
Extra costs usually come from remedial work: upgrading earthing or bonding, moving the meter tails, fixing faulty circuits found during testing, or adding surge protection. Get a written quote that lists exactly what's included, and be wary of a price given over the phone without anyone testing your installation first.
If your board is working, has RCD protection and passes an EICR, you may not need to replace it at all. An honest electrician will tell you that.
No. Homeowners aren't legally required to upgrade an older fuse box that is safe and working. Landlords, however, must have a satisfactory EICR at least every five years, and an unprotected board often fails.
For most homes in Welling it takes between half a day and a full day, and your power will be off for most of that time. It can take longer if testing turns up faults that need fixing first.
Only if they are also a qualified electrician registered with a competent person scheme, or the work is notified to Bexley Council's building control. Always ask to see their registration before work starts.
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