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What changes a consumer unit replacement?
In Cheshire, replacing a consumer unit is the job of changing the board that protects the circuits, and the price follows the board, the testing and the certificate. No price is printed for a consumer unit or for the labour.
Last reviewed:The board, not a single switch
In Cheshire, a consumer unit is the metal or plastic enclosure, usually in a cupboard or a hall, that holds the devices protecting each circuit. Older houses still have a board of rewirable fuses. Replacing that board is a single electrical job with a clear end: a new unit, the circuits connected to it, tests recorded, and a certificate. It is not a full rewire of every cable in the house unless the quote says the cables are being replaced too.
No price is printed for the unit and no price is printed for the visit. Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach are towns to put on the enquiry. The condition of the existing circuits is what the electrician finds, and two houses on the same road can need different follow-up work.
Do not open the cover, pull fuse carriers or move cables yourself. That is the electrician's work. Use a registered electrician and check the registration yourself.
Electrical Safety First: find a registered electrician; NICEIC; NAPIT. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
The register check is yours to do. Start with the Electrical Safety First search.
Building regulations and the scheme certificate
GOV.UK lists replacing fuse boxes and connected electrics among alteration projects that might need building regulations approval [S1]. Changing electrics near a bath or shower is on the same list [S1]. A consumer unit change is that fuse-box case, so treat it as work that might need approval [S1]. If you cannot tell whether approval is needed, check with a building control body [S1].
The practical route for most houses is a competent person. GOV.UK says you do not need to get approval yourself if you use someone registered with a competent person scheme [S1]. Ask for the scheme name before you accept the quote. A membership that does not cover consumer units is not the answer. When the work is finished, ask for the certificate the scheme issues to you and to building control. GOV.UK says that without approval you will not have the compliance certificates you may need when you sell [S1]. The person who does not comply could be prosecuted and fined [S1].
Building regulations approval is not planning permission [S1]. A straight replacement of the board inside a cupboard does not, on that distinction, become a planning application. Listed buildings can still be sensitive if the cupboard or the fabric is altered to fit a larger unit. If the house is listed, say so in the enquiry.
What the electrician may find when the cover comes off
The quote is for a board. The test results can add work. Ask, before the day, how extras will be paused and priced. Citizens Advice says a trader cannot charge more than the quoted price unless you asked for extra work, you agreed to extra work they discovered, or there was a genuine mistake in the written price [S2].
Things to name in the enquiry:
- where the board is, and whether a cupboard, a meter or a shelf blocks it
- whether you want the new unit in the same place
- any recent DIY additions you know about, described as "unknown cables", not as instructions
- a shower, a cooker or an outbuilding that was added years ago
- whether the meter cupboard is outdoors
- whether anyone in the house depends on a medical device that needs power planned around the visit
The electrician should test the circuits, not only swap the enclosure. Ask them to say that testing is included. If a circuit cannot be connected safely to the new unit, the quote should say they will stop and tell you, rather than leave a circuit off without agreement.
Rented property has an extra duty that is easy to confuse with this job. Landlords must have the electrics checked at least every 5 years by a properly qualified person, and must give tenants proof of inspection [S3]. That check can recommend a new consumer unit. It is not itself the replacement. If you are a landlord, say whether you already have an inspection report and whether this quote is to carry out what the report asked for.
Lines that should be on the paper
| Line | Included or not | Why you ask |
|---|---|---|
| New consumer unit, with the arrangement described | Yes, named | "New board" can mean different kit |
| Connecting existing circuits | Yes or listed as extra | The labour is the connections and the tests |
| Testing and the certificate | Named documents | A unit without paper is an incomplete job [S1] |
| Building control or the scheme route | Who does it | You should not discover this later |
| Making good the wall or cupboard | Yes or no | Plaster and a door may be extra |
| Labelling of circuits | Yes | The next person needs to know what each device feeds |
| Extras if a circuit fails the test | How they will stop and reprice | Avoids a surprise on the day [S2] |
| VAT | In the total or not registered | So two quotes add up the same way [S4] |
A business must register for VAT when taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over £90,000 [S4]. Ask.
Citizens Advice suggests written quotes from at least three electricians for this kind of alteration, and says a much lower price may be a different scope [S2]. A quote is a fixed price. An estimate is a rough guess [S2]. Some electricians charge to visit. Ask before they come [S2]. If the advert says there is no call-out charge, that claim should mean there is no fee for the journey, the first look, or any other charge before you agree the work [S5].
If they still want a deposit, Citizens Advice says that where the work will take a long time and a deposit cannot be avoided, do not agree more than 25 per cent, and get a receipt [S2]. Ask to see insurance that covers damage in the house [S2].
The day the board is changed
Power will be off while the new unit is connected and tested. Ask the electrician, before the day, which circuits they expect to restore before they leave, and which ones they will leave off if a test fails. Citizens Advice says a trader cannot charge more than the quoted price unless you asked for extra work, you agreed to extra work they discovered, or there was a genuine mistake in the written price [S2]. A failed circuit is that kind of extra: it has to be agreed, not quietly added to the bill. Write that pause into the quote: they stop, they tell you what failed, and they price the repair as its own line. You should not be asked to decide that while standing in a dark hall.
Tell them about anything that must not lose power without a plan. A stair lift, a fridge of medicine, a fish tank, an alarm that phones out, or medical equipment in the house all belong in the enquiry. Name them so the electrician can say whether a temporary supply is in the price or is impossible. No method is set out for keeping those devices running. If they cannot cover it, you need to know before you book the morning, not at the moment the main switch is opened by them.
Clear the cupboard. If the board shares a space with coats, a meter, or a shelf of paint, move what you can move without touching the cover. Do not remove the cover to make space. Photograph the closed cupboard door and the route from the front door, and send that with the job if the board is hard to find. A flat, a cottage and a newer house can keep the board in different places. Name Crewe, Nantwich or Sandbach as the town, and let the photo show the cupboard. The photo is the description. It is not an invitation for you to identify circuits.
Ask who issues the certificate and when you receive it. GOV.UK's point about sale paperwork is practical here: without approval you will not have the certificates of compliance you may need when you sell [S1]. A unit on the wall with no paper is not the end of the job you should accept. If the property is rented, keep the five-year inspection and this replacement as two lines on the file. The inspection is the check at least every 5 years [S3]. The replacement is whatever that report, or the electrician, has said should be done to the board.
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts.
- Replace a rewirable fuse board in a hall cupboard with a consumer unit, test the existing circuits, and provide the certificate. No new sockets.
- Quote a consumer unit change in a rented house, using the inspection report the landlord will upload, and separate any circuit repairs from the board itself.
- Move the consumer unit from a bedroom cupboard to the hall as part of the replacement, and include making good both locations.
Anyone in the UK can post or register. The address matters for the visit and for which building control body covers the house. Put Crewe, Nantwich or Sandbach in the town field as the place, and put the location of the board in the description.
Get consumer unit quotes
Say where the board is and whether you have an old fuse carrier or a consumer unit already. Up to five matched local businesses can reply [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].
This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.
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Questions about consumer unit replacement
Is a consumer unit the same as a fuse box?
In everyday speech, yes. GOV.UK describes replacement of fuse boxes and connected electrics as work that might need building regulations approval. When you ask for quotes, use both names if you need to, and ask the electrician to say they are pricing a new consumer unit, the testing, and the certificate, not a single breaker.
Do I arrange building regulations approval myself?
GOV.UK says you do not need to arrange approval yourself if you use someone registered with a competent person scheme. Ask the electrician which scheme they belong to and whether a consumer unit change is covered. If they are not on a scheme, ask who submits the application to the building control body before any work is agreed.
Will I get paperwork for a buyer?
GOV.UK says that without approval you will not have the compliance certificates you may need when you sell. Ask for the electrical certificate and the building regulations certificate, or the scheme equivalent, before you pay the final sum. Keep both with the house file.
Is a five-year check the same as a new board?
No. Guidance says landlords must have the electrics in a rented property checked at least every 5 years by a properly qualified person. That is an inspection duty. It does not say the consumer unit must be replaced on that cycle. A failed inspection might lead to a replacement. The quote should say which one you are buying.
What if one price is much lower?
Citizens Advice says to be cautious, because a much lower price may not be for the same work. On this job the missing lines are often the certificate, the testing, or making good the cupboard around the board. Compare written quotes that list those lines.
Does QuoteZila check electricians?
No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.
Related reading
- Electricians
- Electrician cost in Cheshire
- Rewiring a house when the cables, not only the board, are being replaced
- Fire alarm installation when alarms are being added at the same time
- All services
Part of Cost guides. All services
Related trades
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Related pages
- EICR Cost: What Changes the Price of an Inspection. What an EICR covers, why the size and age of the wiring change the price, landlord duties in England, and how to compare electricians' quotes in Cheshire.
- Electric cooker installation: what to ask. In Cheshire, an electric cooker installation depends on the circuit and the connection. No pound total is printed. See which new circuits are notifiable.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila pricing line.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila terms.
- S1: When you need building regulations approval, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-27. https://www.gov.uk/building-regulations-approval
- S2: Before you get building work done, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-27. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
- S3: Electrical safety standards guidance, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-27. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-rented-sector-guidance-for-landlords-tenants-and-local-authorities/guide-for-landlords-electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-rented-sector
- S4: Register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-27. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat
- S5: Call-out charges, Advertising Standards Authority. Accessed 2026-10-27. https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-online/call-out-charges.html