Changing Consumer Units

Fuse boxes and consumer units are essential when it comes to you and your family’s safety, whilst also being integral to your electrical circuit. Anytime a fault or issue occurs, your fuse box or consumer unit will cut the buildings’ power in order to prevent fires and electrical damage. Originally fuse boxes were widely used, but are quickly being replaced with consumer units. You may choose to replace your fuse box with a newer consumer unit when your fuse box breaks down. This is a wise choice, as consumer units are safer, easier to use and comply with building regulations. Finally, you may wish to upgrade your fuse box or consumer unit to a larger capacity model, more able to cope with extra demand if you are extending your home.

Difference between fuse box and consumer unit As we are discussing the two terms ‘fuse box’ and ‘consumer unit’, it can be confusing what these actually mean. Below we have summarised both:

Fuse box: Historically, fuse boxes were the most common electrical safety device. They contain fuses that melt and cut the power whenever an issue with the electrical circuit occurs. Unfortunately, it can take a couple of seconds for the fuse to melt and break the electrical circuit, this may seem insignificant, but it greatly increases the risk of fires and electrical damage.

Consumer unit: Newer and safer, consumer units also break the electrical circuit if the power in the home rises too highly. The difference is that consumer units can detect electrical faults and instantly turn off the power, making them much safer. After the power is cut, the circuit breakers do not need to be replaced like fuses – just flipped back on.