NICEIC Approved · BS 7671 18th Edition Amendment 2
Fuse Box & Consumer Unit Upgrade in Fraserburgh
Modern metal clad RCBO consumer units fitted from £550, in a single 4 to 6 hour visit. NICEIC certified, BS 7671 18th Edition Amendment 2, free written quote in 24 hours.
Why are you upgrading?
Prefer to call? 07426 416358
Fuse box pricing at a glance
Fixed prices, in writing, before any work starts. Full pricing breakdown below.
8 way RCBO unit
from £550
12 way RCBO unit
from £680
Split load board
from £480
Metal clad upgrade only
from £380
Surge protection device
from £180
AFDD per circuit
from £55
Plain English
Fuse box vs consumer unit, what's the difference?
"Fuse box" is the everyday term most Fraserburgh homeowners use, but technically it's outdated. A modern installation has a "consumer unit", the metal box that distributes power from the meter to every circuit in your home and protects each one with a breaker. Same job, modern technology, much safer.
Old fuse boxes used rewireable wire fuses or ceramic cartridge fuses. When a fault occurred, the wire melted, breaking the circuit. They're slow, imprecise, and offer no shock protection at all. New consumer units use Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs) or, more importantly, Residual Current Breaker with Overcurrent (RCBO) which combine MCB and RCD protection in a single device. RCBOs trip in milliseconds during a fault and protect against shocks as well as overloads.
Since January 2016, BS 7671 (the UK Wiring Regulations) requires new domestic consumer units to be metal clad, not plastic. The 18th Edition Amendment 2 in September 2022 added Surge Protection Device (SPD) and Arc Fault Detection Device (AFDD) requirements in many cases. The standard moves on, the kit gets safer.
If your "fuse box" still has old wire fuses, ceramic cartridges, brown brass, or no RCD, you're running on 1970s or earlier technology. In a granite cottage on Mid Street or a pre 1980s rental in Broadsea, that's not unusual, but it's increasingly a problem for insurance, EICRs, and resale.
Why upgrade now
4 reasons people in Fraserburgh upgrade
Most common driver
Your EICR came back with C2 remedials
If your EICR flagged missing RCDs on bathroom or kitchen circuits, undersized cable for the breaker rating, or no main earth bonding, the cleanest fix is often a full consumer unit upgrade rather than spot remedials. We quote both routes so you can choose. Most landlords and homeowners take the upgrade because it future proofs the property.
From £550 with full BS 7671 certificate
Post 2018 regulation
You have an old plastic consumer unit
Since January 2016, BS 7671 has required new consumer units inside domestic properties to be metal clad (or housed in a non combustible enclosure). Plastic consumer units installed pre 2016 aren't illegal, but they're a C3 on every EICR and increasingly flagged by insurers. If yours is plastic, factory cracked, or showing brown heat marks, it's time.
From £550 fully fitted
Hard fail on EICR
You still have ceramic or rewireable fuses
Brown brass fuse holders, ceramic fuses, or pull out rewireable fuses mean your installation is pre 1980s and doesn't meet any modern safety standard. There's no RCD protection, no overload precision, and any fault can run for seconds before clearing. Wire fuses are an immediate replacement priority and always a C2 fail on a Scottish landlord EICR.
From £680 (full board with all RCBO)
Future proofing
You're adding a major new circuit
Rewires, kitchen extensions, EV chargers, and electric showers all need a dedicated circuit on a properly rated breaker. If your existing board is full or doesn't have the right protection (RCD, RCBO), adding the circuit triggers an upgrade anyway. Doing the upgrade and the new circuit in one visit saves you a return trip fee.
From £550 with extra circuit included
Detailed pricing
Consumer unit upgrade cost in Fraserburgh
We confirm a fixed price in writing within 24 hours. No day rates, no surprise add ons on the day.
| Configuration | Indicative price |
|---|---|
| 8 way RCBO unit (typical 2 to 3 bed) | from £550 |
| 12 way RCBO unit (typical 3 to 4 bed) | from £680 |
| Split load board (8 way, dual RCD) | from £480 |
| Metal clad upgrade only (existing RCBO) | from £380 |
| Surge protection device (SPD) added | from £180 |
| AFDD per circuit (where required) | from £55 |
| Extra circuit added during upgrade | from £120 |
| Three phase consumer unit (commercial) | Free quote |
What can affect the price
- •Number of circuits. A 4 way 1950s board upgraded to a 12 way costs more than a like for like 8 way swap.
- •Existing earthing condition. If main bonding to gas or water pipes is missing, we add it during the upgrade for £85 to £140.
- •SPD requirement. Properties on overhead lines (most of AB43 outside the town centre) typically need a Surge Protection Device, £180 added.
- •Access. Boards in cupboards, cellars, or behind cabinets add 30 to 60 minutes of work.
What's involved
A full consumer unit upgrade, end to end
Replacing a consumer unit isn't just a swap. Every circuit needs disconnecting, terminating into the new unit, testing, and certifying. Here's what we do on the day, and why it takes 4 to 6 hours rather than the 60 minutes some quotes suggest.
- 1
Survey and quote
We photograph your existing board, count circuits, check the supply head, and quote a fixed price in writing inside 24 hours. No site visit needed for most jobs, photos are enough.
- 2
Install day
Power off for 1 to 2 hours. We swap the consumer unit, terminate every circuit into the new unit, fit RCBOs and SPD where required, and label every breaker correctly.
- 3
Test and certify
Full insulation resistance, polarity, earth fault loop, and RCD trip tests on every circuit. Certificate of compliance issued there and then, signed off to BS 7671 18th Edition Amendment 2.
- 4
Notify and clean
We notify SSEN of any DNO touched work where required, register the install on Building Standards (Scotland), and tidy up. Old board removed and disposed of, no skip required.
The compliance journey
BS 7671 18th Edition Amendment 2, what changed and why it matters
The UK Wiring Regulations move forward in stages. Each amendment tightens what a compliant consumer unit must do. If your board predates these changes, here's how it stacks up.
Pre 2008, 17th Edition
Wire fuses, ceramic cartridges, no RCD
Common in 1950s and 60s Fraserburgh granite homes. No automatic shock protection. Slow, imprecise overload protection. Always a C2 fail on a modern EICR.
2008 to 2015, 17th Edition
Plastic boards with split RCD protection
Common in 1990s and 2000s rentals across AB43. Plastic enclosure (now C3 on EICR since the 2016 metal clad regulation), split load with 2 RCDs typically. Still legal but increasingly flagged by insurers and letting agents.
2016 to 2022, 18th Edition
Metal clad enclosure mandatory
All new domestic consumer units must be metal clad or in a non combustible enclosure. Plastic units installed before 2016 aren't illegal but are flagged on every EICR. Most rental agents now require metal clad before listing.
September 2022 onwards, Amendment 2
SPDs default, AFDDs in specific situations
Surge Protection Devices (SPDs) now required for most new and modified installations. Arc Fault Detection Devices (AFDDs) required on circuits in bedrooms of HMOs, hotels, care homes, and similar. RCBOs strongly recommended on every circuit (not just split RCD). This is the standard we install to on every Fraserburgh upgrade.
Local knowledge
Why fuse box upgrades come up more in Fraserburgh than the UK average
Fraserburgh's housing stock is older than the UK average and the rental market is concentrated. Granite cottages on Mid Street and Saltoun Square, harbour front rentals in Sandhaven, 1950s council semis in Broadsea, many were last fully wired when Heath was Prime Minister. Pulling out a 1970s wire fuse board and installing a modern RCBO unit is one of our highest volume jobs in any given month.
The local DNO (SSEN) has a high overhead line ratio across AB43 outside the town centre. Overhead supplies are exposed to coastal weather and lightning, which pushes SPD requirements higher than in inland urban areas. We default to SPD on every upgrade and quote it explicitly so it isn't a surprise after the survey.
Common questions
Fuse Box Upgrade FAQs for Fraserburgh
How long does a fuse box upgrade take in Fraserburgh?
Most domestic upgrades take 4 to 6 hours on the day, with about 1 to 2 hours of that being the actual power off period while we change the unit. Larger 12 way installs or jobs with extra circuits run to 6 to 8 hours. We confirm the time slot when we book.
Do I need to be home for the whole job?
Ideally yes for the first 30 minutes (so we can confirm access and walk through with you) and the last 30 minutes (so we hand over and run you through the new board). The middle hours are mostly drilling, terminating, and testing, you can leave us to it.
Will the power be off for the whole job?
No, only during the actual unit swap which is typically 60 to 120 minutes. We run isolation per circuit during testing, but the rest of the install is live work on the new board side. Plan for one period of around 2 hours with no power.
Will I lose anything in the fridge or freezer?
No. Fridges and freezers comfortably hold temperature for 4 to 6 hours with the door closed. Some customers move ice cream and frozen meals to a cool box for the day, just to be safe. We'll text 30 minutes before we cut the power so you can plan around it.
What's the difference between a split load and an all RCBO board?
A split load board has 2 RCDs covering 2 banks of MCBs, so a fault on any one circuit trips half the house. An all RCBO board has individual RCBO protection on every circuit, so a fault on a kitchen socket only trips that circuit, not the freezer next to it. All RCBO is the modern standard. We fit it by default unless you specifically ask for split load to save cost.
Do I need an EICR before or after the upgrade?
Neither is mandatory but both add value. An EICR before the upgrade catches any wiring issues we'll inherit (cable insulation, earthing, sub circuit problems) so we can quote them in. An EICR after the upgrade is only useful if you also rewired circuits, otherwise the install certificate from the upgrade itself is sufficient.
How much is a 12 way RCBO consumer unit fitted in Fraserburgh?
Typically £680 to £780 for a 12 way fully populated metal clad RCBO board, fitted and certified, on a standard single phase domestic supply. Add £180 for a Surge Protection Device if your property is on overhead lines (most of AB43 is). We quote a fixed price after photos.
Do I have to upgrade to a metal clad board?
If your existing plastic board is in good condition and you're not extending the installation, no, you're not legally required to upgrade. But every EICR will mark a domestic plastic consumer unit as C3 (improvement recommended), most insurers ask, and if you're a landlord most agents push for it. The cost difference between a plastic and metal clad swap is small enough that we recommend metal clad on every job.
Need a fuse box upgrade in Fraserburgh? Free quote in 24 hours.
NICEIC approved, BS 7671 18th Edition Amendment 2 certified, fitted in a single visit, full certificate emailed same day.
Prefer to call? 07426 416358