Fuse Box Replacement in Stockport: 2026 Prices and What You Get

If you live in a pre-war semi in Heaton Moor or a converted flat in Cheadle, there's a fair chance your fuse box is older than you'd like. Stockport has a lot of older housing and a lot of rented property, and that's exactly where tired fuse boards turn up.

This guide covers what a fuse box replacement in Stockport costs in 2026, the signs your board needs changing, what's included in the price, and what landlords need to know. We're Evans Electrical Services, an NICEIC registered firm based in Weaverham, covering Stockport (SK1–SK8) including Cheadle, Bramhall, Heaton Moor and Marple.

Fuse box or consumer unit – what's the difference?

Same thing, different age. "Fuse box" usually means an older board with rewireable fuses – the ones with fuse wire you replace by hand. "Consumer unit" is the modern name for the board with switches (MCBs, RCDs or RCBOs) that trip and reset.

Plenty of people call any board a fuse box, and that's fine. What matters is what's inside it and how well it protects you.

Signs your fuse box needs replacing

You don't need a new board just because it's old. But these are the signs it's time to get it looked at:

• Rewireable fuses. If you've ever had to wrap fuse wire round a carrier, that board is well past its best. These boards offer no RCD protection.
• No RCD protection. RCDs cut the power fast if current leaks to earth – for example, if someone touches a live part or a cable gets damaged. Older boards often have none at all, or only cover some circuits.
• A wooden back or a plastic enclosure. Current regulations call for a non-combustible enclosure on domestic boards, which in practice means metal.
• Nuisance tripping. Older split-load boards put several circuits on one RCD. One faulty appliance can take out half the house. (If that's your problem right now, our guide to electrics that keep tripping covers the safe checks to try first.)
• Heat, buzzing, scorch marks or a burning smell. Stop using it and call an electrician. That's not something to wait on.
• You're adding a big load. An EV charger, electric shower, heat pump or garden office can mean your board needs upgrading or extra capacity first.

Winter is when old boards get found out. Heaters, tumble dryers and outdoor Christmas lights all add load and moisture, and that's when weak points show up.

How much does a fuse box replacement cost in Stockport?

Our prices are the same in Stockport as anywhere else we cover. A consumer unit change is priced on the number of circuits, not just the size of the house:

Job	Price
Flat or small 2 bed (up to 6 circuits)	from £550 + VAT
Typical 3 bed home (7–10 circuits)	from £650 + VAT
4–5 bed home (11–16 circuits)	from £795 + VAT
Surge protection device (SPD) fitted at the same time	from £120 + VAT
Main earthing and bonding upgrade where required	from £150 + VAT

Full detail is on our consumer unit replacement cost page.

What's included:

• Testing the existing circuits before the old board comes off
• A modern metal board with RCBO protection on each circuit
• Full testing of every circuit once it's fitted
• Labelling, so you know which switch does what
• An Electrical Installation Certificate
• Part P notification to building control, so you get the compliance certificate too

You get a fixed quote before we book the job. If we find something on the survey that changes it, you hear about it before any work starts – not halfway through the day.

Why some quotes come in cheaper

If you've had a quote well under these figures, check what's in it. The usual gaps are:

• No testing. Every circuit has to be tested after a board change. Skip that and there's no proper certificate.
• No earthing and bonding. Older Stockport houses often need the main earth and bonding to gas and water brought up to standard before a new board can be signed off.
• Split-load board instead of RCBOs. Cheaper to buy, but you keep the "one fault takes out half the house" problem.
• No notification. Replacing a consumer unit is notifiable work under Part P of the Building Regulations. It needs doing by a registered electrician who can self-certify, or it has to go through building control separately. Without that, you may have problems when you come to sell.

What happens with old wiring?

This is the bit that catches people out in older houses. A new board with RCD protection is far more sensitive to faults than an old fuse box. If a circuit has damaged insulation or a borrowed neutral, the old board might never have noticed. The new one will.

That's why we test before quoting. If a circuit fails, it can't just be reconnected to the new board. We'll explain what we found and give you a separate written price to fix it – sometimes a single repair, sometimes a partial rewire. In pre-war properties with lath and plaster walls, we'll talk you through how we'd route any new cables before you decide.

Landlords in Stockport: fuse boards and EICRs

Stockport has a big rental market, and a lot of fuse box replacements start with an EICR. Landlords in England must have the electrics in a rented property inspected and tested at least every five years, and give a copy of the report to tenants.

An old board with rewireable fuses and no RCD protection will usually pick up codes on an EICR. If the report comes back unsatisfactory, the remedial work has to be done and confirmed in writing within the timeframe the regulations set.

Our EICRs in Stockport start from £175 Inc VAT, with any remedial work – including a board change – quoted separately and in writing. No pressure to use us for the repairs.

How long does it take?

Most domestic board changes take most of a day. The power will be off for a good part of it, so plan around fridges, freezers and working from home. We get circuits back on in stages where we can, and leave everything tested and labelled.

If you're planning an EV charger, it's worth doing both at once. A new board and an EV charger installation are cheaper together than as two separate visits.

Get a fixed quote

Got an old fuse box in Stockport, Cheadle, Bramhall, Heaton Moor or Marple? Send us a quick message with a photo of your board and roughly how many bedrooms you have. We'll tell you what we think it needs and what it's likely to cost. You can also see more about the area we cover on our Stockport consumer unit upgrade page and our main Stockport electrician page.

FAQs

How much does it cost to replace a fuse box in Stockport?

From £550 + VAT for a flat or small 2 bed with up to 6 circuits, from £650 + VAT for a typical 3 bed home and from £795 + VAT for a 4–5 bed home. That includes the new board, full testing, certification and Part P notification. Surge protection and earthing upgrades are extra where needed.

Do I legally have to replace my old fuse box?

Not in an owner-occupied home. But an old board with rewireable fuses and no RCD protection will usually pick up codes on an EICR, and in a rented property those issues have to be put right for the report to be satisfactory.

Can I stay in the house while the fuse box is changed?

Yes. The power is off for most of the day, but we restore circuits in stages where we can. Plan around fridges, freezers and home working, and we'll leave everything tested, labelled and certified.