The first question on a larger property is not which unit to fit but how much the incoming supply is rated to deliver. Most houses are fed at a single rating that comfortably ran an ordinary family home for decades, and which starts to look thin once the same building is heating water electrically, charging something on the drive and running a workshop at the bottom of the garden. Working that out is arithmetic rather than guesswork: the connected loads get added up, sensible allowance is made for the fact that they are never all on together, and the answer either fits inside the supply or it does not.
Where it does not, there are usually two honest routes and we will show you both. One is to change what is drawing power, which is often cheaper than people expect — a load-managed car charger, for instance, quietly steps itself back when the shower is running instead of demanding that the whole supply be uprated. The other is a larger supply from the network operator, which is their work rather than ours and worth knowing about before you commit to anything. Some of the bigger houses on this side of Wolverhampton already have three phases sitting unused behind a single-phase board, which changes the conversation entirely.
Then comes the unit itself, and here the mistake is buying exactly the number of ways you need today. Spare capacity is the cheapest thing in the whole job while the enclosure is off the wall, and the dearest to add afterwards. We size for what you have told us is coming, not only for what is on the wall now. More on the fuse board replacement service here; if you would sooner have the existing circuits assessed first, book an EICR in Tettenhall. There is also the full range of work we take on as an electrician in Tettenhall, plus separate pages on EV charger installation in Tettenhall and a house rewire in Tettenhall, or you can request a free quote.
Capacity first, unit second — so what you pay for still suits the house in five years.
Every fixed load written down, then diversity applied the way the regulations expect rather than pretending the oven, shower and car all run together. It is the only way to know whether a bigger board solves anything.
Larger properties sometimes have three phases available even though everything downstream is wired as one. We establish what is genuinely there, because it can turn an expensive problem into a straightforward one.
A board sized to today is a board that gets opened again. We count what exists, what wants separating out and what you say is planned, then specify with room left deliberately spare.
An RCBO on every way, so a failing appliance takes out its own circuit and nothing else. In a big house with plenty going on, that difference gets noticed the first time something trips.
Test results for each circuit on an Electrical Installation Certificate, a schedule you can read taped inside the lid, and the building control side dealt with under our NAPIT registration.
Four stages, with the sizing settled at the survey rather than argued about later.
What the supply is rated at, what the house runs now, what you want it running next, and how many ways the finished unit has to carry.
The unit and its size, the ways, anything the testing says has to be sorted first, and where relevant what a supply uprate would involve.
If demand sits close to the ceiling we say so and set out the choices — load management, a larger supply, or leaving something exactly as it is.
Unit changed, every circuit reconnected and labelled, the installation tested through and an Electrical Installation Certificate issued. The notification is ours to make, not yours.
Fuse boards, inspections, rewires and chargers all get done by the same electrician in Tettenhall; the towns either side get the same fuse board service.
The queries that come up most while we are pricing a board change around WV6.
Not always. Sometimes a way can be freed up sensibly, and occasionally a small separate enclosure alongside is the proportionate answer. Where the existing unit is old, has no individual protection or is genuinely out of room, a change is the better spend and we will explain why.
By adding the loads up rather than guessing. We list what is fixed in the property, apply the allowances the regulations set out for things that do not run together, and compare the answer against the supply rating. Where it is tight there are options short of uprating the supply.
You may well not, but in a larger property it is worth checking rather than assuming. Where three phases are present it can make adding significant load far simpler. It is one of the first things we look at on a bigger house.
Yes, and we would encourage it. Specifying a few spare ways at the point of the change costs very little next to revisiting the board later, and it means a future circuit becomes a straightforward job instead of another upgrade.
It is. Swapping a consumer unit falls under the notifiable categories, and the paperwork goes through the Competent Person Scheme on our NAPIT registration. Your certificate comes to you and no form ever reaches your desk.
The board area is left clean and the circuits legibly labelled. Where a bigger enclosure needs more wall than the old one had, or a cable route has to change, we tell you at quote stage what will be visible rather than after the event.
Real reviews from customers across Wolverhampton & the West Midlands. You deal directly with Adam, every time.
Adam was very professional, friendly, knowledgeable and polite. Changed the old fuse box to a brand new one. I would recommend his service to anyone — definitely will be using him again for any future work.
Messaged Adam to get new light fixtures installed in my kitchen. He was able to get this sorted for me within 2 days of messaging him. Quick to respond and efficient at getting the job done.
Adam carried out an EICR on our property and I was really impressed with his service. Communication was excellent from start to finish, he was transparent with pricing, and provided a clear breakdown of any issues.
Excellent job, very knowledgeable and high standard of quality. Would recommend to anyone requiring electrical work!
Called Sunday afternoon to ask about replacing our bathroom light switch — he came to fix it a couple of hours later. Fabulous job.
Very professional and friendly.
Fitted a new plug for me after another company who had fitted my appliance caused water to leak into the old wall plug. He arrived within half an hour of being called and completed the job in no time.
Absolutely fantastic service, from start to finish. Very professional, fully knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommend.
He was very prompt in fitting me in. Polite and helpful, and the price was cheaper than expected. Definitely recommended.
Excellent service from Adam at ATF Electrics. Excellent communication from start to finish and a quick turnaround on the job. Adam was a great guy, friendly and efficient — we would definitely recommend and use again.
Couldn't recommend Adam enough — top class service from start to finish, making sure I was aware of what's going on at every stage of the full rewire he completed on my property. Will definitely be using ATF in the future!
Adam has installed a few sockets and new downlighters for us. Very quick, and kept the place nice and tidy. Definitely recommend him.
Tettenhall holds a good deal of larger housing where the electrics have quietly been asked to do far more than they were ever specified for. A fuse box replacement in Tettenhall is worth starting with the sums — what the supply carries, what the house draws, how many ways the new unit needs — rather than with the price of an enclosure.
A free quote with no obligation attached, for a new consumer unit in Tettenhall — sized to what the house runs now and to whatever you want to add next.
All work is completed by qualified and certified electricians, with relevant approvals and documentation provided where required.
