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A straightforward domestic fuse board or consumer unit change takes 4–6 hours for one electrician working alone. That covers isolating the supply, removing the old board, fitting the new one, wiring in the circuits, testing everything, and issuing your certificate before we leave.
That's the baseline. Whether your job lands at the shorter or longer end — or needs a second electrician to keep it inside a day — comes down to a handful of things I'll cover below.
More ways on the board means more circuits to disconnect, test, and reconnect. A small flat with eight circuits is a different job to a five-bedroom house with twenty.
A board in a modern utility cupboard is quick to work at. One tucked under the stairs in a Victorian terrace, behind pipework, or in a cellar with poor lighting takes longer just to get at safely.
This is the big one. Old cabling, missing earth bonding, circuits that have been "borrowed" onto others, or non-compliant work from a previous job sometimes only shows up once the old board's off the wall. If that happens, I'll stop and explain what's needed and why before doing anything extra — you won't get surprise work without being told first.
Moving the board to a new position means routing new cable runs, which adds time beyond a straight swap.
If your property needs a new main earthing conductor, or you're adding circuits at the same time (an EV charger circuit, for example), that's additional work on top of the board itself.
Yes, but only while we're actively working. We isolate the supply to fit and test the new board safely, then restore power the same day once everything's certified. You won't be left without electricity overnight for a standard job.
If you work from home or have things like a stairlift, medical equipment, or a freezer full of food, tell us when you book — we'll plan around it where we can, and at the very least make sure you know exactly what time to expect the power to go off.
For a small, easily accessible board with no complications, sometimes — but I'd never promise that upfront. Testing and certification take as long as they take, and rushing that part isn't something we do. If your job is straightforward, it's realistic to expect us in and out within a working day; I just won't quote a "couple of hours" figure that sets you up to be frustrated when the real job takes longer.
Yes. We'll need access throughout, and someone needs to be able to confirm what's plugged in and what isn't before we restore power at the end.
Once the new board's in, we test every circuit, check earthing and bonding, and issue you with a certificate confirming the work meets BS 7671. As an NICEIC-registered contractor, we also self-certify the work and notify Building Control on your behalf under Part P — you don't need to do anything.
Clear access to the board itself, and let us know in advance about anything sensitive to a power cut (freezers, medical devices, home working setups). Beyond that, there's nothing you need to do — we bring everything required.
Every property is different, which is why we always survey before quoting a time or a price. Give us a call on 01892 531728, WhatsApp us on 07775 561363, or email karen@brightsparkelectrician.co.uk and we'll get a survey booked in.
Related reading: What does a fuse board upgrade cost? · Fuse board vs. consumer unit — what's the difference? · How do I know if I should change my board?
A standard domestic job takes 4–6 hours for one electrician, covering removal, installation, testing, and certification. Larger properties, difficult access, or additional issues found on the day can extend this.
Yes, while the work is carried out, but it's restored the same day once the new board is tested and certified.
Yes — a standard domestic board change is a single-day job, done start to finish including testing and certification.
Do I need to be home while my board is changed?
Yes, you'll need to give us access throughout and be available at the end to confirm everything's working before we finish up.
The number of circuits, how accessible the board is, whether it's being relocated, and any faults or non-compliant wiring found once the old board's removed can all add time
Every property is different, which is why we always survey before quoting a time or a price. Give us a call on 01892 531728, WhatsApp us on 07775 561363, or email karen@brightsparkelectrician.co.uk and we'll get a survey booked in.
I would highly recommend Karen and her team for any electrical jobs you have. From the moment I first emailed my enquiry the service was super quick (I appreciate this depends on their other jobs at the time). We received a quote that was clear with the works to be done and price was reasonable. On the day the electrician (Joe I believe) turned up on time, did a fab job and even tidied up after himself. The old ceiling lights we had were a little tricky to get off and pulled some of the plaster off too, but he filled it in and made it as good as new.Great job from beginning to end. Thank you Bright Spark
We used Bright Sparks to resolve some electrical problems. They succeeded where previous electricians failed! We found them to be reliable, courteous and fairly priced.
Thank you also for such a brilliant service, it’s been a pleasure dealing with you from start to finish, and your team member today was fantastic too. I would have absolutely no hesitation using you for electrical work in future and recommending you to friends. Now, if you could just set up a building and plumbing company too… ha ha!
We couldn’t single out any one person as they’re all great. Joe was very helpful today and made a lovely neat job of the work. We wouldn’t use any other company. Best wishes. Carolyn
Just to say a big thank you for the work that your electrician carried out at my mothers house. He was very professional and a clean worker and the finished job was a complete success. It is very comforting to know that when a tradesperson attends the property of a elderly customer that they feel safe and happy. Once again, Thanks Keith
