Is an old fuse box illegal?

No. An old rewireable fuse box is not illegal to live with, but it will not meet today's BS 7671 standard and an EICR will usually code it. In a rented property that coded report becomes a legal problem for the landlord.

Is my rewireable fuse box dangerous?

The box itself is usually not the danger. The problem is what it lacks: no 30mA RCD protection, which is the device that saves lives when someone touches a live cable. A modern board adds that protection to every circuit.

Will replacing an old fuse box mean a rewire?

Usually not. Wiring from the 1960s onwards often tests fine. We test every circuit before quoting, and if something does need work we tell you exactly which circuit and why.

How much does it cost to replace an old fuse box?

From £449 fixed, and most old fuse box swaps in Greater Manchester land between £449 and £795. Older houses sometimes need earthing or bonding upgrades, which we price from your photos before we start.

Wire fuses out, RCBOs in

Old Fuse Box Replacement in Manchester

Still got a fuse box with wire fuses and a big red switch? It has probably been there for fifty years, and it has no RCD protection at all. We swap it for a modern metal board in one visit, from £449 fixed, certificate included.

Fully insured
5-year workmanship guarantee
5.0 from 300+ Google reviews

Send a photo, get a fixed price Call 07703 295654

Fixed price by photo

Send 3 photos, get a fixed price

No visit needed. We reply with a fixed written price within two working hours, 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.

Is an old fuse box dangerous?

The box itself is usually not the danger. The problem is what it lacks. A rewireable fuse box has no RCD protection, the 30mA device that cuts the power in milliseconds when someone touches something live. Every modern board has it on every circuit. Yours has none. That is the whole argument for replacing it, and it is a strong one.

Which one have you got?

Greater Manchester's housing stock means we see the same few boxes over and over. If yours is on this list, it is a straightforward one-day swap.

Wylex rewireable, white or brown The classic. A row of ceramic or bakelite fuse holders you pull out to change the fuse wire. Fitted by the million from the 1950s to the early 1980s, and still in thousands of terraces from Salford to Oldham.

MEM or Bill cast-iron switchfuse A heavy black or grey box with a lever, often in a cellar head. Some of these pre-date the war. If yours still carries the load of a modern house, it deserves retirement.

A patchwork of add-ons An old box plus a separate switchfuse for the shower, plus another for the garage. Each addition made sense at the time. Together they are exactly what one modern board with spare ways replaces.

Will I need a full rewire?

Usually not, and we test before we quote so you never find out the hard way. An old fuse box does not mean old cables. Plenty of houses were rewired in the 70s or 80s and only the box was left alone.

On the day, we dead test every circuit before the new board goes live. If insulation resistance on one circuit is poor, we tell you which circuit, what it feeds and what the fix costs. That is a separate, smaller decision, not a surprise rewire.

What the swap involves

Power off, old box out, and the existing circuits connected into a new metal consumer unit with an RCBO per circuit and surge protection. Older installations often need main protective bonding added to the gas and water pipes, and sometimes new meter tails; your photos tell us that in advance so the price is fixed before we arrive.

Every circuit is tested to BS 7671, you get the Electrical Installation Certificate the same day, and we notify building control under Part P. Prices start at £449; the cost page shows exactly what is in each package and what adds cost.

Old fuse box questions

Fifty years is a good innings

Send a photo of your old box and we will send a fixed price to retire it. Two working hours, in writing, fixed for 30 days.

Send my photos WhatsApp instead