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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.
Your electrician Philip was punctual, friendly and very efficient. Would certainly use you again and recommend your company.
Thank you for sending us Phil to restore light to all corners of our home. Most agreeable and efficient gentleman who didn't flinch visibly at the dusty mysterious corners where ancient wires lay in ceiling space and appliances wired from the dark ages.
The guys did a great job yesterday – and were very accommodating too (putting things back in cupboards that they had to remove.) I gave them regular coffee / tea (and my wife made them a couple of Apple buns too) – and last night I gave them each a bottle of VERY good wine as a small thank you. GW - Hildenborough
I live in a very old house with many different electrical systems. As a condition of my household insurance I had to have the house electrics upgrade to a modern standard. I engaged Bright Spark for the complex project. My experience of their service was that they are a highly professional company who completed the work on time and on budget. However, and just as importantly, the work was carried out with consideration and care, sadly a rare occurrence in today's society. I have no hesitation in recommending Bright Spark to my friends.
Very pleased with the excellent job from the Bright Spark team. Really informative and helpful advice from Karen and Richard the electrician was friendly, professional and a pleasure to deal with. Will use again. Thank you very much for a job well done.Update: just used Bright Spark again (Aug 25) and Joe did an excellent job and Karen's communication was excellent. Thank you very much.
