Term
Consumer unit: what the term means
The board containing the main switch, circuit breakers and RCDs that distributes electricity to a home's circuits; often called the fuse box.
The board containing the main switch, circuit breakers and RCDs that distributes electricity to a home's circuits; often called the fuse box.
Consumer unit in practice
The consumer unit sits where the supply enters the home and protects each circuit. Older fuse boxes use rewireable fuses; modern consumer units use circuit breakers and residual current devices, which disconnect the supply when they detect certain faults.
Replacing a consumer unit is notifiable electrical work under Part P in England, so it must be done by an electrician registered with a competent person scheme or with Building Control involvement. It is not a DIY task.
Source: gov.uk