What we do and who it is for
Consumer unit upgrades and replacements from £XXX — fixed written prices before work starts. Serving Maidstone and surrounding areas including Bearsted, Penenden Heath, Tovil, Barming and Loose. Work is NICEIC approved and Part P registered, with guarantees and appropriate electrical certification supplied on completion.
Typical jobs
Typical work in Maidstone includes replacing ageing fuse boards in post-war estates such as Loose, Fant, and Park Wood with modern consumer units, adding RCD or RCBO protection, and correcting defects identified during an EICR on 1950s–1960s semi-detached houses. On riverside terraced streets in the town centre and older bungalows in Ringlestone we assess cable condition, circuit loading, earthing and bonding before recommending work, so the installation in those local properties remains suitable and documented.
- Greater reassurance that fault protection responds when needed in Park Wood and Heath areas where many homes have original 1960s consumer units.
- Clear certification for your records and for future inspections by Maidstone Borough Council, especially for conversions in Tovil.
- Reduced concern about ageing aluminium connections commonly found in 1950s social housing on the post-war estates.
- Careful planning to limit disruption to homes in Maidstone’s conservation areas, such as Week Street and parts of Barming.
In Maidstone’s post-war estates including Loose Valley and Fant we pay particular attention to aluminium rewiring terminations and compatibility with modern breakers. For Victorian terraced houses around the town centre and listed cottages near Wouldham or in parts of Aylesford we carry out period-sensitive retrofits with discreet routing and appropriate containment to minimise impact on original fabric. We isolate safely at the property, label circuits clearly for the homeowner in Maidstone, test the completed installation, and issue the relevant electrical certification required locally. If defects extend beyond the consumer unit in properties across the borough, for example in older houses in Allington or Downswood, we’ll explain the risk and the remedial steps required before proceeding.
What it costs
Before any consumer unit upgrade in Maidstone we’ll inspect the installation, confirm the required work and provide a fixed written price. Below are typical charges, with what’s included for each job.
| Job | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Consumer unit replacement | £500–£700 | Supply and fitting of new consumer unit, labour, VAT, testing and certification |
| Fault finding | £80/hour | Diagnostic work to locate electrical faults (labour only) |
| EICR, up to three bedrooms | £150–£250 | Full electrical inspection and condition report for properties up to three bedrooms |
Not included: making good plaster/decoration, asbestos removal, DNO supply‑upgrade charges, scaffold or specialist access equipment (unless specified).
How the work is planned
Once we’ve assessed the existing installation, we’ll plan the consumer unit upgrade around the property’s circuits, earthing arrangement, cable condition and required protection, identifying any defects that must be resolved before replacement. Our site survey confirms circuit use, meter positions, isolation arrangements, access constraints and whether ageing VIR, rubber or aluminium conductors affect the scope.
We’ll agree a suitable shutdown window with you, allowing for essential appliances, alarms, home working or business operations. For managed premises, stakeholder meetings help us coordinate access, keyholders and any vulnerable occupants. We’ll identify circuits requiring temporary isolation, protect working areas and confirm where the new consumer unit can be installed safely. Before attendance, we’ll set out the planned sequence, expected interruption and any preparatory work, so risks are controlled and disruption is kept proportionate.
Compliance and documentation
Compliance is integral to every consumer unit upgrade, and we will carry out the inspection, testing and certification required to meet current electrical safety standards. We will check protective devices, circuit identification, earthing and bonding, polarity, insulation resistance and test results, and issue the appropriate certification; clear records support regulatory traceability and help show what was installed, tested and found at the time of the work.
For commercial premises there is no statutory interval for an EICR, despite a common belief that one is legally mandated; the IET Guidance Note 3 recommends typical review intervals (for example, five years for offices, three years for industrial premises and annual checks in some higher‑risk environments). The legal duty is to maintain systems so as to prevent danger under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989; insurers, landlords and licensing bodies may request current reports, so retaining documentation is advisable.
Minimal disruption and out-of-hours working
We’ll plan a consumer unit upgrade around your occupancy, isolating supplies only when necessary and keeping downtime as short as safe working permits. Before work starts, we’ll confirm critical loads, access arrangements and any equipment that must be shut down safely. We’ll protect adjacent finishes, maintain clear escape routes and control dust while existing circuits are identified and tested.
Where a daytime isolation would cause unacceptable interruption, we can discuss out of hours working, subject to safe access, adequate lighting and a realistic testing period. Noise minimisation includes preparing materials in advance, limiting drilling and avoiding unnecessary movement through occupied areas. We won’t rush energisation: circuit verification, protective-device testing and labelling must be completed before the installation is returned to service. You’ll receive clear notice of each planned interruption and completion confirmation.
Premises and sites around Maidstone
Across Maidstone we upgrade consumer units in Victorian terraces around the town centre and Tovil, assessing ageing VIR or rubber-insulated cables commonly found in terraces built in the late 19th century before specifying replacement equipment. In the post‑war estates of Shepway, Park Wood and Senacre — where many semi‑detached houses and council‑built terraces date from the 1950s and 1960s — we specifically check for aluminium conductors and legacy jointing methods and undertake the careful assessment those installations require prior to any changes. In newer developments on the outskirts of Bearsted and Barming, where homes were built from the 1990s onwards, we review modern housing wiring and consumer unit layouts to confirm they meet current earthing arrangements. For listed or period properties in parts of the town centre conservation area and the 18th–19th century buildings along the River Medway, we plan containment routes and agree isolation periods to protect historic fabric while meeting today’s requirements. At commercial premises in the Fremlin Walk area and industrial units on the Aylesford Road estate, we review the local supply characteristics, circuit identification and protective devices and ensure safe access arrangements for those specific sites. For every job in Maidstone you’ll receive documentation tailored to the property: certification and circuit schedules that record the upgraded consumer unit and its location, so the work is properly recorded and traceable.