Have recently moved into a house which was built around 1970-1975. First job is to get a new kitchen fitted. When we were getting our kitchen quote, they also quoted for installation and asked what sort of consumer unit we had. I couldn't really answer properly but only that it's made by Wylex, it looks like the original unit, it has a series of labelled switches (kitchen, garage etc.) (i.e. they aren't the old wire fuses).
We aren't having them do the installation but they said if we had they would have "had to" install a new consumer unit (£440) because that's the law and they wouldn't sign off the electical installation otherwise. So I'm here to check whether they were telling the truth. I've no doubt it would be a good thing to upgrade it but is it a legal/safety essential when we're having our new kitchen? All we're doing in the kitchen will be adding another 2 power sockets. The new cooker is dual fuel (like the old one) and if the new one is like our last dual fuel Rangemaster, the electric oven is simply a 13a plug.
I'd really like to know if it's an essential for when I get others round to quote for our kitchen installation.
Thanks
We aren't having them do the installation but they said if we had they would have "had to" install a new consumer unit (£440) because that's the law and they wouldn't sign off the electical installation otherwise. So I'm here to check whether they were telling the truth. I've no doubt it would be a good thing to upgrade it but is it a legal/safety essential when we're having our new kitchen? All we're doing in the kitchen will be adding another 2 power sockets. The new cooker is dual fuel (like the old one) and if the new one is like our last dual fuel Rangemaster, the electric oven is simply a 13a plug.
I'd really like to know if it's an essential for when I get others round to quote for our kitchen installation.
Thanks