Consumer unit replacement: how long the power is off and can you stay home

How long the power is actually off

A straightforward consumer unit swap in a one or two-bedroom flat usually takes an electrician three to six hours from arrival to final testing. The power itself is not off for the whole visit — the old unit stays live while cables are labelled and the new enclosure is mounted alongside it, and the actual changeover, when circuits are moved across and the supply is cut, typically takes one to two hours.

In practice the electrician will tell you roughly when the cut will happen, often after an hour or two of preparation, and will confirm once power is back on. If the building has a shared meter room or the supply needs to be isolated at the riser, coordinating with the apartment association can add some waiting time, particularly in older buildings where the riser cupboard is locked or shared with neighbours.

Larger flats, houses with several distribution boards, or units that also feed a garage or sauna building take longer, sometimes a full working day. If you have a specific deadline that day — a delivery, a video call, someone arriving — mention it when booking so the electrician can plan the changeover around it rather than at the end.

Can you stay at home during the work

Yes, in most cases there is no reason to leave. The consumer unit is usually in the hallway, a cupboard, or a utility area, and work does not spread through the rest of the flat. You can carry on with normal life in other rooms while cables are being checked and connected, as long as you are comfortable with an hour or two of no power, no internet router, and no lift if the building has one and it happens to be on the same supply.

The exceptions are practical rather than electrical. If you work from home and need a laptop plugged in and a stable connection for calls, it is worth planning that day around the power cut rather than during it, since both will be down for part of the visit. Battery-powered laptops and phones are unaffected once charged.

Pets that are anxious around drilling noise or strangers in the flat are usually the bigger consideration than the power itself — a locked room away from the work area, or a day at a neighbour's or a pet sitter's, tends to work better than trying to keep them calm in the hallway.

What happens to the fridge and other appliances

A modern fridge or freezer holds its temperature for several hours with the door shut, so an interruption of one to two hours during the changeover is not a practical problem. Avoid opening the door unnecessarily during that window and it will not affect the food inside.

Anything with a clock, timer, or Wi-Fi connection — ovens, boilers, smart thermostats, routers — will lose its settings or need reconnecting once power returns. It is worth knowing your Wi-Fi password and boiler settings before the day starts, since resetting them afterwards is on you, not the electrician.

If you run something that genuinely cannot lose power, such as a server, an aquarium pump, or medical equipment, say so before booking. A battery backup or a generator can sometimes be arranged for the changeover window, but this needs to be planned in advance rather than discovered on the day.

What if unexpected old wiring turns up mid-job

Opening up a consumer unit in a Soviet-era panel building or a pre-war wooden house in Kalamaja or Nõmme sometimes reveals wiring that was never part of the original plan: aluminium conductors, undocumented extra circuits run by a previous owner, or connections that do not match what is behind the wall. This is common enough that it should not come as a shock, and it does not mean the whole job is abandoned.

When this happens, the electrician stops and explains what was found before doing anything further, rather than working around it silently. Some issues are minor and add an hour of work; others, such as aluminium wiring throughout a flat, are a separate and larger job that deserves its own quote rather than being folded into the day's work at short notice.

This is also the point where the boundaries of the job matter: an electrician replacing a consumer unit will not open up load-bearing walls to trace wiring, and will not touch anything gas-related. If either turns out to be relevant, the right specialist gets called in rather than the work being pushed through regardless.

• Ask what will happen if old or undocumented wiring is found before work starts
• Expect to be shown the problem, not just told about it afterwards
• A genuinely separate job — like rewiring a whole flat — gets its own quote
• Load-bearing walls and gas installations are outside the scope and go to a specialist

What drives the price and what is usually included

A consumer unit replacement in a flat is typically quoted as a fixed job from 350 €, based on the number of circuits, the condition of the existing wiring, and access to the distribution board. This figure is confirmed after a look at the current unit or photos of it, and it holds for 30 days once given.

Included in that price is normally the removal of the old unit, mounting and wiring the new one, connecting existing circuits, labelling, and testing once complete. What is usually extra is anything beyond swapping the unit itself: replacing damaged cable runs, adding new circuits, or work the apartment association needs to arrange at the riser.

If the scope is unclear or the job turns out to be more about tracing and fixing old wiring than replacing a box, it is billed as electrical work from 49 € per hour instead, in half-hour steps after the first hour. Materials bought on your behalf carry a 10 % handling fee, or you can supply them yourself.

How to plan the day around it

Book a morning slot if possible, so there is time in the day left over if something takes longer than expected — an aluminium wiring surprise or a locked riser cupboard can add an hour or two. Confirm access to the shared meter room in advance if the building has one, since waiting for a neighbour with a key is a common and avoidable delay.

On the day itself, clear the area around the consumer unit, secure pets away from the work area, and have your router and boiler settings to hand for after the power comes back. If you work from home, plan calls and anything time-sensitive for the hours before or after the expected changeover window rather than during it.

An appointment can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours ahead, which is worth remembering if the day turns out to be busier than expected once it is booked.