Hager Consumer Units

A consumer unit, often referred to as a fuseboard or fuse box, is the main electrical distribution board in a property. It receives electricity from the mains supply and distributes it safely to different circuits throughout the building.

Modern consumer units also provide essential protection against electrical faults, including overloads, short circuits and electric shock, helping to improve safety and prevent damage to wiring and connected equipment.

Design Evo is Hager's current consumer unit range, replacing what were previously premium upgrade options with standard features across the board – including smart lid locators for one-handed fitting, captive screws, an integrated spirit level, and quick-release DIN clips.

The range is available as surface-mounted (metal) and flush-mounted units, in single row and dual row layouts, with options for built-in SPD provision, high integrity dual RCD protection, and dedicated garage consumer units.

Learn more about the individual features of the new Hager Evo consumer units in our Hager Evo Board Guide

Key features of Hager consumer units include:

• 18th Edition compliant design – Built to meet current UK wiring regulations (BS 7671:2018+A4:2026), including compatibility with surge protection devices.
• Flexible configuration options – Available as main switch, dual RCD and high integrity boards, plus surface-mounted, flush/recessed, and garage consumer unit variants.
• Built-in SPD provision – Many Design Evo boards include a single module Type II surge protection device space with a patented SPD earth connection, so no separate fly-lead or extra breaker is needed.
• Supports modern protection devices – Designed for use with Hager RCBOs, MCBs and AFDDs for complete circuit protection.
• Improved circuit protection – Helps safeguard against overloads, short circuits and electrical faults.
• Robust metal enclosures – Non-combustible, fire-resistant construction for enhanced safety and regulatory compliance.
• Installer-friendly design – Smart lid locators for one-handed fitting, captive screws, an integrated spirit level, and quick-release DIN clips for fast device swaps.
• Expandable and adaptable – From compact 2 way garage boards to full 20+ way single and dual row units, suitable for domestic and light commercial applications.
• Reliable Hager quality – British-made, trusted performance and consistent manufacturing standards for long-term use.

RCBO consumer units provide individual protection for each circuit, meaning that if a fault occurs, only the affected circuit is disconnected. This helps reduce disruption and makes fault finding easier.

RCD consumer units, on the other hand, protect multiple circuits together. While they are often more cost-effective, a single fault can cause several circuits to trip at once, making them less flexible compared to RCBO-based systems.

A high integrity consumer unit splits circuits across two independently-switched RCDs, rather than relying on a single RCD for the whole board. If a fault trips one RCD group, circuits protected by the other group stay live.

This is particularly useful for properties with critical circuits – such as alarms, freezers or medical equipment – where an unplanned loss of power could cause a bigger problem than the original fault.

A surface-mounted consumer unit is fixed directly to the wall, with the enclosure visible. A flush or recessed consumer unit is set back into the wall cavity, so only the front cover sits flush with the wall surface for a neater, more discreet finish.

Flush-mounted Hager boards use a separable inner assembly, so the back box can be fitted at first fix while the switchgear is kept away from dust and plaster until second fix, with an adjustable depth for a clean, flush result.

A garage consumer unit is a smaller, often pre-populated consumer unit designed for garages, sheds, outbuildings, or dedicated sub-circuits such as EV chargers or garden supplies. They typically come with an RCCB incomer and a small number of ways already fitted, so they're ready to wire straight out of the box.

Yes. Hager consumer units are designed to meet the requirements of the latest BS 7671 (18th Edition) wiring regulations, including BS 7671:2018+A4:2026. They support modern circuit protection devices such as RCBOs, MCBs and AFDDs, and are compatible with surge protection devices where required.

This ensures installations are compliant, safe and suitable for modern electrical demands.

Many boards in the Design Evo range include a single module space for a Type II surge protection device (SPD), using Hager's patented SPD earth connection. This earths directly through the metal DIN rail bracket, so there's no secondary fly-lead, no extra connection step, and no additional circuit-breaker needed in the SPD assembly.

Surge protection devices help protect electrical equipment from voltage spikes caused by events such as lightning strikes or switching surges, and are increasingly specified or required under current wiring regulations.

Yes. Upgrading an older consumer unit to a modern Design Evo board can significantly improve electrical safety and bring the installation in line with current regulations.

New consumer units offer improved circuit protection, better fault detection, built-in SPD provision, and compatibility with modern devices, making them a worthwhile upgrade for both residential and commercial properties.

Consumer units house a range of circuit protection devices, each designed to protect against different types of electrical faults:

• MCBs (Miniature Circuit Breakers) – Protect against overloads and short circuits
• RCDs / RCCBs (Residual Current Devices) – Protect against electric shock
• RCBOs – Combine MCB and RCD protection for individual circuits
• AFDDs (Arc Fault Detection Devices) – Provide additional protection against electrical fires
• SPDs (Surge Protection Devices) – Protect connected equipment from voltage spikes

Together, these components ensure safe and reliable operation of an electrical installation.

Electricpoint has been supplying electrical products for many years and is now one of the UK’s largest online electrical wholesalers.

Here’s why customers choose us:

Wide product range – We carry thousands of lines from popular, reliable, leading brands.
Fast UK delivery – Most in-stock items are dispatched quickly.
Competitive pricing – We aim to offer great everyday value.
Trade & larger-order support – Trade accounts are available on application.
Secure & straightforward shopping – Safe checkout, straightforward returns and full manufacturer warranties on everything we sell.

If you need some help, would like to take advantage of our Price Promise or perhaps have a large order to place, please give our team of professionals a call on 0203 994 5470, drop us an email at sales@electricpoint.com or use our Contact Form.