Home Rewire Check
5 questions about your wiring, consumer unit, and electrical warning signs
Question 1 of 5
How old is your home's wiring?
If you're unsure, check when the property was built. Wiring is often original unless you know it has been replaced.
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Question 2 of 5
What type of consumer unit or fuse box do you have?
It's usually in a cupboard, garage or hallway — a box with switches or fuses controlling your circuits.
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Question 3 of 5
What are your sockets and switches like?
The style and condition of your outlets can indicate the age of your wiring.
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Question 4 of 5
Have you noticed any of these warning signs?
Be honest — these symptoms can indicate a fault in the installation that needs prompt attention.
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Question 5 of 5
Has your home had an EICR in the last 10 years?
An Electrical Installation Condition Report is a formal inspection by a qualified electrician — not a visual check or a builder's assessment.
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A full VoltScore covers wiring age, consumer unit condition, RCD protection, earthing, circuit capacity, and future-readiness — giving you a complete 0–100 health score reviewed by a qualified electrician.
Get My Free VoltScoreWhat electricians actually look for
Full rewires are rarer than homeowners fear
The word "rewire" is often over-used — by worried homeowners and, occasionally, by electricians who haven't fully assessed the installation. A full rewire means replacing every cable in the property. In practice, many homes that present with ageing wiring only need targeted remedial work: a consumer unit upgrade, one or two circuit replacements, or specific fault rectification.
The only way to know which category your home falls into is an EICR. An honest assessment will tell you exactly what needs doing — and what doesn't.
Wiring type and age
Rubber-insulated wiring (pre-1970) becomes brittle and the insulation cracks over time, creating shock and fire risk. PVC wiring from the 1980s onwards is generally more durable but should be inspected at 25–30 years.
Consumer unit type
Old rewirable fuse boxes provide no automatic protection against overloads or earth faults. A modern consumer unit with RCD protection is the single most impactful upgrade for an older installation — and often avoids the need for a full rewire.
Earthing and bonding
Pre-1966 wiring often lacks an earth conductor entirely. Without earthing, a fault on an appliance or fitting can energise metalwork throughout the property. This is a safety-critical deficiency that a consumer unit upgrade alone cannot fix.
EICR observation codes
A C1 code means danger present — immediate action required. A C2 means potentially dangerous — urgent remedial work. An FI (further investigation) means a fault couldn't be confirmed or ruled out. Any of these means the work isn't optional.
Common questions
The most reliable indicators are wiring age (rubber, lead-sheathed, or fabric-braided wiring is over 40 years old and should be replaced), the type of consumer unit (old fuse boxes with rewirable fuses are a strong indicator), visible warning signs like scorch marks or burning smells, and the most recent EICR result. A formal inspection by a qualified electrician is the only way to know for certain.
Not necessarily. Age alone doesn't mean a full rewire is required — it depends on the type of wiring, how well it has been maintained, and whether partial updates have been made over the years. Many older homes have had consumer unit upgrades or circuit replacements that significantly extend the life of the installation. An EICR will identify exactly what needs attention.
Yes — and it's more common than most homeowners realise. Full rewires are often over-diagnosed. In many cases, targeted remedial work — replacing a specific circuit, upgrading the consumer unit, improving earthing and bonding, or addressing individual faults — is all that's needed. A qualified electrician can identify the right approach after a proper assessment.
A full rewire of an average 3-bedroom house typically takes 5–10 days depending on size, accessibility, and whether the house is occupied during the work. Partial rewires are considerably shorter. You will be without power to certain circuits during the work — your electrician should give you a detailed programme before starting.
Rewiring costs vary widely depending on property size, location, accessibility, and the extent of work required. Any quote given without a site visit should be treated with caution. Getting an EICR first will tell you whether a full rewire is actually needed or whether targeted remedial work would suffice — which can make a significant difference to cost.