From 1st January 2016, it became mandatory for any consumer units installed or replaced in domestic properties to be made of or enclosed by a non-combustible material, ferrous metal such as steel. Existing plastic consumer units can be retained for alterations and additions, unless they show signs of thermal damage or the manufacturer’s design has been altered.
‘As we spent much of last year preparing installers for Amendment 3, it seemed a logical step to also provide information for householders to get to grips with the changes,’ said Frank Bertie, the NAPIT Trade Association chairman and NAPIT technical director. ‘After feedback received from NAPIT members at last year’s NAPIT EXPO…On The Road, we decided to create the leaflet in order to give a clear understanding of the regulations that are now in effect for consumer units. It is designed as a useful tool for installers to provide quality advice to consumers in a bite size format.’
NAPIT’s leaflet is available as a free download from the membership website for installers to print off as many copies as they need to distribute to current and potential customers.
To download the leaflet visit: www.napit.org.uk/downloads/consumer-unit-leaflet.pdf