Describe the work
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What an AFDD does
Electrical fires are a serious risk in any home, and arc fault protection is one way to reduce it. An arc fault detection device (AFDD) protects against hidden dangers caused by damaged cables, loose connections or faulty appliances by detecting dangerous arcing and switching off the circuit before it can start a fire.
Without arc fault protection, a spark from a damaged cable behind a wall or inside an appliance could develop into a fire. Ordinary circuit breakers are not designed to detect these small but hazardous arcs, and an RCD only reacts to current leaking to earth, so an arc between live and neutral can go unnoticed by both. That gap is why AFDDs are now part of the Wiring Regulations.
What the Wiring Regulations say
AFDDs to BS EN 62606 are covered by regulation 421.1.7 of BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, the current IET Wiring Regulations. They are required on single-phase AC final circuits supplying socket-outlets rated up to 32 A in high-rise residential buildings, houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), purpose-built student accommodation and care homes. For all other homes, BS 7671 recommends them. They are not retrospective, so an existing installation is not unsafe simply because it has none.
How installation works
The local electricians you compare through Kilowatts UK check whether your consumer unit can take AFDDs. In a modern board, they usually replace existing RCBOs or circuit breakers with combined AFDD/RCBO devices from the same manufacturer, so the board stays compliant with its type-testing. Older boards may not accept them, in which case a new consumer unit is the better route. Many homeowners have AFDDs fitted while completing other work, such as fuse box upgrades or after routine home electrical inspections. Combining jobs can reduce cost and disruption.
Part P and certificates
In England, fitting AFDDs into an existing consumer unit is not usually notifiable under Part P, and the electrician should give you a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (MEIWC). Replacing the consumer unit is notifiable: a registered competent person self-certifies it (you then receive a Building Regulations compliance certificate) or it goes through building control, and you should receive an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC). Electrical Safety First recommends an EICR at least every 10 years for an owner-occupied home and every five years for a rented one; landlords in England have a legal duty to arrange one at least every five years.
Home and business
In a single family house, AFDDs are a recommended upgrade. In an HMO, student block or high-rise building, they are a requirement for new socket circuits, and the landlord's EICR duties also apply. Businesses have their own duties under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.
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