ComGas replaces and upgrades distribution boards for commercial, education and healthcare premises — from single boards with obsolete devices to three-phase boards and sub-mains serving new loads — across Surrey and surrounding counties.
A distribution board is rarely replaced because it has visibly failed. In commercial premises it is far more often the outcome of an Electrical Installation Condition Report — an inspection that identifies devices, protective arrangements or an enclosure that no longer meet the current edition of BS 7671, even though the board is still switching loads on and off perfectly normally. The gap between "still working" and "still compliant" is where most of this work sits, and it is worth understanding before assuming a board only needs attention when something trips or fails outright.
Older boards commonly present rewirable fuses or early MCB types with no RCD or RCBO protection, discontinued devices with no replacement parts available, or a metal enclosure requirement that a combustible board no longer satisfies. Some simply have no remaining ways left for a new circuit, which becomes a problem the moment a new load — an EV charger, a heat pump, catering equipment — needs to be added. Left unaddressed, any of these can turn a straightforward EICR remedial item into a more disruptive piece of work once it becomes unavoidable.
ComGas surveys the existing board and installation before specifying a replacement, upgrade or additional ways, and plans the switch-off and changeover around how your building actually operates, for commercial, education and healthcare premises across Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire.
ComGas Services UK Ltd
Distribution board replacement and panel upgrades from Farnham, Surrey.
We assess the existing board and its findings before agreeing the right scope, rather than replacing on a like-for-like basis by default.
Full replacement of a distribution board where devices, protection or the enclosure no longer meet current requirements.
Adding ways or upgrading an existing board to accommodate new or growing loads.
Sub-mains cabling and three-phase distribution boards feeding sub-boards across larger or multi-tenanted premises.
Producing accurate, current circuit schedules and labelling so a board can be worked on safely in future.
Planned. Professional. Practical.
We start from whatever has prompted the work — usually an EICR, but sometimes a new load that the existing board cannot accommodate — and assess the board and its installation against that. This includes checking remaining ways, protective device types, the enclosure, and whether the circuit schedule matches what is actually installed, rather than assuming the paperwork is accurate.
Once the scope is confirmed, we plan the switch-off around how the building operates, arranging temporary supplies for any loads that cannot tolerate an outage. The changeover itself is carried out methodically, circuit by circuit where practical, with testing and certification completed before the board is handed back into service.
A distribution board rarely operates in isolation, so switching it off affects whatever it feeds — which can include life safety, IT, catering or medical equipment that cannot simply go without power. We consider the timing of any switch-off, whether a temporary supply is needed for critical loads, and what practical constraints exist around the board itself, including access, space for a larger enclosure, and the condition of the building fabric it is mounted in, before agreeing a plan.
Every distribution board upgrade is scoped to the findings, the load and the building it serves. We do not apply a standard specification regardless of what the survey and assessment actually show.
Where a new load changes what the incoming supply and distribution have to carry.
Education
Incoming electrical supplies upgraded to carry the new heat-pump load — trenching, cable ducting, backfilling and sub-metering on the new supplies.
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Public Sector
Power and controls supplies to the replacement rooftop ventilation plant, coordinated with the mechanical and LPHW works.
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Common questions about when a board needs replacing, how upgrades relate to other electrical work, and what happens during a switch-off.
Talk to the distribution board teamNo. An EICR is the inspection that identifies whether a board or installation still meets current requirements. This page covers the remedial replacement or upgrade work that an EICR often recommends. See our dedicated Electrical Testing & EICR page for the inspection itself.
Boards are most often replaced because an inspection has found devices, protection or an enclosure that no longer meet the current edition of BS 7671, not because anything has stopped working. Continuing to use a non-compliant board carries risk even while it still functions.
Often, yes. Adding EV charging, and similar new loads such as heat pumps or catering equipment, is one of the most common reasons a board needs additional ways or a full upgrade. We assess the existing board's capacity as part of any EV charging project. See our EV Charging page for that specific service.
Domestic consumer unit work sits within our residential electrical service rather than this commercial page. See our Residential Electrical page if the property is a private home rather than a commercial, education or healthcare premises.
Where possible, yes. We plan switch-offs to affect only what is necessary, arrange temporary supplies for critical loads, and sequence changeovers around your operating hours rather than defaulting to a full building shutdown.
Where a device is discontinued or spares are no longer available, we replace it as part of the upgrade rather than trying to source an obsolete part. This is assessed and agreed with you before work begins, alongside the rest of the board's condition.
Tell us what the report found, or what you're looking to add, along with any access or timing constraints. We can advise on the right scope and arrange a survey where appropriate.
Current accreditations and registrations.
Message the ComGas office on 01252 214120.