7 Signs Your Switchboard Needs an Upgrade

1–4: Everyday Warning Signs

Ceramic fuses instead of circuit breakers — if your board still uses rewireable ceramic fuses, it predates modern safety switch requirements and offers no protection against electric shock.

Breakers tripping regularly, especially when running multiple appliances at once, usually means your supply capacity can no longer keep up with modern household demand.

Flickering lights or dimming when large appliances switch on points to loose connections or an overloaded circuit inside the board.

A warm or discoloured switchboard, or a faint burning smell near it, is never normal and should be treated as urgent — this can indicate overheating connections.

5–7: Signs You're Planning an Upgrade Anyway

No room for a solar or EV connection — older boards often don't have the physical space or supply headroom for a new circuit, meaning any solar or EV charger installation has to start with a board upgrade.

Renovating or adding a granny flat — most councils require compliant, adequately rated switchboards and separate metering before signing off on additions like granny flat metering.

An Ausgrid or Endeavour defect notice referencing your service connection or metering usually can't be resolved without touching the switchboard itself.

What to Do Next

If two or more of these apply, it's worth getting a free inspection rather than waiting for a failure. A same-day switchboard upgrade is far less disruptive than an emergency callout after something fails outright.

Not sure where you stand? Take our 60-second switchboard upgrade quiz — tick the signs that apply to your home and get a straight answer on what to do next.