Scorch marks, a smell or crackling? Skip the checker
If your switchboard has burn marks, smells strange or crackles, don't touch it and contact your lines company straight away, which is ENA's advice. Call 111 if there's smoke or fire. Only look at what you can see with the switchboard door open, and never take any panel or cover off to look behind it.
What it asks
What you can see. Ceramic fuses with fuse wire, older breakers with no test buttons, or a newer board with one or more RCDs (switches with a test button that cut the power if current leaks).
What happens now. Whether anything trips, how often, and whether you've noticed heat, buzzing or a smell near the board.
What's coming. A heat pump, an induction cooktop, an EV charger, a renovation or extra rooms. New circuits that start at the switchboard and feed lighting or power points must have RCD protection, so plans like these often decide whether an older board can stay.
What the answer tells you, and what it can't
You'll get one of three answers: fine for now, worth a check, or call an electrician soon. Each comes with the reasons, so you can explain them to whoever you call.
The checker can't see what's behind the panel, how hot the connections get, or whether your supply can carry a new load. Only a licensed electrician can test that. The new wiring rules that apply from 12 November 2026 don't force a safe board to be replaced, and WorkSafe says existing installations can keep being used and repaired as long as they aren't unsafe, so the checker won't tell you to upgrade just because a board is old.
If an upgrade does happen, a higher-capacity switchboard is high-risk work, so it needs an independent inspection by a licensed electrical inspector as well as your certificates.
Where we'd start
We'd use the checker before planning a heat pump, a cooktop or a charger, not after. If the answer is "worth a check", we'd get an electrician who does switchboards regularly to look at the board and the plans together. That's one visit instead of two.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.