Yes they are the same.
Answered by Sarah, Electrical Safety Expert
A fusebox, also sometimes known as a consumer unit, should be easy to find and is where the electricity in your home is controlled and distributed.
It’s important that you know where your fusebox is in case you ever need to turn the electricity off in an emergency. It contains three things – the main switch, fuses and/or circuit breakers, and (in modern fuseboxes), Residual Current Devices (RCD).
- Main Switch – this allows you to turn off the electricity supply to your home. You might have more than one mains switch, for example if your home has electric storage heaters. In this case you may have a separate fusebox.
- Residual Current Devices (RCD) are life-saving devices that are designed to prevent you from getting a fatal electric shock if you touch something live, such as a bare wire. They can also provide some protection against electrical fires. RCDs offer a level of personal protection that ordinary fuses and circuit-breakers cannot provide.