Consumer unit questions

[solvent3]

Hi all. Looking for some advice on what options are available and viable for the following.

Next week we move into a new house. The house currently has a Contactum board with no spare capacity. The house was rewired and board replaced around 5 years ago i believe. Later in the year we plan to add a car charger and a garden office so looking at options when it comes to creating the space required to add these to the consumer unit. I don't plan on doing the work myself but was looking for viable options before i contact and discuss with an electrician in the area. Which of the below options, or indeed any others is a good/acceptable way forward? There should be an image of the current CU so you can see whats what.

• Combine Smoke alarm to downstairs lights. Combine kitchen lights to 1st Floor lights. Creates 2 spaces to add new circuits. Kitchen is a new extension with 6 LED spotlights. 1st Floor has 5 lights - all lights are LED in house.
• Split the tails and add another smaller consumer unit. There is a dual pole isolation already installed in same location and space/access looks good
• Replace 1st half of board with RCBO's to make space for the 2 new circuits
• Replace consumer unit with a larger version?

Thanks in advance.

 

[He who knows]

#2 or #4

Combining circuits is a retrograde step - more separation the better.

#3 depends on being able to get the right RCBOs, as mixing'n'matching devices from different ranges not tested by the maker negates the type approval of the CU. Contactum is not a premium make, so longevity of products won't be the finest.