The ICP (power control switch) is the element that limits the home's consumption to the power contracted with the electricity company, and often causes confusion over who should install and quote it.
Where it goes and who installs it
In most modern installations, the ICP is already built into the digital meter itself, so it isn't an additional physical piece the electrician installs inside the home's consumer unit. In old installations without a digital meter, the ICP is a separate piece, normally located next to the meter, and its installation falls to the distribution company, not the home's electrician.
What happens if it trips constantly
If the ICP (or its equivalent in the digital meter) trips frequently, it isn't a fault: it means the contracted power is insufficient for the appliances being used at the same time. The solution is not an electrical repair but to increase the contracted power with the distributor, something the client should be warned about before quoting any installation check-up.
Why it matters when quoting
Before sizing a new consumer unit (circuits, circuit breakers, RCDs), the home's real contracted power must be confirmed: sizing for more power than contracted is wasted money, and sizing for less leaves the installation short as soon as the client increases their power in future.
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