RCD and RCBO Price List: ABB, Schneider, Siemens Compared
What drives RCD and RCBO pricing? A residual current device's price scales with three catalog parameters — type (AC/A/F/B per IEC 62423), pole count (2P vs 4P), and rated current (25-125 A) — plus whether it ships as a standalone RCCB, an add-on earth-leakage block, or a one-piece RCBO combining the RCD with an MCB. Get the sensitivity or type wrong at spec stage and the real cost isn't the unit price, it's re-buying and re-wiring the circuit after a nuisance trip or a failed inspection. This guide compares ABB F200/DS201, Schneider Acti9 iID/Vigi, and Siemens 5SV/5SU/5SM on price tier, form factor, Type B availability, and where each brand's range sits for panel builders sourcing in volume.
Why RCD Pricing Isn't a Single Number
Ask "how much does an RCD cost" and the honest answer is: which one. A 2P, 25 A, Type AC RCCB and a 4P, 100 A, Type B unit from the same family can differ by a factor of several times, not a small percentage. Distributor list price is also not what a panel builder actually pays — volume tiers, framework agreements, and regional stock all move the number, sometimes by more than the type/pole/current spread itself.
What we see in the field: buyers price the RCD alone and forget the backup device. An RCCB needs an upstream MCB or fuse for short-circuit protection; leave that line item out of the comparison and the RCCB looks artificially cheap next to an RCBO that already includes it.
RCCB vs RCBO: The Form-Factor Cost Difference
An RCCB detects residual current only — no overload, no short-circuit trip. It has to sit behind an MCB. An RCBO packs both functions into one housing: earth-leakage detection plus the bimetal and magnetic trip mechanism of an MCB. That extra mechanism, in a smaller enclosure, is why a monobloc RCBO usually costs more than the RCCB of the same series, current, and type — you're paying for integration, not just protection.
Schneider's Acti9 Vigi iC60 sits between the two approaches: an add-on earth-leakage block that clips onto an existing iC60 MCB. It converts an already-installed MCB into an RCBO-equivalent for less than a monobloc RCBO purchase, but the assembly takes roughly double the DIN rail width of a true one-piece unit. On a board where space is tight, that width difference has its own cost — a bigger enclosure.
Link this decision to the underlying device families first: see the RCCB vs RCBO differences and, for the full four-way terminology split, MCB vs RCBO vs RCD vs RCCB differences.
What Type (AC/A/F/B) Adds to the Price
Type AC detects sinusoidal residual current only. It's the cheapest construction and increasingly restricted — most codes now exclude it for circuits feeding electronic loads. Type A adds pulsating DC detection and is the base price point for a modern panel: it covers the SMPS and electronics on a typical board. Type F extends that to mixed frequencies for single-phase VFD loads, at a step up from Type A.
Type B is the expensive one. Detecting smooth DC residual current (three-phase VFDs, EV chargers, transformerless PV inverters) needs a different core design than Type A/F, and the price reflects it — a Type B unit can run several multiples of its Type A sibling in the same frame, pole count, and current rating. ABB's F200 B, Siemens' 5SM3, and Schneider's Acti9 iID B all price this way relative to their own Type A ranges.
For the technical detection differences behind the price gap, see RCD types AC, A, F, B and SI explained and, specifically for VFD/EV/solar sizing decisions, Type A vs Type B RCD for VFD, EV and solar.
ABB, Schneider, and Siemens Price Tiers Compared
The three converge on Type A as the default and all now stock a Type B line and a super-immunized (SI) variant. Where they diverge is the RCBO form factor and how deep the Type B range runs.
| Criteria | ABB | Schneider Electric | Siemens |
|---|---|---|---|
| RCCB range | F200 (F202 2P, F204 4P), FH200 economy line | Acti9 iID | 5SV (5SV3/5SV4/5SV6) |
| RCBO approach | One-piece (DS201, DS202C, DS203NC) | Add-on block (Vigi iC60) or compact monobloc (iDPN Vigi) | Compact monobloc (5SU1, 5SV1) |
| Type B availability | F200 B | Acti9 iID B | 5SM3 |
| Nuisance-trip / SI variant | S-type selective versions | "si" super-immunized range | SIGRES (humid/corrosive) |
| Feeder-level (>125 A) option | RD3 residual current relay | Vigirex relay + separate toroid | 5SM2 relay + external toroid |
None of the three is uniformly cheaper once you match type, poles, and current rating — the economy line inside a single brand (ABB's FH200 versus F200, for example) moves the number more than switching brands does. Where brands actually separate on cost is the RCBO form factor: an add-on block plus an existing MCB you already stock can beat buying a monobloc RCBO from scratch, and a one-piece RCBO can beat the block-plus-MCB pair once you count board space and labor.
Browse current stock across residual current devices and RCBOs to compare list price by brand, current rating, and type side by side.
Pole Count and Rated Current: Sizing Cost
A 4P unit always costs more than the 2P version of the same series, current rating, and type — more contacts, a wider frame, more copper. On a single-phase board this is moot; on a three-phase feeder it isn't, and oversizing poles you don't need (installing 4P where the load is genuinely single-phase) is a cost with no protection benefit.
Rated current In (25/40/63/80/100/125 A) moves price in smaller steps within a frame size, then jumps at the boundary where a series switches to a physically larger frame — going from 63 A to 80 A is often not a scaled increment of the same product, it's a different frame in the range, priced accordingly. Check the frame-size break in the specific series before assuming a linear cost curve across the current range.
For a structured way through sensitivity, type, and pole decisions before pricing, see how to select RCD sensitivity, type and poles.
Where to Save Without Compromising Protection
Three places to trim spend without cutting protection. First: don't buy Type B where Type A plus a 6 mA RDC-DD on the DC-risk circuit meets the code requirement — this applies mainly to EV charge points, not to every circuit on the board. Second: use the add-on block approach on boards where you already stock the base MCB in volume; buying a fresh monobloc RCBO for every circuit duplicates a device you have on the shelf. Third: reserve the SI variant for sites with a documented nuisance-tripping history (long cable runs, VFD-heavy loads, coastal or humid installations) rather than specifying it as default across a whole board.
This depends on the cumulative cable leakage on the circuit as much as the load itself — a long run of cable to a remote panel can push a healthy circuit close to a 30 mA sensitivity's nuisance-trip threshold even with a compliant load, and that's a wiring-length problem, not a device-quality problem. No brand switch fixes it; only sensitivity selection or splitting the circuit does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an RCBO always more expensive than an RCCB plus a separate MCB?
Not necessarily. A monobloc RCBO usually costs more than the RCCB alone, but once you add the price of the separate MCB the RCCB needs, the two options often land close together. The deciding factor is usually board space and labor, not the component price alone.
Why does a Type B RCD cost so much more than Type A?
Type B detects smooth DC residual current, which requires a different core and sensing design than the transformer-based detection used in Type A/AC devices. That construction difference, not brand markup, is the main driver of the price gap.
Does 4P always cost more than 2P for the same current rating?
Yes, within the same series, type, and rated current, a 4P device costs more than its 2P counterpart. Specify pole count to the actual supply (single-phase vs three-phase) rather than defaulting to 4P for margin of safety.
Is ABB, Schneider, or Siemens cheaper for RCDs and RCBOs?
No single brand is consistently cheaper once type, poles, and current rating are matched. The bigger cost swing comes from choosing an economy sub-line within a brand (like ABB's FH200) versus the standard range, and from RCCB-plus-MCB versus RCBO form factor.
Do I need Type B for every EV charger circuit?
Not always. IEC 62955 allows a Type A RCD combined with a 6 mA DC residual current detection device (RDC-DD) built into the charger or RCBO as an alternative to a full Type B device, where the equipment permits it. Check the charger's own DC fault protection before speccing a standalone Type B.
What's the cheapest way to get earth-leakage protection for a large board?
For boards with many final circuits, RCCBs behind existing MCBs (or an add-on block on a stocked MCB) generally beat buying a monobloc RCBO for every circuit from scratch, provided board space allows the extra width. For a single feeder above roughly 125 A, a residual current relay with an external toroid replaces a fixed RCCB entirely and is priced and sized differently.
Conclusion
RCD and RCBO pricing follows type, poles, and current rating first, brand second. Match the sensitivity and type to the actual load, size poles to the actual supply, and only pay the extra for a monobloc RCBO or an SI variant where the form factor or trip history justifies it. Use the RCD protection guide to work back from the application to the right device before comparing list prices across brands.
