coming up on this week's news so-called kill switches are discovered in Chinese-made inverters  says Reuters A Welsh local authority installs one of the UK's first bidirectional AC chargers  And why don't you see solar panels on council houses we reveal the reason and why it's set  to change Welcome to Electrical News Weekly Whether you're listening in the van on site  or down at the wholesale counter I'm Joe Robinson and I've been through the best of the electrical  industry news to save you the trouble And if you think you've spotted the two words that I've  been challenged to slip into this week's show comment with them below for the chance to win  a prize The electrical trade is being warned this week that undocumented communication devices have  been found inside Chinese-made power inverters The discoveries include secret cellular radios  News organisation Reuters says it's been told by US security officials that the rogue components  allow the units to be turned off remotely The kit which has also been discovered in battery packs  bypasses standard firewalls to avoid detection Engineers stumbled on the additional equipment  while stripping down the inverters in a so-called teardown The sources declined to name the brand  names of the affected inverters and batteries They also wouldn't say how many they'd found in total  Experts fear the hidden kill switches could be activated remotely to cripple power grids in the  event of a conflict between China and the West The revelation comes as a bill is introduced in  the US Senate which aims to ban the Department of Homeland Security from buying batteries from  six Chinese brands Meanwhile the UK government is understood to be currently reviewing the use  of Chinese renewable energy technology with a conclusion expected this summer The probe is  believed to also include inverters No guidance or advisories have yet been issued to the trade over  the choice of inverters in renewable installs Of course it could all just be a big fuss over  nothing More on this story when we get it In other news a council in Wales sachets into the  future by becoming one of the first in the country to install a bidirectional AC charger Denbighshire  County Council says that it's combining the vehicle-to-g grid charger with its fleet of  100 electric vans solar panels and battery packs to reduce its reliance on the grid The setup means  that powering the van's batteries can be sent back to the grid during peak demand AC vehicle-to-g  grid chargers use the existing onboard inverters in the vehicle and are typically simpler and  lower cost than DC equivalents Other councils trialing the tech include East Lothian Islington  Oxfordshire and Wiltshire Local authorities are clearly keen on electric vehicles But why many  perplexed people ask Do you never see solar panels on council housing the reason says Octopus is that  there's simply no incentive for landlords But that could all be about to change This week the energy  giant unveiled a special tenant power tariff It aims to remove that blocker by allowing landlords  and renters to share the benefits of clean energy Under the plan local authorities and housing  associations can earn money by exporting surplus power from PV panels to the grid The green energy  automatically gets sold back to the grid at peak times Tenants meanwhile can save up to 200 pounds  a year under the arrangement Any social home with solar panels and an octopus optimised battery can  sign up for tenant power If landlords add extra low carbon tech like heat pumps occupiers can save  even more Octopus believes the tariff will provide a big boost to installers by giving councils  a clear return on investment Now do you fancy yourself as a product designer uk Power Networks  has put out a plea to inventors everywhere It wants help with a rapidly growing problem  The rapid growth in EV chargers and heat pump connections is leading to more customer complaints  about the main's voltage falling outside of its limit Energy firms must deliver 230 volts but are  allowed to go to plus 10% or minus 6% Currently a complaint means that UK power networks must send a  qualified inspector to install a voltage recorder in the customer's home for 2 weeks The device  is then collected and the data analysed It's a slow and expensive process Now the firm wants a  technical expert to design a device that customers can install themselves It wants something that  householders can simply plug into a socket It must record the voltage fluctuations and transmit the  information back using the 4G network or something similar It must be safe to use small enough to put  in the post and cost the same as a multimeter If you think you can come up with something to fit  the bill you have until the 17th of June to submit it The link to the competition is in the show  notes Now welcome to our electrical news weekly feature where we focus on a specific product area  This week we're going green with sustainability The big news here is that the innovative scrap  metal startup GreenCable has signed up its 2500th trade professional and is rapidly approaching  3,000 Many congratulations to them If you're not familiar with the scheme it's a new concept where  the company delivers a green wheelie bin to your premises or home There's no contract or service  charge You simply put in your offcuts of twin and earth and other non-ferris metal They collect it  they give you money and well that's it The firm describes itself as the trade scrapyard on wheels  It's now upgraded its fleet and is rolling out the service to more parts of the country To request  a bin click the link in the show notes Lewden has announced that you can now commission its  Sienna EV chargers by simply using the Monta app The Monta charge section allows you to schedule  charges only at times when certain conditions are met These could include low electricity  prices low CO2 or a high level of renewable power Connecting the charger to the cloud is easy too  Thanks to Mont's compliance with the industry standard open charge point protocol or OCP you can  also integrate your customer's vehicle with Monta so that they can see the current battery level  whether the cable is plugged in or if it's being charged Monta also supports solar PV integration  Now we can't do a focus on planet friendly products without namechecking Marshall Tufflex  The company has been using recycled material in its trunking conduit for over 30 years Its current  range is in fact made from 80% recycled UPVC windows Gary and I took a trip down to the brand's  factory on the South Coast to see how the magic happens and I'll pop the link to the video in the  show notes It really is pretty impressive Siemens is also using post consumer and postindustrial  polymers this time in its RCCBs The German giant says the plastic in its Centron 5SV3 device now  contains 50% recycled content Siemen's Andreas Matthée said using as much sustainable material  as possible was the new normal for the company That's our electrical news weekly roundup of  products on people we think deserve some attention Next week we're sounding the alarm for fire safety  and security Meanwhile excitement is building for the highlight of the electrical trades calendar  Yes it's CEF Live The show takes place at the National Exhibition Center in Birmingham on  Thursday the 5th of June and Friday the 6th of June Gary and Gordon will be at the LED group  stand on Thursday That's the powerhouse behind Robus Fusebox and ATC They'll be hosting a series  of live chats interviews and debates They'll be tackling real world questions electricians face  every day sharing tips on how to grow a successful contracting business and shining a spotlight on  the next generation of electricians Special guests joining them include Theo Webster Kimmy the Spark  and Griff Thomas While you're there make sure to check out the new Fusebox F3 the feature packed  Robus Speed Beam F Plus and the energy efficient ATC Almeria panel heater On Friday attention turns  to darts as Gary and Joe head over to the Marshall Tufflex stand You can meet world champion Phil  Taylor and take on fellow dart star Mark Dudbridge in a beat the pro challenge The top prize is a red  letter day experience If darts isn't your thing there's also a scaleextric track You'll also  be able to check out Marshall Tufflex's cable management kit such as the basor range of cable  trays the fast fix basket and the conduit range with 50% recycled plastic And just in case you're  wondering which Joe from team eFIXX will be on the stand it's me I'm actually being allowed out  of the new studio to make one of my rare public appearances and I'd love to see you there if you  can make it Wera Tools will be showing its new safe speed VDE screwdrivers on stand 11.6 The  safe element is provided by a slipover mechanism which ensures that the selected torque cannot be  exceeded You can set five torque values and also have a fixed position for conventional  screwdriving It boasts a fast rotating sleeve for easy use The company is also launching the 410I  ratcheting T- handles These work with the brand's 3/8 inch VDE sockets and accessories On stand 9.66  Collingwood Lighting will be showing all its hero lights including the Super 6 installer range This  tested and approved halfdozen includes down lights battens bulkheads and non-corrosive luminaires The  brand will also be introducing a three circuit track range so keep an eye out for that There'll  be an F1 simulator on the stand a secret prize for the top ranked driver and of course lots of  Collingwood merch One of the best promos in our humble view is on the Crompton controls  stand The company is offering a free spooler cable carrier for every electrician who brings an eFIXX  completion certificate for the introduction to motor control CPD that we created in association  with Crompton And if I do say so myself it's some of the best work that we've done and well worth  checking out in its own right The link to the CPD is as ever in the show notes There's a maximum of  10 spoolers to be claimed per day so you'll need to be quick You can also check out the  company's range of devices including starters contactors panels isolators timers and power  monitors Power tool accessory specialist Armeg is on stand 9.33 where it will have four demo areas  for its drilling and driving kit Best of all it's offering some special Lightning deals at the show  Three of these will be products in its popular carabiner belt loop bit holder sets The final  deal is the Armeg versus Velocity Progear Drill Pod Pro This is an organiser for all your drill  accessories and includes the newly released Impact Masonry Plus bits These stubby bits have fast boil  clearance and a stock feature for specific depths There'll also be surprise freebie deals and bonus  giveaways So get yourself to stand 9.33 Specialist Wiring Accessories part of the Shoal Group is on  stand 11.3 where you can get special show pricing including for its acclaimed Storm Glands There  will be a full range of SWA kit on display from tools glands fixings to live demos The company  will be giving away free easy lock cable marker kits to a limited number of early visitors each  day Each kit is worth over 65 quid So if you want one you'll need to be fast SWA is also hunting the  fastest crimper at the exhibition All you have to do is prep and crimp a solar MC4 connector onto  a solar cable in the fastest time to win a BCT 10300C handheld battery powered crimping tool It's  worth taking part because that tool will set you back over 1,500 quid Runners up will bag a solar  tool starter kit Visitors to MetPro on stand 9.54 will be able to get their hands on the company's  extensive range of conduit and accessories These include the conlock conduit system rollatray rapid  saddle easy fit channel nuts and trunk clip and tray clip Visitors can have a go on a special  install course where the aim is to install all the MetPro innovations as fast as you can The fastest  time each day will win an Amazon voucher Oh and we reckon MetPro has the best coffee at the show so  you get your caffeine fix there as well Scame UK will unveil no fewer than three new ranges  at CEF Live These include the Ikona series of industrial consumer units the bespoke ATX Zenith  range and the EMC isolator series The company is also promoting the assembly of its compact EXGD  series which is now in the UK Best of all Scame says it will give a £250 CEF voucher to a randomly  selected visitor to its stand Hager is on stand 9.4 where you can see its groundbreaking BHP RCCB  a device designed specifically for ensuring safety in heat pump installs We covered this  game-changing device in some detail on a recent live stream You'll find a link in the show notes  for that one At CEF Live you can also check out its other award-winning circuit protection kit  and get up close and personal with the magnificent Hager PBM Ducatti superbike There's also a chance  to win VIP tickets to a British superbike meeting Grab some Hager Gang merch and see the three times  a day stand spectacular All on stand 9.4 MattE is showing its innovative range of EV connection  centres and components including its new GPCA unit This is suitable for loads up to 1,250 amps  and is therefore ideal for DC chargers The brand will demo its award-winning Guardian electrical  safety monitor You put it next to your existing disboards where it constantly watches the supply  and checks the electrical infrastructure of a building It's ideal for power and protective  conductor monitoring for three-phase installs and not just for the EV jobs There'll also be some  exciting prototypes on display A domestic heat pump connection centre and a diverted neutral  current detection unit for domestic properties At stand 9.56 platinum exhibitor contactum will  focus on commercial power distribution Kit on show will include the robust defender disboards  The Defender 125 amp Bboard features power and lighting options while the 250 amp version boasts  five incomer options three and four pole switch disconnectors thermal magnetic adjustable MCCBs  and a four- pole MCCB with adjustable typeB RCD The trusted Defender 2.0 consumer unit will also  make an appearance no doubt New for contactum this year is a range of wiring accessories including  profile a full grid solution Make a note of hall 11 stand 26 for your visit That's where  you'll find Lewden in full swing on the 5th and 6th of June Get hands-on with interactive  challenge games score limited edition giveaways and chat directly with Sales and technical teams  for top tier advice Electricians also have the chance to claim a free VIP merchandise pack Just  pre-register via the Lewden website You'll also be able to check out the Sienna Charger with  its integrated monta commissioning we mentioned in our product focus section Whoever you decide  to visit on the day registration for free show entry is required on the CEF website You'll find  the link to that in the show notes and we hope to see you there Another OCPP compliant platform for  EV charging is Tap Electric The good news here is that TAP integrates seamlessly with Chargemate's  innovative Libra load balancing device Instead of allocating a set amount of power to a building's  EV chargers Libra cleverly allows you to dynamically use any available power when  the building is running below its maximum use Libra also features out of the-box integration  with the Tap electric app as well as integration with subzone load management and individual phase  monitoring To commission it you simply use the touchscreen The good news is that the guys from  both TAP and Chargemate are joining us on our live stream this week That's Wednesday the 28th of May  

00 p.m So if you have any technical queries about EV chargers we now have the experts in the  hot seats So we'll see you there A reminder that you still have time to enter the draw for tickets  to see Oasis in NVC Lighting's current promo The brand is offering four tickets for Wembley in July  plus travel and accommodation The campaign which runs until the end of May rewards you for your  purchases For spends of £250 you get a £5 Greg's voucher for £400 It's a £10 voucher There's also  15 prizes a month in Amazon vouchers All entries go into the draw for the Oasis tickets I've  put a link to the competition in the show notes Schneider Electric meanwhile is offering a pair  of hospitality tickets in its What's the Story promotion The Oasis tickets offer premium club  level hospitality some of the best seats in the stadium and access to exclusive bars You'll also  get Oasis merch and a £50 Uber voucher to get you home afterwards Runner prizes are pretty cool too  They include Ticket Master and Apple Music gift cards in values from 50 quid to 250 quid To enter  spend £250 on Schneider products at participating wholesalers and you'll receive an entry ticket  Simply scan the QR code on your competition entry ticket to access the entry form The competition  closes at the end of June 2025 Also ongoing is Robus' big ticket promotion where you've got a  chance to join the company and eFIXX on a trip to Dublin We'll visit Robus HQ for a sneak peek  at their latest lighting kit followed by a trip to the Guinness Brewery Where else if you missed out  last time now's your chance to get involved Just click the link I've put in the show notes answer  a few questions based on a recent Robus video and you could soon be packing your bag for Ireland  The winner will be announced live on the robber stand at CEF live in June And our usual reminder  that we're in the market for your stories your projects and your recommendations as we'd like  to share them with the wider eFIXX community Over the next few weeks we'll be featuring fire safety  and security HVAC and lighting controls So send us pictures of your installs or let us know if  you've come across any new kit or companies that are making your job easier or any products that  you think deserve a shout out And just before we get to your favourite bit of the show where  I reveal last week's challenge words and winners we want to thank our premium partners We couldn't  make the news without you First up they're the people who've created the Swiss Army knife of  solar inverters along with all weather batteries Very much the boy scouts of the solar industry  is Sunsynk Doubling down on terminal screws in their top quality circuit protection products  and building innovative isolating units with built-in surge protection It's WhiteCliffe  Electrical distribution Next with deep commitments to the economy the environment and the electrical  community they're so much more than electrical distributor the self-styled experts in shifting  boxes it's Niglon Up next for all your circuit protection needs they're like having an Italian  Star Striker in your premiership team it's Lewden Palazzoli In an age of energy uncertainty if  you're looking for your next EV charge point to install and helping you charge into the future  with confidence powering the future together it's Rolec And now suspend your disbelief like you  suspend a cable tray If you need to get any piece of building services equipment into the air and  keep it there then check out Zip Clip With their new award-winning Lumo consumer unit and offering  complete product support from their highly trained team it's CPN Cudis And with over 5,000 product  lines from heating lighting ventilation to wiring accessories if you need it they've got it It's  electrical distributor CED Group Don't forget to use the code eFIXX30 to claim your 30% discount  on top quality light fittings from Phillips and Ecolink Download the LumXpert app today and make  your life easier and less expensive It's the light of our lives Signify and the best thing to come  out of Yorkshire since stainless steel the home of EV Ultra and other groundbreaking and quality  products It's Doncaster Cables Click the links in the show notes to find out more about these great  brands If you think you know the words that I've smuggled into this week's show pop your guess into  the comments We'll take all the correct guesses and select one at random to be the winner of an  eFIXX goodie bag prize Answers submitted after about lunchtime on the Thursday after release will  not be entered into the draw And just a heads up for this week only the results will be announced  a week late on the 9th of June because I'm trying to have a holiday and I'm recording two episodes  back to back Now let's reveal the winner of last week's challenge word competition Last week's  words were sparkly and headbangers And the winner to be plucked from our electronic hat was Darren  J Knight So well done to you Darren Make sure you click the get involved link in the show notes to  claim your prize Thanks for listening to this episode of Electrical News Weekly Make sure you  subscribe to receive the next update Thanks for listening and until next time have a great week  Stay safe out there and remember there's no such thing as a torque calibrated arm