coming up on this week's news the NIC is warning the trade this week about the quality of neutral  connections one in three landlords face a fine of up to £30,000 for missing electrical certificate  says Direct Line and an electrician appears in court over shoddy work in illegal contracts for  Birmingham City Council 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  NICEIC has warned the trade this week about the quality of neutral connections the organisation  says that poor contact is often identified during inspection and testing and can lead to  thermal stress conductor failure and even fires it says electricians must apply the same level  of diligence with neutral conductors as they do with any other live element the neutral conductor  is both a live conductor and a current carrying conductor says the NIC therefore every connection  must provide durable electrical continuity and mechanical strength it also says that harmonics  higher frequency sine waves must be taken into account these are typically caused by non-linear  loads such as LED drivers and variable speed drives if the amount of harmonics is greater  than a third of the fundamental line current then an increase in cross-sectional area of the  neutral conductor may be required you can measure the harmonics with some clamp meters or a power  quality analyser the NIC says that installers should also remember that the current in the  neutral conductor may be greater than that in any of the phase conductors this is due to the  imbalance between the connected single-phase loads caused by a combination of varying current demands  or power factors in each phase i've put a link to the full advisory in the show notes in other news  an electrician who charged thousands of pounds for shoddy work at old people's homes has appeared in  court in Birmingham the court heard that Steven Millard of Solihull based Trace Contracts was  given the work illegally by his girlfriend who worked at Birmingham City Council Millard carried  out various substandard jobs on two council properties despite the fact his business was  not on the authorities approved contractor list he was given the jobs by his then partner Deborah  Whalley who passed away before the case got to trial it included non-elect electrical work such  as securing properties of older residents who'd gone into hospital one offence related to Millard  charging around £5,500 to secure doors and windows at an address in Small Heath bizarrely he fitted  steel sheets to the inside of the property rather than outside causing substantial damage Millard  of Framefield Drive Solihull pleaded guilty to two offences under the Consumer Protection  from unfair trading regulations and admitted a further charge on behalf of his company  he admitted he told what he termed a pack of lies when denying the allegations in an interview the  offences date back to 2017 recorder Rebecca Wade KC suspended a prison sentence due to Millard's  realistic prospect of rehabilitation but she added his thinking skills and victim awareness require  some work he was sentenced to 12 months suspended for two years while Trace Contracts was handed a  nominal fine of £10 much bigger fines are on the cards for landlords without a valid EICR  but bizarrely one in five of them is completely unaware of this that's the stark finding from a  survey by insurance giant Direct Line researchers also discovered that 8% of landlords don't have a  valid electrical test certificate or aren't sure if their report is valid the firm is advising  landlords to check that their EICR is up to date as many are due for renewal this month  that's because like a Submariner that's been lurking beneath the waters for a while June marks  5 years after EICRs became a legal requirement for all private rented tenancies in England a valid  set must be provided to new tenants when they move in and to existing tenants within 28 days  of an inspection energy Secretary Ed Miliband has defended his decision to require that solar panels  are fitted to the vast majority of new homes in England the regulations will make developers add  photovoltaics unless the building is in shade he said the move was common sense under the  proposal solar panels should cover the equivalent of 40% of the home's ground area but the head of  the homebuilders federation said the government should not prescribe too much on rooftops the  organisation also warned the rules would introduce what it termed burdensome paperwork to the trade  the full details of the law will be revealed in the autumn Miliband's intervention comes as the  first solar installs from Great British Energy are turned on the organisation is the government's new  publicly owned company tasked with driving green energy 11 schools across England are  now up and running with a target of 200 to be done with the first tranche of grants worth £80  million currently only a fifth of schools have solar panels installed estimates suggest that on  average a typical school could save up to £25,000 a year if they had solar panels and a battery pack  a further 100 million pounds will see panels on the roofs of hospitals and other NHS facilities  and just while we're on the subject of solar installations you have to catch up with last  week's episode of EIX TV we hosted Aaron Darvill from Anker SOLIX showcasing their gorgeous  X1 battery and Griff Thomas from award-winning training provider GTEC griff basically explained  how you can export solar and get paid for it without having to go through MCS and while it  was convoluted for him he set a precedent to make it easier for you seriously I think it might have  been the best live show that we've ever done you know where you'll find the link now excitement  is building for the next big trade show of the year yes it's the Installer Show at the NEC in  Birmingham running from the 24th to the 26th of June and the best bit is there's a whole section  dedicated to electricians it's called Installer Electric and includes a curated program from  industry experts in the new Installer Electric Theatre and peer-to-peer sessions from well-known  electricians we've trawled through the absolute raft of exhibitors to find you the absolute best  ones to check out the first one to make a bline for is Hive they'll be on stand 5H80 showing off  all their smart kit and they're also promising brilliant discounts on products you can also  speak to the team about Hive's installer club by joining you'll enjoy exclusive rewards free online  training and accreditation and tech support so if you're one of those electricians who's  installed kit in one of the two million homes in the UK running Hive then this is the club for you  as an extra incentive electricians who sign up will be in with a chance to win tickets to see  Oasis we're so excited about this stand that Gary and myself will be there in person on the 24th so  come down and join us and if all that isn't enough to convince you then you'll be able to  grab a drink and a free bacon sandwich before you can grab your buddy and come and visit us though  you must register for your free ticket by clicking the link in the show notes do it now so you don't  forget next head over to stand 5D10 to catch up with friends of the show RF Solutions they're  right by the entrance so you won't be able to miss them there you'll be among the first to witness  the exciting launch of the upgraded Riot switching system with smart event timer features ideal for  outdoor lighting at dusk dawn or onset schedules explore trusted favourites like mains link and  more plus test your skills on the prize wheel for a chance to win Tradie approved tools and gear  then wend your way to stand 5G42 where you'll see Ratio EV and check out their next generation IO6  Pro charger designed to make electricians lives easier from installation to commissioning via  Bluetooth as well as incorporating safety features like three-phase pen fault protection and there's  an enhanced version called the Prolux which increases safety by using radar based detection  to trigger both UV and white light illuminating the surrounding area and cable then head over  to B140 to meet up with surge protection devices specialist Kirsty Johnson what she doesn't know  about SPDs is well nothing she actually sits on the committee that defines the regs on surge so  she can answer any question that you might have check out their Fab Five of Surge Protection their  core range of SPD superheroes variants of type 1 2 and three combined devices all this and loads  of branded merch being given away i'm hoping they'll set me aside a mug at least don't miss  it on stand 5E19 you'll find V-TAC showcasing meaningful innovation via the incredibly slim  Honix all-in-one system an expandable battery inverter unit with a 10-year warranty that reduces  wiring time by up to 70% it's an impressive bit of kit that can be controlled via the AI Driven  Q energy management system they'll be demoing this from 2pm to 2:15 and likewise from 12:00  

15 showing how the open solar system can help speed up and remove headaches from the  design process and they're giving away free phone charges and stands while stocks last visit powered  now at stand 5B22 for live demos expert advice and a free beverage at their open bar learn how their  award-winning software helps trade pro streamline admin like invoicing quoting, scheduling, team  management and stay compliant while getting you paid faster enjoy happy hours with top UK trade  influencers grab iconic yellow sunglasses and pick up free resources on making tax digital  with MTD changes coming in 2026 powered now offers checklists guidance and tools to help  your business stay ahead stress-free next up we're heading over to stand 40 in hall 4 where  you'll find Fire Angel one of the UK's leading manufacturers of smoke heat and carbon monoxide  alarms but on the way you won't be able to miss the house a full two story build in the middle  of the show dead opposite FireAngel it's just incredible and inside you'll find FireAngel's  detection products while on their stand they'll be supporting visitors with product demos technical  advice and exclusive show prize draws while you're at the house check out JPL's Stevie EV charger  which combines smart tech with sleek design offering installers and homeowners a recurring  income the patented unit can be wall-mounted or recessed with space-saving depth stylish facial  options LCD status screen and RFID quick start it's feature-packed and meets UK building regs  the upcoming Stevie AI app connects chargers to energy markets turning every install into  a long-term revenue generating asset and it's a great looking charger too now why not head over to  stand 5A70 and let TLC lavish you with live demos expert advice and discussions on how the Kinetic  wireless switch range can work for you check out the IP65 Kinetic P with its extended detection  range ideal for indoor and outdoor use when paired with the Kinetic controller it enables automatic  lighting and provides adjustable looks timing and detection distance and with 10% off all purchases  made at the show you'd be mad to miss it meanwhile on stand 5164 FastFit Fire Solutions are offering  the UK's first patented fire rated consumer unit ducting system designed to meet building  regulations part B and BS7671 standards it enables faster compliant installations while reducing fire  risks the system is available in various sizes for residential and commercial use featuring a powder  coated finish and a 10-year guarantee manufactured in the UK it can be fitted to any consumer unit  and the ducting system means you can mount it at any height next head over to stand 5D12 don't be  put off because it says City Plumbing because they're unveiling Elecstore a new nationwide  electrical brand tailored for multi-skilled trades with over 12,000 products 35 specialist trade  counters and expert in branch advice Elecstore simplifies sourcing for electricians plumbers and  heating engineers it supports the shift toward low carbon technologies like heat pumps and EV  charging backed by research Elecstore aims to save trades people time and boost efficiency with  access to trusted brands and specialist guidance all under one roof on stand 5F72 NAPIT will offer  hands-on training expert advice and networking attendees can meet senior NAPIT staff explore  certified training courses view practical rigs and access discounted publications and offers  key seminars cover renewables safety and installer challenges featuring speakers like Steve Humphreys  and Andrew Duffen visitors can also apply for certified schemes and benefit from the  government funded heat training grant for Air source heat pump installers it's a must-visit  hub for education in renewable microgeneration no doubt you'll want to put some of that training  into action with some top quality testing gear so head over to stand 4J48 for socket  and See's new multi-function testers which promise to set new standards in the industry  you can also check out their innovations in voltage indicators and other test equipment  along with live demonstrations of their gear give them a trial with hands-on tests and benefit from  expert consultations with their highly trained team now nip over to 5F58 to see our good friends  at Hager they'll be showcasing the reassuring bulk of their Invicta TPN trio board alongside the next  big thing in circuit protection AFDD Pro Tools which features advanced onboard diagnostics and  insitue software upgrades to help your circuit protection keep up with the ever evolving tech  being connected up and finally our pick of the bunch the Type B HP RCCB specifically designed  to protect heat pump circuits and keep working despite the high frequencies that they generate  and in an EIX exclusive we can announce that Hager will be teasing us with a sneak peek of their new  EV charger in both 7 kW and 22 kW versions it's not available to buy yet but it'll be exciting to  see what the future holds Stiebel Eltron UK is launching its HP Next series of ultraefficient  ultra quiet heat pumps on stand G580 the range now includes new air and ground source models plus  an integrated air source heat pump with MVHR all using eco-friendly R290 refrigerant also  debuting the VRC premium MVHR units visitors can explore the products join live demos and enter the  gold bar challenge to win an instant hot water tap stand tours are available via the link in the show  notes on stand 5G37 you'll find a brand that we love so much that Gary and Gordon went to Germany  to visit them it's Klauke they'll be showcasing their productivity boosting cutting stripping and  crimping bits of kit often all in the same tool like the Klauke Micro putting the user first with  ergonomic comfort and speed of operation it's got multiple changeable jaws and a powerful battery to  keep you terminating all day long best of all you could win one by visiting their stand and entering  the competition i suspect we'll struggle to drag Gary away from that stand head to stand 3C70 to  get your hands on CK Tools relaunched flagship Redline VDE pliers and cutters now featuring a  redesigned ergonomic handle and integrated tool tether for enhanced safety when working at height  expertly German manufactured and VDE compliant the range includes 19 products like side cutters cable  cutters and the popular combi cutter developed in response to rising safety demands especially  in the renewable sector the tools deliver comfort precision and durability available for pre-order  from June the 1st and launching nationwide July the 1st now if you make your way to stand 4A11  you'll find TradeKart it's a rapid delivery app that connects electricians to nearby wholesalers  offering real-time stock checks price comparisons and delivery in as little as 30 minutes supported  by major brands like Toolstation it now partners with Yesss Electrical to launch Yesss Rapid  available at 70 plus UK branches simply order via the app and track your delivery live for just a £5  fee it's fast convenient and built for busy trades people over on stand 3C46 you'll find Van Guardian  a smart battery powered alarm system that deters van thieves before damage or theft occurs it  delivers a visible warning and 110 decibel audible alarm on contact protecting vulnerable areas like  doors panels pipe carriers and roof racks easy to install and transferable it suits fleet and  lease vans with seven sensitivity levels no wiring and up to six months of battery life Van Guardian  stops thieves operating undetected preventing damage protecting tools and saving time and  money there's a chance to win a Van Guardian and if you're quick you could scoop up a rucksack to  take it home in DEX Industries is showcasing its most advanced solar product range yet at installer  stand 5F34 you can explore a dedicated solar zone with rooftop mock-ups and live demos highlighting  fast roofer designed installations key innovations include hook flash tile flash solar PV and thermal  flashings bird brush and the solar deck rubber foot offering non-penetrative watertight and  durable solar mounting solutions DEX invites installers and specifiers to get hands-on with  products that combine performance protection and ease of use visit the original clean boot on stand  335 and discover the UK's number one reusable overshoot save money impress clients and cut  plastic waste with this professional eco-friendly alternative to disposables and as an exclusive  show offer you can grab two pairs for 35 quid a £17 saving don't miss your chance to boost your  image reduce costs and go green all in one step and don't forget to see DiversiTech International  at Stand 5F33 to explore cutting edge airsource heat pump installation solutions designed to make  installs faster safer and more professional get hands-on with their hero products like  wall mounting brackets flexifoot supports and pump systems built for performance and durability plus  they're part of the 10K specify and build giveaway stamp your card for a chance to win big don't miss  this opportunity to upgrade your installs and your toolkit head to stand 4H30A to see Beama for  free access to expert industry guidance technical bulletins and thought leadership papers that help  you stay ahead in a fast evolving sector as the voice of UK electrotechnical manufacturers Beama's  members produce high quality standards compliant products backed by robust customer service and  technical support don't forget Gary and myself will be spending the day with Hive on their  stand at 5880 so register for your free ticket by clicking the link in the show notes please do come  over and say hello now welcome to our electrical news weekly feature where we focus on a specific  product area this week lighting controls that you won't want to alter or delete first up have you  noticed recently that you've been struggling to get dimmer into backboxes where they fit perfectly  before dimmer maker Enkin has so they've given their popular model the PDM250 a neat redesign  the intelligent 250W multi-way LED dimmer now features cutouts that sit well away from the lugs  on both metal and drylinining backboxes this means they'll always fit even if backbox makers have a  sneaky retool and it's not just the body that's clever the brain of the dimmer is too instead of  relying on a master slave setup this unit lets you dim the lights seamlessly from several points in  a room when using multiple units in fact you can have up to 20 dimmers working together and it's as  simple as connecting them all together in parallel oh and if you set the minimum and maximum output  levels on just one dimmer in a set all of them will automatically adjust to the same levels as I  said it's dead brainy Enkin is a British company set up in 2021 by electrician Joshua Hamilton  multiload has unveiled a Spectrum a cost-effective lighting control system designed for electrical  contractors it's aimed at addressing the overkill that is sometimes seen with complex controllers  the unit is targeted at applications in restaurants schools and offices spectrum runs on  conventional wiring and doesn't need commissioning or maintenance it uses the standard DALI protocol  to talk to the lights you configure the spectrum using a hex rotary switch and the broadcast or  group mode selector broadcast mode is when all the lights do the same thing in terms of dimming  and switching group mode allows them to operate individually or in groups you can operate up to 64  lights from one eight-way lighting control module you can also add occupancy and daylight sensors as  well as scene plates and rotary dimmers to give your customers full control Wago has launched  the Wago Box Pro a versatile maintenance-free enclosure designed to simplify installations  and support up to 21 conductors compatible with Wago 221 4 mil series connectors it handles side  entry and inline connections 1 mil squared to 2.5 mil squared flat cables and flexible round cables  up to 10 mm in diameter made from flame retardant self-extinguishing material it's BS5733 and BS7671  compliant recyclable and UK manufactured with front access test slots and universal fit it's the  reliable space-saving solution that electricians need reducing the need for multiple enclosure  types and it's also now been approved for use with the single deck 2773 push wire series in  2 three four and five pole electrician Ben Grant came up with the idea for the lighthouse control  system while working on a lighting project in a customer's house he was looking for a way to  tidily contain a number of wireless controllers the lighthouse unit contains an isolator a series  of pre-installed wireless receivers and a manual override switch all wrapped up in an  elegant housing it has quick fit connections so you don't have to laboriously wire up each  individual receiver in fact you don't even need a screwdriver you can connect to your phone and  set switching and dimming scenes flex 7 is well known for its modular pre-fabricated control boxes  they're basically plug and play and can be wired up in a fraction of the time of a traditionally  wired system in terms of controls kit Flex 7 offers lots of switches and devices operating at  protected extra low voltage that means the install is safer as controls and associated cabling are  reduced to just 5 volts or 12 volts it also allows for multiple circuits or even multiple phases to  be switched at these low voltages too there's no need for extra contactors or the potential  of 415 volts at devices that the general public might be required to operate wall switches for  example kit includes daylight linking and dimming integrated emergency test corridor hold a last man  out switch networking across circuits or phases and plug-in switches what we really like though  is the super small PIR sensor head it fits through a hole with a diameter of just 32 mm they measure  40 mm in diameter at their widest point making them super discreet and unobtrusive all versions  of the brand's PIR sensor heads are available in both white and black they have adjustable timeout  and sensitivity settings and the detection range can be increased by up to sixfold by adding extra  heads sensor heads are available for occupancy and absence detection as well as with daylight  linking flex 7 also offers surface mount tamper resistant and IP67 versions we're now into garden  lighting season and brands are stocking up for what's expected to be big demand this year thanks  to a sunny spring Robus is currently marketing its summer range which includes spike lights in loads  of variants as well as bollards wall lights and brick lights there's also lots of the company's  trademark bulkheads as well as in-ground up lights that can easily take the weight of a car  if you fancy getting creative in the garden the firm does LED strip with an IP rating of 67 Joe  Hammond's been exploring the range in his latest video and you can check that out by clicking the  link in the show notes that's our electrical news weekly roundup of products or people that we think  deserve some attention next week we're channeling our inner Edison with some brilliant electrical  innovations our learner of the week this week is Tobi Adu he's a really impressive young person  from Derby College who's taken a proactive approach to his professional development toby  has set himself the ambitious goal of completing a CPD every single day and is determined to collect  all the available ones his conduit and wiring work is super neat and professional at the moment he's  actively looking for a job having successfully completed his level two electrical studies if you  think he can assist let us know and we'll put you in touch with Toby 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  product innovations wiring accessories and cable management 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 it's 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 an electrical distributor the self-styled experts in  shifting boxes it's Niglon and empowering their customers to harness power through  light with their intelligent energy solutions solar technology and advanced lighting systems  it's Ledvance 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 now don't forget  to use the code EIX30 to claim your 30% discount on top quality light fittings from Philips 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 quality products is 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 now let's reveal the  winners of last week's challenge word competition last week's words were flumoxed and vengeance  and the winner to be plucked from our electronic hat was Lee Baker a LinkedIn winner that doesn't  happen very often but it proves that all guesses count equally no matter what platform they come  in from so well done to you Lee 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