Coming up on this week's news, National Grid unveils controversial plans to move meters from the inside of properties to the boundary. Householders are being asked to upgrade their consumer units to metal. And have you ever done an electrician's colourblind test? We reflect on 25 years of the eye exam. Welcome to Electrical News Weekly. Whether you're listening in the van, on site, or down at the wholesale counter. I'm Joe Robinson. It's good to be back from my non-caravan holiday, and I've been through the best of the electrical industry news to save you the trouble. This week, the recording studio is being powered by our friends over at Consumer Unit World with high stock levels of your favourite consumer units, including BG, and free networking day delivery on orders over 150 quid. We're being lit by Flex 7 with their lightning fast pre-wired modular lighting connection system that keeps your installation times razor sharp. And this week's challenge word competition is supported by the good people at Brother. If you need a label, they've got a printer, and so much more. 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. And while you're there, click the links to check out what our sponsors offer. National Grid has unveiled controversial plans to site meter boxes not inside properties, but in cabinets on the boundary. That's because it wants households to use three-phase power, not single phase. It says the idea will revolutionise domestic electricity connections in the UK. The company says it will help the network to cope with the increase in electrification, especially EV chargers and heat pumps. It'll also improve the load balance across phases. National Grid says a fast charger typically adds 7 kW or 30 amps to a household load for around 8 hours, while a heat pump draws an additional 8 kW or about 32 amps. But replacing the existing single phase arrangement isn't easy. Often, there isn't the space to resize the meter cabinet to enable the connection. There's also difficulties getting to the service positions, particularly in older homes where they're in the middle of the property. National Grid also says it doesn't want to draw new three-phase service cables through existing properties, let alone own them. Finally, it says three-phase kit inside a well-insulated home can lead to a significant heat rise. Putting the box in the garden solves all these problems. The scheme, dubbed project Obelisk, will see the creation of a completely new style cabinet designed to stand outside at the edge of properties and in gardens. One phase will replace the existing connection with a cable which runs into the house. This will cater for current demands such as fridges and washing machines. The additional phases can be supplied to kits such as an EV charger or heat pump, rooting cables in trenches outside the building. EIX understands that it would be the homeowner's responsibility to organise these new connections. National Grid says the scheme will minimise disruption and make it easier for homeowners to adapt the new technologies. The cabinet is expected to be standardised, but a company executive admits there are some design difficulties with integrating everything into one box. There will be two designs, one developed with Proteus Switch Gear and Cubis Systems and one with Lucy Electric. National Grid promises that they will be aesthetically pleasing. The organisation is now setting up a group to advise on the roll out and promises that it will include installers. The cabinets are expected to be ready for installation from May 2027. The ECA and NIC EIC have yet to comment. More controversial and Henderson's relish in a Lancashire hot pot. That one. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments. Some householders across the country are facing a more pressing upgrade problem. They're being told to upgrade their plastic consuming units to metal ones. Tom Hughes, boss of Aerocom UK, says he's seen a case of an elderly woman being quoted £1,000 for a replacement. He fears that homeowners could be convinced into paying for a new unit. He says it's a growing trend with many quoted four figures for the work. It comes as more homeowners take to social media to complain about being told their perfectly serviceable units needed replacing for safety reasons. From January 2016, the wiring rags have required that consumer units in domestic premises are made from non-combustible material, but there's no requirement to retrospectively upgrade a plastic unit if it's safe and free of defects. Hugh says if householders are worried, they should engage a contractor to conduct an EICR. Additionally, they could install a small fire suppression device inside the unit. If this all sounds a bit familiar to our regular viewers, it's because we made a video on this particular topic with many in the comments expressing that the quote sounds about right and the board should be replaced and others saying it's too much and unnecessary. Anyway, I've put a link in the show notes so you can weigh in as well. Now, have you ever been tested for colour blindness? An incredible 1 in 12 men in the UK can't see the difference between red and green properly. Those aiming to be a domestic installer or funding their own training don't have to do an eye exam, but apprentices do. Before an aspiring young person can be signed up to the JIB 2017 apprenticeship scheme, normal colour vision must be proved with a certificate from a doctor or optician. The JIB says all operatives in the industry must have suitable colour vision to work safely. It says that where there's a possibility that the cable colours may be misinterpreted, safe working cannot be demonstrated. You prove your vision by taking what's called the Ishihara test. That's almost as tricky as Firefly to say. If you make no more than two mistakes in the test, you've passed. If you fail, however, you can use the London University CAD test. This double approach is a more accurate measure of colour vision loss, and it passes more individuals with less severe colour vision loss. The system has worked so well that it's now been copied by the rail industry. Now, some good news in the form of an exclusive EIX discount code for the Spurlok. This is a safety device invented by Birmingham electrician Neo Mosudisa. Mosudisa once had to isolate a faulty water cooler, but realised there was nothing suitable. That evening, he came up with the idea for the spur lock. It's a fuse spur lockout kit which makes safe isolation easier. A clear label warns occupants and shows who locked out the unit. It's made from tough ABS plastic and complies with the 18th edition. Until the end of the month, you can use the code S4S25 to get 15% off the recommended retail price. I'll put the details in the show notes in case you want to bag a bargain. Still on promotions, let's play darts. How would you like to see the World Darts Championship final at Ally Pally? Luceco is giving away two pairs of free tickets to the event on the 19th of December along with a night in a four-star hotel and travel expenses. And that's not all. You'll also enjoy top hospitality at the event with food and drink laid on. There's lots of other great prizes, too. There's a cracking flight club experience, Luke Littler dart sets, dart shirts, Greg's vouchers, and Luceco head torches. Entering is easy. Simply scan the QR code on a promotional display at your local wholesaler or head to lucecodarts.co.uk, sign up to the Luceco mailing list and hit play. If you hit the ball, you'll win a prize. But don't worry if you're as bad at darts as Gary. Even if you miss, you'll still be entered into the prize draw for those tickets. So sign up today and grab yourself a great night out. Martindale has unveiled a first of its kind EV socket tester. The BZ820 EV performs functional checks on charge points with type 2 connectors. It detects 28 wiring fault conditions as well as checking the voltage supply. Correct polarity is indicated by three flashing green LEDs and a continuous tone, while fault conditions are indicated by three red LEDs and an intermittent buzzer. Socket polarity and earth wiring faults are identified by a combination of red LEDs. A lookup chart provides basic fault diagnosis. Additionally, LEDs on the plug show the status of the CP signal and if there's voltage present. There's also fast and easy testing for the correct wiring of line, neutral, and protective earth in a three-wire cable. Martin Dale says it should be used as a first line tester and not as an alternative to a full installation test. Plug-in point maker ChargeM8e has signed an exclusive distribution deal with Kelvelec. Under the arrangement, Kelvelec will broaden the availability of ChargeM8 Sigma contactless payment kiosk across the UK. The Sigma contactless payment kiosk allows electric car drivers to pay for their charge. It's designed to work seamlessly with the tap electric pay to technology. The unit has an onboard power supply with plug-and-play connections for both power and a 4G connection. It also boasts an anti- vandal high gain 4G antenna. For the install, it fits into an EV block mini or you can bolt it down to a suitable surface. The partnership between ChargeM8 and Kelvelec will also help launch an innovative EV charger later this month. The new patent pending product is slated to hit the distributor shelves on the 29th of September. It promises innovations in the design and deployment of charging infrastructure for public, commercial, and residential applications. The company is tight lipped about the spec, but expect enhanced rapid deployment and big environmental and health and safety benefits. Now, if you're one of the many Sparks out there with a Megger MFTtX1 multi-function tester, you're going to love this. The brand has unveiled a clever device which allows you to use it on charge points. The EVX100 adapter provides all the functions needed for testing of mode 3 chargers rated up to 22 kW. It works on both single and three-phase units. Unlike other adapters, the EVX100 mounts directly onto the tester and doesn't need connecting cables. Another unique benefit is that the EVX100 is directly controlled by the MFTtX1. This makes it easier and faster to use. Direct control also reduces the possibility of making incorrect test selections. That's because the unit confirms that the mode set on the charger is correct for the test. With automated testing, you don't have to manually cycle the charge point through numerous CP states every time a test trips a protective device such as an RCD or RDCD. As protective devices are often fitted in locations at a considerable distance from the charge point, this feature can potentially save a lot of walking back and forth. Just two charger connectors, type one and type two, will almost certainly cover all of your testing needs with type two supplied as standard. And if you're a user of Suite software, you can produce testers in real time with just a couple of clicks. Eaton says its green motion DC240/360 represents the next generation in ultra rapid DC chargers. The charge point, which will launch next month, builds on the firm's experience with over 1,400 charging stations worldwide. It delivers up to 360 kW with dynamic load balancing. This enables two vehicles to charge at the same time. You can also scale up by adding extra 30 kW power modules. This charger features ISO 15118 plug-in charge, remote diagnostics, and it supports over-the-air updates. The enclosure is IP55 rated and has IK10 impact protection, making it suitable for harsh outdoor environments. Safety systems include surge protection, thermal monitoring, and emergency stop functions, all compliant to IEC 61851. Eaton offers flexible service levels, and better still, the company guarantees the charger will work for a minimum of 99% of the time. It also boasts real-time monitoring, remote diagnostics, and proactive service alerts. You can see the green motion on stand C24A at the solar and storage live show at the NEC from the 23rd to the 25th of September. Go Eve has announced that Dockchain has just been approved to American standards. Dock chain is a daisy chain fast charging system which allows you to use one DC charger for a number of parking bays. The patented kit is now certified to UL2202 and is going to be made in the states. Giv says it will bring the benefits of a lower capital spend and quicker installations to North America by allowing many more parking bays to access DC fast charging from a single power source. Dock chain cuts cues and eliminates constant vehicle shuffling. Go Eve says the installed cost of dock chain can rival slow level two solutions while delivering DC performance. The company has recently teamed up with EV blocks who are supplying the brand's compatible blocks for installations. The blocks are pre-cast concrete bases for EV charging stations. They contain four entry points for ducting to allow for a flexible and uniform appearance. Also included is a universal adapter plate for future EV charger updates. They have a load bearing capacity of 12.5 tons. Not only are they compatible with the GOE charge points, but they make life easier for any EV charge point installation you may be working on. Speaking of which, Matty has launched an MCB specially for EV installs. The device is integrated pen fault protection and comes in both three and five pole options. The device aimed at V2G applications where power from the vehicle's battery is sold back to the grid. It's compliant with IE01 2024, specifically M1 B3T. And it not only monitors high and low line to neutral voltages, but also continuously checks the CPC. If a fault current of 21 milliamps or higher is detected, the device automatically isolates the load, so you have full protection without the need to install extra devices. The single connection design also simplifies installation, eliminating the need for separate contactors. Rolec has launched a loyalty program for installers of its EVO chargers. Under the incentive, you'll get rewarded for every 15 installs with a free EVO worth 449 quid. Best of all, every project commissioned via the Rolec Connect app counts automatically. Rolex says it created the scheme to celebrate the rapid growth of the EVO and to thank installers for their ongoing commitment. Lewden is currently marketing its range of EV feeder pillars. They safely distribute power from one supply source to multiple charging points. The Lewden range covers charges for domestic, workplace, and public car parking zones. The EV feeder pillars come with a device for isolation of the incoming supply source. Depending on the electrical arrangement of the building, this may be a switch disconnector, a fuse or an MCCB. The range is available in current ratings from 100 amps to 630 amps and are supplied with type 2 surge protection. The enclosures are made from steel finished with textured powder coat and ingress protection of IP55. The doors are vandal resistant and lockable with pre-drilled gland plates for easy termination of armoured cables and a base plinth for stable surface mounting. There's also an access cover to allow cable routing and installation. Internal shielding panels fully shroud the electrical connections. Now, how would you like to earn passive income for every charger you install? Under an imaginative proposal from Stevie, you can do just that. The way it works is this. You install one of the company's chargers. The householder gets the company's power verse smart app to manage the system. The clever bit is that the AI powered app allows them to earn money when demand on the network is too low. These times are known as grid events and on these occasions householders will be paid to use electricity to balance the grid. That's right. They'll be paid to use electricity. They could, for instance, charge up their car or battery pack. The revenue paid is then split between your customer and you. Stevie reckons a customer could earn 72 quid annually from grid events. The installer, meanwhile, pockets 24 quid of passive income. So, if you install 50 chargers, you can potentially earn 1,200 quid a year. Note that your customer needs to have a smart meter to avail themselves of the deal. The preferred partner program, as it's known, starts next month, and I've put links to the details of the program in the show notes. Now, it's that great moment where we get to celebrate the sterling work being done by the next generation. Our learner of the week this week is Jude Obeliston. Jude has just finished his EAL level two and used the summer recess to gain valuable work experience. That decision shows real motivation and maturity. Not only has Jude gained valuable knowledge on site, but he's also strengthened his CV with quality work experience. On top of that, he's been showcasing his level two practical work on LinkedIn, which makes his learning journey really clear and inspiring to others. Overall, Jude's commitment to both learning and practical experience demonstrates exactly the kind of drive and dedication that we like to highlight. Well done, Jude, for being the eFIXX learner of the week. And there's more good news for learners. eFIXX has just set up a dedicated LinkedIn group for people training in the electrical industry. It's got the full support of friend of the show, Chris Horne. The new group is aimed at apprentices, full-time learners, and adults retraining in the evening. Just log on to LinkedIn and search for UK electrician apprenticeships and career support. I'll also put a link in the show notes. And now to the lighter side of the electrical news. Yes, it's time for a tea break with Quick Wire and their range of incredibly rapid electrical connectors. Breyl based AV contractor Kevin Maguire has come up with a genius, if slightly morbid, way to stop tool theft. After having his van broken into recently, Maguire decided to paint his van completely black and put the words private ambulance on the side. He says no one wants to break into a vehicle with a dead body in it. Even parking wardens don't put tickets on the windscreen. Now he's rolled the idea out to his whole fleet and hasn't had a problem with breakins since. As I say, it's genius and a little morbid. That's the lighter side of the news in our Teabreak with Quickwire and their range of incredibly rapid electrical connectors. Click the link in the description for more information. 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, empowering their customers to harness power through light with their intelligent energy solutions, solar technology, and advanced lighting systems. It's Ledvance. 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. 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 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 as sponsored by Brother. Remember, if you need a label, they've got a printer and so much more. Click the link in the description to view their incredible range, including this rather lovely and upgraded E560. Last week's words were caravan and holiday because last week's standing Joe Routledge thinks he's hilarious. No one got both, so I took the executive decision to select from the pool of people who got at least one. And the person to come out of our electronic hat was Tarzan Yamum 7679. I really hope that doesn't mean something rude. So, well done to you, Tarzan. I guess click the get involved link in the show notes to claim your prize. This week, the recording studio has been powered by our friends over at Consumer Unit World with high stock levels of your favourite consumer units, including BG, and free networking day delivery on orders over 150 quid. We're being lit by Flex 7 with their lightning fast pre-wired modular lighting connection system that keeps your installation times razor sharp. 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.