Coming up on this week's news, industry authorities say you can't put single insulated cables in meter boxes. The government bans retentions and late payments, and heat pumps and solar panels are to become compulsory in new homes in England. 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. 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 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 this exclusive cap branded with friends of the show QuickWire and ChumpTools. And while you're there, click the links in the show notes to check out what our sponsors offer. You can't put single insulated cables in meter boxes for new installations. That's the final verdict of the powerful wiring regulations advisory group or rag. The authority unexpectedly stepped into the controversy over cabling this week. It ruled that the cause of cables where the sheath has been removed should not be present in meter cupboards. These include meter tails as well as SWA and non- sheath cables. It says the purpose of a meter cupboard is to house cutouts, energy meters, isolators, and other kit. Crucially, it can be accessed by ordinary persons. WRAG appears to be drawing a distinction between new installations and existing jobs. In an answer to a previous question on periodic testing and inspection, it stated that no defect code is applicable to single sheath because the meter cupboard has a lockable mechanism. Meanwhile, the certification body NAPIT has single insulated cables in meter boxes coded as a C2 potentially dangerous while the NIC rates it C3. Improvement is recommended. The debate over the issue broke out last summer with industry opinion sharply divided over the practice. Many electricians argue single sheathing is a clear C2 fault posing a risk of shock and requiring prompt remedial action, but some argue that the meter box unit itself provides the second layer of defence. And as long as a tool or key is needed for access, the installation meets current standards. Installers counter that in real world practice, they see householders accessing the boxes to read the meter as well as boxes with loose and missing doors. The final verdict from wiring regulations advisory group appears to put an end to what has been one of the longest running controversies in the trade. In other news, the government is to ban retention payments. This is when builders typically withhold 5% of a contract value for 6 months, a year, or even longer. They say it's to cover them so that defects get addressed. But it's like kryptonite for subcontractors such as electrical firms as it causes them cash flow problems. Also, if the tier one company goes bust, they can lose their money. The government is now set to axe retentions as part of a major crackdown on late payments. A consultation showed the industry favored a total ban rather than alternatives such as project bank accounts. A government watchdog will also have new powers to probe poor payment practices. It can also rule in payment disputes and even slap fines on the worst offenders. Those fines could run into tens of millions for firms that persistently pay late or fail to comply with the new laws. There will also be a 60-day cap on payment terms for all large firms when paying smaller suppliers. Finally, there will be compulsory interest on all late payments. This will be set at 8% above the Bank of England base rate. The Electrical Contractors Association has hailed the new laws as a victory for its decadel long campaign against retentions. The ECA's Rob Driscoll said they would help supercharge the trade. In another big development will help supercharge business for contractors, the government has made solar panels and heat pumps compulsory in all new homes in England. Under the future home standard, properties must have solar panels on their roofs covering an area equivalent to 40% of the ground floor space. Additionally, from 2028, no new homes will be connected to the gas network. Instead, they must have a heat pump or be part of a heat network. House builders argue that the changes in the building rags will push up the costs of a new home by £10,000. But environmentalists say that in the long term, the changes will bring down the cost of energy bills for customers. Others don't think the plans go far enough. Hannah McCarthy of Octopus Energy says the government is missing an opportunity to include battery packs in the requirements. She says batteries will increase the savings for householders and take the measures a step further. Another way to bump up your green credentials and save some money is to use the brand new range of green I motion sensors from Legrand's CP electronics arm. Designed with ease of install, commissioning, and use in mind along with 75% recycled packaging. They'll cut carbon, reduce costs, and help you specify efficient future ready buildings. It's not just green I. It'll help to make a green U. Meanwhile, owners and renters of existing properties are also getting in on the renewable revolution. That's because plug-in solar kits are about to hit the shops. The government says it's working with Lidl and Amazon and manufacturer EcoFlow to bring the controversial tech to the UK. The photovoltaic sets will retail for around £400 and could save around £100 a year on energy. Last week, energy secretary Ed Miliband gave the green light to plug-in panels in response to the war in the Middle East. The units are designed to be put in gardens and on balconies. They're simply plugged into a socket outlet. However, both the IET and the Electrical Contractors Association have raised objections on safety grounds. The NIC, meanwhile, appear more accommodating. The organization's technical director, Paul Collins, said it would work with experts and the government to ensure that any issues are addressed so that consumers can adopt the technology with confidence. In promo news, Schneder has unveiled the 2026 version of its hugely popular score to win promotion. In this exciting new game, installers must beat the keeper from the penalty spot as many times as they can to win points. And what do points mean? Prizes, of course. This year, there are Premier League hospitality tickets up for grabs, as well as signed football shirts. In fact, one contractor will take away a framed 1986 Argentina football shirt signed by Diego Maradona himself. Simply spend a minimum of £250 on Schneider Electric products in one transaction at any participating wholesaler. You'll then be given the opportunity to play a virtual game of skill involving kicking a football into a goal. There'll even be a public leaderboard so you can see how your mates are doing. I'll put a link to the terms and conditions in the show notes. Now, you won't need a mandolin to get a fine slice of this next story. Cucumber has unveiled an NFC card which instantly turns your phone into a temporary remote control. You simply hold it near your phone and ta, you get to control the switching and dimming of the lights. It ends the problem in offices of physical remotes cluttering meeting rooms or getting lost. Access to the control system is temporary, controlled, and secure at all times. This way ensures only authorized users can adjust the lighting. We're told that more options are in the pipeline, and we'll let you know when we hear about them. The Q remote, as it's dubbed, has great environmental credentials, too, and that's because it's made from sustainable bamboo. Still on lighting controls, Forum Lighting Solutions has developed a ceiling rose with a built-in smart Wi-Fi receiver. This is frankly genius because it means that you don't have to bury the receiver in the ceiling above the fitting. It's actually part of the base. You simply pair it with one of the company's battery free kinetic light switches and you're good to go. You can also control the light with an app. Either way, it's a really elegant way of getting a light switch into places without chasing in or unsightly containment. I really like that product. Super slick, that one. Now, how about this for a bright idea? It's the Paul Russell's lamp of the week. And today, we're giving a shout out to that workhorse of the ceiling, the GU10. This warm white version has a beautiful 36° beam and is fully dimmable. It gives out as much light as a 50 watt Halogen, but as it's LED, it only uses 4.5 watts of power. The lamp has good colour rendering of over 80, so you can use it places like hospitality and retail. Life is 15,000 hours. 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 slot is brought to you by excess training with their online electrical courses for beginners and experienced sparks covering inspection and testing, solar battery storage, EV charging, and their specialism NVQs and AM2 online prep. And our learner this week is Joel Whitmarsh from Runcorn. We've been really impressed with how Joel has positioned himself as a strong candidate in the industry. He's highlighted that he already holds an ECS card, is fully mobile with a driving license, and has been actively undertaking electrical training over the past months. As a result of his efforts, he's now got an apprenticeship with Beachwood Electrical Contractors. A fantastic achievement. His LinkedIn profile is also exceptionally well put together. It's got a great mix of work experience picks, high quality work from his training, and the certificates he's gained to support his applications. It really shows how seriously he's taking his career. Congratulations, Joel, and all the best in your future career. Another way we're celebrating the young people of our industry is in the eFIXX 30 under 30 competition. It's now open for nominations and there's a whole lot of kudos if you get selected. So, if you know someone special, you have until Monday the 13th of April to put their name in the hat. I've popped the nomination link in the show notes. And now to the lighter side of the electrical news. Yes, it's time for a tea break with QuickWire in its range of incredibly rapid electrical connectors. We've got the latest from the warfront. Electricians versus squirrels, and it's not looking good. A squirrel has knocked out power to more than a thousand homes in Connecticut in the USA after getting a bit too hands-on with some electrical equipment. No tools, no qualifications, still managed to take down the grid. In fact, the rodents have caused such havoc stateside that grid bosses have something called a squirrel index tracking their attacks on electrical infrastructure. That's right, somewhere out there is a scoreboard. And right now, the squirrels are winning. So, next time someone questions your cable management, gland selection, or enclosure ceiling, just remind them we're defending the network from tiny furry engineers of chaos. So, smokers a kipper, we'll be back for breakfast. That's the lighter side of the news in our tea break with quick wire and their range of incredibly rapid electrical connectors. Click the link in the description to check them out for yourself. Now, just before we get to your favorite 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 like having an Italian Star Striker in your premiership team. It's Lewden Palazzoli. And the best thing to come out of Yorkshire since stainless steel, the home of Eevee Ultra and other groundbreaking and quality products, it's Doncaster Cables. They also joined us in last week's live stream to talk about the dangers of dodgy cables and why you really should be getting your top quality cable from Donny. Aaron Walstow was excellent entertainment as always and it is absolutely worth a catch up. A really good show that one. 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 midnight on the Wednesday 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 Oracle and Dandelion. And we've got a new winner this week. Lots and lots of red herrings last week apparently, so a smaller pool to choose from. But the person to come out of our electronic hat was Andrew Flies 9119. Well done to you Andrew. Make sure you click the get involved link in the show notes to claim your prize. This week we've been lit by Flex 7 with their lightning fast pre-wired modular lighting connection system that keeps your installation times razor sharp. Don't forget to click the links in the show notes to find out more. 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.