Coming up on this week's news, the government watchdog intervenes over the marketing of plug-in solar kits. Ed Miliband gives the green light to cross pavement EV charging. And safety chiefs issue an alert over a big brand energy storage system. Welcome to Electrical News Weekly in association with Anker, the world's number one home solar battery storage and the Solar Bank 3 Pro, the 1200 watt birectional energy storage system with four MPPTs and 2.68 kwatt hours capacity. 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 this week's challenge word competition is supported by the good people at Brady. 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 this exclusive cap branded with Friends of the Show Quick Wire and Chump Tools. And while you're there, click the links in the show notes to check out what our sponsors offer. The government's marketing watchdog has intervened over the promotion of plug-in solar kits. The advertising standards authority has ordered industry leader EcoFlow to pull its ads, stating that its products can be installed without a certified electrician. It says the publicity breaches its code on misleading advertising. A householder complained about the company's website as seen on the 20th of January. It described its Stream Ultra product as its hot pick for effortless DIY installation. No electrician required. The slogan was above images of solar panels and batteries. The complainant challenged the claim as they believe that to comply with the law, the products had to be installed by a qualified electrician. EcoFlow Innovation UK, trading as EcoFlow, says it has now withdrawn the ad and is reviewing similar claims that appeared elsewhere for the stream range. The Advertising Standards Authority also noted a reply to one of the frequently asked questions on EcoFlow's website. Under the question, can I install the Stream series by myself? Tech stated that it could be self-installed and maintained. It went on to say that however in the UK local regulations require the EcoFlow stream DIY cable to be wired into the distribution board which must be done by a certified installer or electrician. The authority says that the information appeared on a list of questions near the bottom of a lengthy web page and was not linked to the main claim. It therefore considered that consumers could go through the entire process of buying a solar panel without being made aware of the need for professional installation. In any event, it considered it directly contradicted the main claim and was misleading for that reason. It says the ad must not appear again. Additionally, EcoFlow must ensure that future ads do not misleadingly state or imply that its products can be installed without using a certified installer if this is not the case. However, the censored advertisement looks set to become legal this summer when the government amends the rules to allow DIY solar for plug-in kit rated 800 W or below. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband gave the green light to the technology last month. He's also announced this week that he's giving the green light to another controversial bit of kit, cross pavement EV charging. Miliband says the government will give householders permitted development rights to install cross-pavement charging gullies and plug-in points. Currently, you need permission from your local authority to cut into the pavement, but councils being as exciting as Magnolia have been hesitant to allow it because of concerns over electrocution. It stems from the possibility of simultaneous contact between the body of an electric vehicle and another vehicle or street furniture such as a metal lamp post or telecom's cabinet leading to someone dancing like Rasputin on a night out. Unless the two items are connected to the same distribution systems, there is a danger in a fault of a high voltage difference between them. However, last month the first technical guidance on the touch potential of EV chargers was unveiled by the Highway Electrical Association. The document stresses that there's no single solution. Instead, electricians are urged to do a risk assessment and then implement the right mix of measures for that location. These measures should include aiming to put all accessible conductive parts on a common earthing system so that no voltage difference exists. This requires accurate information and coordination with the DNO. Installers also need to consider long-term maintenance to prevent divergence of earth systems in the future. It's also vital to ensure that any potentially different earthing systems are beyond arms reach to prevent simultaneous contact. The guidance here is that the gap is at least 2.5 m. They should consider insulation and nonconductive materials, coatings or enclosures to prevent contact with live metal parts. Finally, protective devices such as open pen conductor detection devices or OPDDs can detect fault conditions and disconnect the supply automatically. I've put a link to the full guidance document in the show notes. Still on safety, the government has issued an alert over Sigenergy's combined energy storage system. Specifically, the Office for Product Safety and Standards says that the AC plug for the Sigenstore's energy controller presents a low risk of burns. The popular Sigenstore combines an inverter, EV charger, and battery pack in one unit. The alert concerns the 8 kW, 10 kW, and 12 kW connectors for single phase units. The agency says that in rare cases, the quick connect AC plug may present a risk of overheating and burns in instances where it has not been installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. SIGN Energy has now initiated a modification program to warn customers of the risk. It's also arranging for on-site inspection and repair of the affected products. If you've installed and commissioned a Sigenstore energy controller before February 2026, you should get in touch with the company's service department. I'll put the contact details and the product numbers of the affected models in the show notes. Now, some exciting news from Friend of the Channel Greencable. If you're not familiar with the scheme, it's a mobile scrapyard that comes to you. The company gives you a green wheelie bin. 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 that's it. Following multiple geographic expansions across England and Wales over the past 12 months, plus a team and fleet expansion earlier this year, Greencable is now opening new accounts across all of Wales and Southern England, including Hampshire, Kent, Surrey, and Sussex. For those of you based in these regions and who've already signed up to their service, you'll soon be receiving contact from the Green Cable team advising when they'll be in your area carrying out their first visits. If you're not signed up already, this is your opportunity to do good for the planet and earn more extra cash. If you work on large jobs, remember they'll collect from site and issue legally compliant documentation to prove responsible disposal of waste materials. The link, as ever, is in the show notes. In promo news, Remi has unveiled a competition in which you can get 20 tool trays for your local electrical college. The company is giving one UK training centre a full set of trays to upgrade its setup. If you're in the trade or training for it, this is your chance to put your college forward. To enter, simply follow Remi on Instagram using the handle Remi Tools. Click like on the post announcing the promo and tag two of your electrical mates. Then use the link in our bio to enter. You'll also get a bonus entry if you share the post to your story and tag Remi Tools. The winner gets to nominate their college. Entries close soon, so you better move sharpish. Now, lamp lovers, have I got a treat for you. It's your favourite bit of the show, the Paul Russell's lamp of the week. Now, take a look at this baby. The sharp eyed will see that it's a G9 pin base. This is a format loved by manufacturers of decorative lights. It's LED, of course. In fact, it has 14 separate LEDs on it. But what's unusual about this is it's 6,500 Kelvin. That's chillier than a snowman's ex. Its light output of 200 lumens is equivalent to a 20 watt, but it draws a mere 2.2 watts of power. Average life is 25,000 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 experience sparks covering inspection and testing, solar, battery storage, EV charging, and their specialism NVQs and AM2 online prep. This week's EIX learner of the week goes to Laurence Kahn from Hull College. Laurence has recently joined the industry and has already completed his level two practical assessment, a solid milestone and a great start to his journey. But what really stood out wasn't just the achievement, it was his attitude. In his post, Laurence made a point of giving credit to Paul Adams for the support he received throughout his level two. That kind of recognition and respect for those helping you along the way is something we really value at eFIXX. We've got a huge amount of respect for the work coming out of Hull College. And Laurence is a brilliant example of the standard they're producing. On top of that, he's been getting stuck into a number of the free eFIXX training packages, building not just his core knowledge, but also developing an awareness of future and emerging technologies in the industry. A strong start, a great mindset, and definitely one to watch. Lawrence, congratulations. You are the eFIXX learner of the week in association with excess training. If you're looking to break into the industry, we can help. eFIXX has set up a dedicated LinkedIn group for people training in electrical installation. It's aimed at apprentices, full-time learners, and adults training 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. If you're an employer looking to offer work experience or an electrical apprenticeship, we can help, too. Just reach out to the team at eFIXX and we'll do our best to connect you with motivated learners in your area. And now to the lighter side of the electrical news. Yes, it's time for a tea break with QuickWire and its range of incredibly rapid electrical connectors. It's been revealed that the body double for Jack Nicholson in The Shining was in fact a British electrician. The hit movie was filmed at Elstree Studios in 1979 when Nicholson took a couple of days off during shooting to attend the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Director Stanley Cubri was determined to carry on. He decided that the Spark on the set, Bobby Tanwell, was a close enough match for the American star. So, Cubri used Tanwell as a stand-in for scenes where Nicholson's face wasn't required. For a young London Spark used to connecting cables and sockets, acting in a blockbuster film was a bit of a career change. And as fellow screen star Michael Kane would say, not a lot of people know that. That's the lighter side of the news in our Tea Break with Quickwire and their range of incredibly rapid electrical connectors. Click the link in the description to check them out for yourself.  Thanks for listening to this episode of Electrical News Weekly in association with Anker Solix, the world's number one plug-and-play solar battery storage brand. 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.