Coming up on this week's news, electricians are misinterpreting the 20% rule with earth fault loop impedances, says an industry expert. The MCS unveils new rules for installers of renewables, and an electrician's death is blamed on the missing label on an isolating switch. 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 W birectional energy storage system with four MPPTs and a 2.68 68 kWh capacity. Whether you're listening in the van, on site, or down at the wholesale counter, I'm Joe Routledge, 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 spotted the two words 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 Chump Tools. And while you're there, click the links in the show notes to check out what our sponsors offer. Many electricians are misinterpreting the 20% rule with earth fault loop impedances. That's the view of a senior electrical expert. John Hayhurst of City Skills SCC says that as installers apply the allowance to the resistance of the line conductor and the CPC only, they miss the wider picture. He says this widespread practice reflects a misunderstanding of the purpose of the rule. The extra margin exists to address uncertainty in real installations, not to correct individual resistance measurements. Hayhurst says circuit length alone does not determine whether the allowance should be applied. Predictability, variability, and the likelihood of change to the circuit over time are the governing considerations. Many electricians believe the 20% rule is there to compensate for increased conductor temperature during an earth fault current, but that's a common mistake. In fact, while conductor resistance does vary with temperature, faults are cleared too quickly for significant heating to take place. Instead, you're better off thinking about it as a safety factor for uncertainty. This can account for factors such as differences between ambient and operating temperatures, differences in contact resistance, variable workmanship, and the aging and general deterioration of the installation. Hayhurst says, "Understanding these distinctions leads to meaningful interpretation of test data, better use of professional judgment, and more reliable fault protection. My eFIXX colleague Joe Robinson has done a deep dive into the whole area of earth fault loop impedances. He's a great teacher, so this video is a hard recommend for me. The link, as ever, is in the show notes. And in these uncertain times, it's great to know you can rely on Kidde With their range of high-quality smoke alarms, from battery powered to hardwired, there's an easy to install solution that suits your customers with the latest sensing technologies to detect potential fire hazards and comply with strict European standards. In other news, the micro generation certification scheme has unveiled new rules for its members. Before you doom scroll through pages of documentation, here's what you actually need to know. It's all part of the roll out of its much vaunted redeveloped installer scheme. To continue operating, you'll need to assign three roles in your business. First is the Licensee. This is the person who signs the installer agreement, the contract between the business and MCS. He or she accepts ultimate responsibility for adherence to the scheme's requirements. Next, you'll need a main contact. This person will need to be assigned when you choose your certification body. They'll be the main point of contact between your business, your certification body, and the MCS. They're also responsible for handing queries about the scheme. This position must be filled by an employee and the post replaces the nominee role defined in the old scheme. Third, you'll need a technical supervisor for each job. They're responsible for ensuring that the install is compliant with the MCS requirements and all relevant standards. The role replaces the nominated technical person defined in previous MCS standards. This person will need an up-to-date qualification or certification issued by an independent body. They'll also need at least one approved qualification for the technology they're signing off. Remember, you can use a subcontractor as a technical supervisor, but again, you'll need to make sure they are appropriately qualified. I've popped a link to the new roles in the show notes. The death of an electrician in the United States is being blamed on the misidentification of a switch. 50-year-old Brian Hanson was electrocuted last July while doing maintenance work at an underground mine in Montana. A probe into the accident has revealed that Hanson locked out the wrong switch while trying to safely isolate the circuit of a transformer. His supervisor told him that instead of their usual protocol, they would shut off power to the transformer using an isolating switch. But the supervisor never discussed or clarified which specific switch was to be used, says the report. After locking out, Hanson climbed into the transformer, not realising it was live. He received a shock of 7,600 volts. After his death, Hanson's lock was discovered to be on a switch for a different transformer, and not the one he and others were working on. The switch was not labeled to show which units it controlled. Furthermore, this could not be readily determined by its location. The reports concludes that there were three causes of the accident. Failing to ensure the power was off during maintenance, failing to label principal power switches, and failing to train Hanson and other staff on the new procedure for turning off the power. Hanson's death is the fourth in 5 years at the Still Water Mine, according to the US Mine Safety and Health Administration. In promo news, BG's buy spin win promotion is providing the trade's hottest competition. That's because on offer are trips to the October Fest, New York, and Las Vegas. There's also lots of instant prizes such as BG and Knipex kit and discount vouchers. When you buy a selected BG consumer unit, you'll get a unique code which you enter online to try the spin-to-win wheel. This gets you the chance to win an instant prize as well as entry into one of three major prize draws. In July, the draw is for the Munich trip. You get flights, accommodation, access to Oktoberfest, a guided tour, and £1,000 spending money. In September on offer is a four night stay in New York with a New Year's Eve cruise, a helicopter tour, attraction passes, and £1,000 spending money again. The November draw is for a five night stay in Las Vegas, including a Grand Canyon helicopter tour, excursions, and again 1,000 spending money. No wonder it's a huge hit. The promo ends on 31st of October. Now to everyone's favourite part of the show. It's the Paul Russell's lamp of the week, and this week we're celebrating a total classic, the legendary GLS shape with a bayonet cap. And it has an incandescent style colour temperature of a cozy 2,700 Kelvin. So far, so traditional, but don't let this little munchkin fool you. It gives out the same lumens as an old school 40 W lamp while using less than 5 W. Lamp life is equally impressive. The traditional tungsten would be lucky to last over a thousand hours, but this one's rated at a whopping 15,000 hours. Now, it's that great moment where we get to celebrate the sterling work being done by the next generation. A 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 Oli John from Hertfordshire Ludlow and North Shropshire College. He's studying for his level three T- level. The level of complexity in Oli's practical work has been truly standout and he has completed all his installations to a very high standard. His attention to detail, technical ability, and overall quality of workmanship have been exceptional, making him a deserving candidate for this recognition. Congratulations, Oli, on being this week's 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. 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 news. Yes, it's time for a tea break with Quickwire and its range of incredibly rapid electrical connectors. It's been revealed that most youngsters have never changed a light bulb. A survey by the IET found that 55% of 18 to 24 year olds say they have never had the satisfaction of replacing a dead light source for a bright new one. But at the other end of the scale, a significant amount of people are still attempting high-risk jobs. 27% have taken apart or replaced fittings such as plugs, sockets, or light switches. 19% say they have installed new lighting and an astonishing 6% claim to have attempted rewiring, one of the most dangerous electrical jobs in the home. Finally, 15% said they have put tape over frayed or damaged cables. Looks like there'll be plenty of work in the pipeline for qualified sparks and potentially the fire service. 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. Now, a reminder that Schneider has unveiled the 2026 version of its usually 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. Simply spend a minimum of £250 on Schneider Electric products in one transaction at the 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've put a link to the terms and conditions in the show notes. 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, Ledvance, your vision, their lights. Celebrating 10 years and 100 years experience. One of our favourite new innovations here at eFIXX, especially now it's in sexy new packaging for rock solid fixings in flimsy materials. Don't just fix it when you can chump fix it. And the best thing to come out of Yorkshire in stainless steel, the home of EV Ultra and other groundbreaking quality products is Doncaster Cables. If you think you know the words I 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 drawing. Last week's words were Iguana and Rubberneck and only a few got it right. All of whom I believe were previous winners, but the first person to come out of our electronic hat was Jason F, KM5MQ. Well done to you. Make sure you click the get involved link in the show notes. And now it's time for this week's weather from Joe 3P0 and Fox ESS. We've just come off the back of a proper heat wave across much of the UK. gardens turned yellow, paddling pools appeared from nowhere, and solo owners were probably checking their generation figures more often than their bank accounts. But before we get into this week's forecast, a big thanks to this week's featured Fox ESS premier partner, Sunergy. Some cracking work sent in once again, and always great to see what you're all getting up to around the country. Okay, so Tuesday starts with a much more unsettled picture. Northern Ireland, Scotland, and much of Northern England can expect cloud showers. The odd heavier burst of rain moving through uh southern areas fare a little better with brighter spells developing through the afternoon, particularly across the southeast and east Anglia. By Wednesday, high pressure begins to edge back in from the west. Many areas will see a brighter day with sunnier intervals developing more widely. Uh Wales, the Midlands, and Southern England are likely to enjoy the best conditions with some decent generation opportunities returning for homeowners and businesses with solar. Further north, there will still be the chance of a few scattered showers, but nothing like the wash out some were expecting after last week's heat. Looking further ahead though, Thursday, Friday, and into the weekend bring a fairly mixed picture. Most areas should see a combination of sunshine and clouds with the odd shower never too far away, particularly in northern and western parts of the UK. So, while we're probably saying goodbye to heatwave conditions for now, we're certainly not heading into a complete wash out either. And for solar owners, there should still be plenty of opportunities to harvest some free Leki as we head into the weekend. Thanks for that update, Joe. 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 in association with Anker Solix, the world's number one plug-and-play solar battery storage brand. Make sure you're subscribed 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.