Coming up on this week's news, thousands of electrical contractors miss the deadline for mandatory UK tax changes. A mining firm is fined after an electrician is killed by the blades of a huge fan. And Honeywell urgently recalls a lighting control module over fears of electric shock to installers. Welcome to Electrical News Weekly in association with Shelly, helping electricians offer smarter buildings and better energy management. Shelly's range of smart relays, sensors, and control devices makes it easy to add automation without the cost and disruption of rewiring. Whether you're listening in the van onsite 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 kept safe from fire and flood this week by Hochiki protecting people in buildings with advanced detection and warning systems. And 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 Chump Tools. And while you're there, click the links in the show notes to check out what our sponsors offer. On the show notes web page, you'll also find our bonus stories section covering a wide range of subjects. It's definitely worth a read. And stay tuned to the end of the show to catch up on our regular features, including the weather from Joe 3PO, learner of the week, and the lighter side of the news. Around 4,000 electricians have failed to register for a compulsory government tax initiative more than two months after its launch. Yet, the installers face a key reporting deadline in less than a month. Experts are warning the trade that if you earn over £50,000 a year, you need to act now to comply with the making tax digital scheme. The plan sees the scrapping of paper based tax returns. Instead, you must report your income and expenses four times a year using specialist software. For many, this will mean popular paid platforms such as Xero, Sage, or QuickBooks. There are also free versions from money apps such as Monzo, Staling, and Tide. And some companies who create job management software, such as Fergus and Powered Now, have added it to their capabilities. To be clear, these reports are not quarterly tax returns. They're just summaries of how your business is doing. You won't pay four tax bills a year, and the deadline for submitting a tax return and paying tax will remain at the 31st of January. Next year, those earning over £30,000 will also need to use the software. And in 2028, you'll have to comply even if you earn as little as £20,000. In addition to filing a report every quarter year, you'll also have to produce a final end of year declaration. So, you'll also need to securely store copies of receipts, invoices, and financial statements both digitally and physically in case of an inquiry from the HMRC. There's a link in the show notes for more information. So, don't curl up like an Armadillo. Click the link and get it sorted. And if you think getting on board with the new MTD system is tough, then DeWalt can give it a run for its money. With tools created specifically for the electrical industry, they're tested on site and in the hardest possible ways. Dropped, covered in dust, abused, and driven to the absolute limits so they'll keep working exactly when you need them to. In other news, the operator of Europe's only quartz sand mine has been fined after an electrician was killed by the blades of a huge fan. Sixty-one year old Colin Thwaites died in October 2024 while working at Lochaline Quartz Sand’s underground mine on the Morvern Peninsula in the Scottish Highlands. Thwaites was on site to restore power to the mine following a major storm. He was working alongside an apprentice to disconnect a comm's cable when he somehow became trapped in the fan where he suffered fatal injuries. A health and safety executive probe into the incident found that there were serious failings in how the fan had been modified, commissioned, and maintained. Additionally, the rotating parts of the fan were significantly closer to its intake guard than was safe. The blades were just 43 mil from the leading edge of the duct. While electrical inspections had been recorded for the fan, no inspection checklist or maintenance record for them could be provided. Lochlaine Quartz Sand Limited, of Hall Lane, Lathom, in Ormskirk, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act. Inverness Sheriff Court ordered the company pay a fine of £150,000 as well as a Victim Surcharge of £11,250.As always, the team at eFIXX send our condolences to the friends and family of Mr. Thwaites. Just such a tragedy. In product news, Honeywell is recalling one of its lighting control modules over fears of an electric shock to installers. The popular Connect Ultralite is a thingymajig that allows you to link 10 luminaires and presence detectors using simple plug-and-play connectors. But some batches of the unit have incorrect adhesion of the blanking panel to the basket. This could lead to a 230 volt wire being exposed. The Office for Product Safety and Standards says this cable could provide an electric shock to electricians or other professionals maintaining the product. The product does not meet the requirements of the electrical equipment safety regulations of 2016. Honeywell has now recalled the affected units and says it will provide a replacement to all affected electricians. If you have any issues or concerns, you must contact the company's customer service team in the first instance. I've put a link to its support centre, the numbers of the affected models, and the relevant batch identifier in the show notes. If you're looking to test out some lighting circuits, why not go for the new MI3136 tester from Metrel? It's faster, more functional, and has a better screen than its predecessor, the MI3125, which was already great. With features you'd only expect to find on a more expensive tester, this is an exponential upgrade. Check out Rick's full review video in the show notes. Hochiki is currently marketing a water leak detection unit to give peace of mind to building owners. That's because unlike fire, water damage is an everyday reality in the property world. Leaktrace has been designed for simplicity and ease of deployment. It's aimed at residential properties, small buildings, plant rooms, server cupboards, seller spaces, and any project where a fully addressable system would be more than the application requires. Leaktrace is based around a central control panel which is available in two sizes. It provides 24/7 monitoring even during a power outage. Leaktrace supports probes and cable detection and both can be used in the same zone. Each zone accommodates up to 20 probes or up to 50 m of detection cable offering flexibility across a range of environments. Bright blue LEDs enable rapid and accurate visual identification of the leak location, reducing response time when it matters most. A voice sounder option is also available. Leaktrace can also be connected to solenoid shutoff valves. This enables an automatic response to a detected leak and helps limit damage. And if you need to shine a light on a detected leak, try the seriously flexible and smoothly illuminated neon LED lighting from Ultra led. Perfect for extremely tight spaces with a dot-free seamless glow in a huge range of colours and effects. Perfect for both outdoor and indoor applications. All this and it's incredibly quick to install with their quick connect system. You know where to find the link. Lewden is currently marketing its acclaimed range of circuit protection kit. There are boards with the surge protection device connected straight to the busbar and boards where you can fit an MCB with the SPD positioned next to the main switch. Units with 100 amp main switches feature round knockouts and are available in 13 module and 22 module enclosure sizes. The company supplies both single and three-phase surge protection devices for the units for both single and three-phases. There's a type two device and a type one and two device. Also out recently from Lewden are cover lock kits and surface mount petrices. Now to a brand new product and like a lot of our favourite innovations, it's been designed by an electrician to fix a problem that lots of electricians encounter. It's designed to help out with continuity tests on radial circuits. It's a remote controlled switch link from the CPC to the line and neutral conductors of the circuit being tested. This removes the need to use two people during testing. Typically, you'd have one person at the disboard moving the temporary link to earth between the line and the neutral conductors and one person out in the field obtaining the R1, R2, and R1, RN results. So, it's perfect for premises where continuity testing at every point on a radial circuit is required. The short range keyring remote fob can reach around 50 m in open air, while the long range remote can hit 600 m. You may remember a while back we brought you the SRN consumer units from Live Electrical. They're the ones with the clever double pole copper busbar. The unit's double pole configuration allows for simultaneous connection of both line and neutral conductors. This not only simplifies installation, but also improves overall circuit organisation and reduces clutter inside disboards as there's no neutral fly leads from the RCBO's. The only question eFIXX viewers had for live electrical was where's the MCBS? So, they took the feedback on board and you know manufactured them. And the really clever thing is that whatever device you're fitting, if you're adding a circuit or replacing a device, you don't need to remove the entire busbar to do so. The protective devices have a clever three position tab that facilitates easy removal and replacement. And there's no question you'll want to fit the range of high quality smoke alarms from Kidde. 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. Our very own Joe Hammonds made a great video on the new range with one very surprising feature. You know where to find the link. CRC Industries is offering Ambersil Contact Cleaner FG, a precision cleaning solvent specially formulated for electrical and electronic equipment. Ambersil contact Cleaner FG is a non-conductive, non-corrosive cleaner. It's perfect for removing grime, oils, and contamination fast and safely and leaves no residue. By dissolving and rinsing away contaminants that can retain moisture, it helps prevent contact failures, corrosion, and arcing. Typically, you'd use it on electrical contacts, switches, relays, PCBs, and other electrical and electronic assemblies to prevent failures and malfunctions. It is NSFK2 registered, making it suitable for use in and around food processing environments when used according to NSF guidelines. One thing the eFIXX team use it for most is on tethered EV cables. We know they should be all wrapped up safely with the mobile socket stowed away, but we also know they often get left on the floor and full of moisture and dirt. Ambersel contact cleaner FG helps remove dirt and contamination from electrical contacts and connector terminals, helping maintain reliable connections ready for the next charge. Always ensure equipment is isolated and de energised before cleaning. In promotion news, there are no fewer than three great competitions running this month which need to be on your radar. The first comes from Wiska and their brace system which is designed to make cable gland installation quicker and easier using a simple push fit fixing to help save time when working with enclosures, panels, and other electrical equipment. And now, Wiska UK has teamed up with eFIXX to give installers the chance to get their hands on a serious prize bundle. The Brace Yourself competition is offering one lucky winner £1000 worth of Whisker products and merchandise. That could mean a big boost for your van stock, workshop shelves, or stores with practical kit from a brand already well known across the electrical industry. But it's not just one prize up for grabs. There are also 20 runner-up prizes available with each runner-up receiving a brace PP contractor kit, giving even more electricians and contractors the chance to try the system for themselves. The competition runs until the 20th of July with winners announced on the 3rd of August through eFIXX channels. To enter, simply head to the competition page, fill in your details, and get yourself in the draw. Next up, a reminder that Spit special World Cup giveaway is up and running. There's three prizes, three winners, and one goal to bring football home, of course, and the prizes aren't too shabby. The top three winners will each receive a Spit 27E starter kit, which includes its acclaimed electric nail gun, a battery, a charger, and a hard case. The top winner will also get two tickets to see an England international football match in the UK. The second name out of the hat will also receive an England football shirt with his or her choice of player name and number. The closing date is World Cup final day, Sunday the 19th of July. Winners will be selected at random from all valid entries and announced on eFIXX TV on the 27th of July, 2026. I've put a link to both promos in the show notes. Next up is Wago, whose Click Click Win competition is up and running and features no fewer than 1,300 prizes. It's a memory test. You simply click on tiles in a matrix to reveal what's underneath. Then you must find all matching pairs to complete the game. And completing the game gets you entry to the prize drawer. Top rewards include Bose headphones, an Apple smartwatch, a Sony PlayStation 5 Pro, a Samsung 65 in 8K TV, and a £5,000 holiday voucher. There's also 40 pound sainsburys fuel cards, 10 pound Amazon vouchers, and5 pound premium coffee vouchers up for grabs. Our favourite prize is a year's supply of Wago connectors and tooling kit. There's one entry per installer per month. I'll put a link to all three great competitions in the show notes. All the best, everyone. Now, how about this for a bright idea? It's the Paul Russell's lamp of the week. This week, we hawk back to the very earliest light bulbs. The ST64 stands for straight tube, and it evolved from Victorian era carbon lamps. This one's got tinted glass to emphasise the retro look. It gives off 250 lumens for just four watts of input power. It has a lifetime of 15,000 hours. You can see the full range of lamps at paulrussells.com. 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 Tom Gallagher from Riverside College in Widnes. Lecturer Steven Evans says Tom has an incredible thirst for electrical knowledge. He's constantly looking to develop both his practical skills and technical understanding. Tom's determination to achieve his dream of becoming an electrical apprentice is evident in everything he does. He's recently successfully completed his level two and continues to build on his learning by completing numerous eFIXX CPD modules. Steven says Tom has all the qualities needed to become an outstanding apprentice. He's motivated, hardworking, and eager to learn. He simply needs an employer willing to give him the opportunity to prove what he can do. If you think you can help, drop us a line here at eFIXX. We'll put you in touch. And now to the lighter side of the electrical news. Yes, it's time for a tea break with Quick Wire in its range of incredibly rapid electrical connectors. A fleet of electric buses is driving around Somerset with the huge words 100% electric, 0% emissions written on the side. Except that that's not true. In fact, the buses are charged up every night by a diesel generator. That's because the depot hasn't got a full grid connection. A spokesman for the operator stage coach told the BBC that the charging points for the 30 buses were there, but they couldn't plug them into the national grid yet. The company is still waiting for a connection from National Grid. The case highlights the backlog of network connections across the country. 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, 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, Ledvance, your vision, their lights. Celebrating 10 years and 100red years of experience. One of our favourite new innovations here at EIX, especially now it's in sexy new packaging for rock solid fixings in flimsier materials. Don't just fix it when you can chump fix it. 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 EIX 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 Pokémon and Haribo. And the first person to come out of electronic hat was Richard Pew 8702. So, well done to you, Richard. Make sure you click the get involved link in the show notes. And now it's time for this week's weather from Joe 3PO and Fox ESS. England have only gone and beaten Norway. We're into the World Cup semi-finals and suddenly nobody has any work booked for Wednesday afternoon. Strange that, isn't it? Anyway, while Thomas is worrying about Argentina, we've got something equally important to discuss, the weather. But before we get into that, this week's premier partner is all eco energy. If you're thinking about solar batteries or EV charging, they're definitely worth checking out. And for this week's solar barometer, we're heading to Church Street Stow on the Wald Glostershare, a beautiful Cotswwell Street with plenty of south-facing roofs, but surprisingly very few solar panels. If you're a local installer, there could be some work waiting there. So, let's see what the weather has in store. So, Tuesday is another decent summer's day for most of the UK. England and Wales enjoying plenty of sunshine with temperatures pushing into the mid to high 20s. Scotland and Northern Ireland stay a touch cooler with a little bit more cloud around, but most places remain dry. Great news if you're coping to keep those batteries topped up. Wednesday is where things become a little bit more interesting. Still warm for most, but there's an increasing chance of heavy showers and even the odd thunderstorm moving into southern parts later in the day. Northern areas should stay largely settled. So solar generation could end up being a bit of a north south postcode lottery. Thursday, Friday, and into the weekend, the weather stays warm overall, but becomes a little bit more mixed. Southern areas could continue to see scattered showers or thunderstorms, while further north there will still be plenty of dry spells with sunny intervals. Temperatures ease back slightly by the weekend, making it a bit more comfortable for anyone working on a roof. And that's your weather for this week. So, all that's left to say is come on England. 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. We've been kept safe from fire and flood by Hochiki. Protecting people and buildings with advanced detection and warning systems. 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 Shelly. Helping electricians offer smarter buildings and better energy management. Shelly's range of smart relays, sensors, and control devices makes it easy to add automation without the cost and disruption of rewiring. 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.