Coming up on this week's news, the UK government orders the immediate destruction of shipments of double gang sockets. A shocking survey reveals just how common electrical incidents are on the job. And after an epic battle of wills, plug-in solar kit finally hits the supermarket shelves this week. 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 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 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 story 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 Fox ESSS, learner of the week with excess training and the lighter side of the news from Quickwire. After 5 months of controversy, competing claims, and a battle of wills between the government and the electrical industry, plug-in solar panels finally arrive in the UK this week. The technology is set to hit the shelves of big brand retailers, including LIDL, Amazon, B&Q, and Currys. It's not the only innovative tech arriving to shake up household energy. EcoFlow has timed the launch of its Stream battery system to coincide with this momentous week in the trade. The system gives households the option to start with a relatively affordable 5 kWh battery and then add more capacity over time as their needs and budgets grow. That could give installers an opportunity to offer a more accessible route into storage for a potentially much larger group of homeowners entering the home energy market through plug-in solar. EcoFlow has already seen signs of this progression in Germany where plug-in balcony solar is much more established. The company says the proportion of its balcony solar systems sold with battery storage doubled from 20% in 2023 to 40% in 2025. If the UK follows a similar adoption pattern, the arrival of plug-in solar could create a whole new group of customers who start with relatively lowcost solar generation and then add battery storage. You can connect up to 12 solar panels to stream and generate around 5,600 kWh every year. Top output is 3 kW, so it's ready for high demand appliances like your stove, dryer, or kettle. EcoFlow says it boasts the highest energy density in the 5 kWh class. The system is expandable up to 90 kWh with an 18,000 watt output and 30,000 watt solar input. I've popped a link to the product spec in the show notes. In other news, the UK has ordered the immediate destruction of a shipment of double gang sockets. A team of inspectors from the Office for Product Safety and Standards swooped on batches of the Chinese-made universal accessory. It says that the product presents a serious risk of electric shock as it's not sufficiently earthed. In the event of a fault, accessible metal parts could become live and shock the user. It also presents a risk of fire because it has inadequate internal construction, including wires soldered directly to line and neutral connections. Over time, this may lead to the product overheating and catching fire. The plug face also isn't the correct dimensions demanded by BS 1363, which means plugs may not make a secure connection with the socket. Overall, it does not meet the requirements of the electrical equipment safety regulations or the plugs and sockets safety regulations. For a kit that does meet the requirements of safety regulations, take a look at the latest range of power tools from DeWalt. 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. A shocking survey has revealed just how common electrical incidents are on the job. Research found that 86% of electricians have experienced some kind of electrical incident during their career. That means the vast majority of installers have had a moment where something didn't go according to plan. The incidents ranged from minor shocks to more serious events requiring medical attention. And it gets worse. No fewer than 78% reported having experienced a near miss. The research conducted by Martindale Electric highlights the risks electricians face every day from faulty equipment to mistakes during testing and isolation. And experts are warning that experience can sometimes work against you. Because when you've done the same job hundreds of times, it's easy to become too confident. You might find yourself skipping a check or rushing a test or worst of all, assuming a circuit is dead. Three things that can turn a routine job into a disaster. Safe isolation remains one of the biggest defences against electrical accidents. That means correctly identifying the circuit, proving the tester works, locking off where possible, and proving dead before putting hands on the conductors. The research is a reminder that electrical work is still a high-risk job even for experienced professionals. I've popped a link to our latest video on safe isolation in the show notes. In the courts this week, a coroner has linked a former electrician's death to asbestos exposure during his working life. 82-year-old Brian Kettley died at his home in Norfolk in January. His daughter said that Kettley would have been exposed to asbestos fibres when drilling into walls. The court heard that his main problem was breathlessness. This worsened over the years until he couldn't dress or undress without getting breathless. The official cause of death was recorded as severe coronary artery atheroma and asbestosis. We at eFIXX would like to send our condolences to the friends and family of Mr. Kettley. In promotion news, Sync Energy has unveiled a competition that set the trade above. That's because the top prize, wait for it, is a complete home energy management system. It includes the complete Sync Energy Flow all-in-one system. There's a hybrid inverter, three stackable 5.12 kWh battery modules, an EV charger, AC solar power diverter, and circuit protection. It all works together as one intelligent system. The prize is worth a total of over 7,000. Entering is super easy. Simply fill in the entry form on Sync Energy's website. It's open until the end of August and you'll need to be MCS registered. I've popped a link in the show notes. You'll be able to check out both Sync Energy and EcoFlow products in the flesh very soon because Solar and Storage Live UK is heading back to the NEC Birmingham from the 22nd to the 24th of September, bringing together more than 20,000 trade professionals, 500 exhibitors, and 250 speakers covering solar, battery storage, and EV charging. For electrical contractors, this year's event lands at an interesting time. New rules around plug-in solar are changing the market. While rooftop PV, battery storage, and EV charging continue to create new opportunities for installers looking to broaden the work they offer. Visitors will be able to get hands-on with the latest equipment, speak directly to manufacturers, and hear practical guidance on technical, commercial, and regulatory developments. Solar and Storage Live UK is also co-located with EV charge live UK with one registration giving access to both shows. Best of all, entry is completely free for trade professionals, although some training sessions and seminars have limited capacity, so registering early is recommended. And all that new renewable kit will need testing. So why not have a look at Metrel's range of PV testers from the streamlined MI3114 for essential photovoltaic checks through the MI3115 to the MI3116 with IV curve tracing, efficiency measurements, insulation testing, and irradiance logging. There's a tester to suit everything from domestic installs to full PV commissioning. Repenic is bringing a traditional favourite into the smart home with what it believes is the world's first smart toggle switch. The new smart toggle keeps the familiar mechanical click and tactile feel of a conventional switch, but add Zigbee smart control, energy monitoring, and multi-way switching. It can work alongside traditional two-way and intermediate switches, making it suitable for everything from hallways and landings to bedrooms and living spaces. There's another clever trick, too. Wire it to line and neutral without a lighting load. Pair it with compatible Zigbee smart lamps, and the toggle can act as a wall-mounted on-off remote, meaning smart lamps can stay permanently powered without sacrificing a proper physical switch. The smart toggle joins Repenic's new smart rocker alongside its existing smart dimmer and smart socket, creating a complete range designed to combine proper smart home functionality with premium designed wiring accessories. Speaking of design led products, check out 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. BG Electrical has launched Grid Light, which it says is the first fully modular screwless clip-in grid system designed to take some of the faff out of building bespoke grid switch arrangements. The modules simply clip into the front plate, can be fitted either way up, and crucially, there's no separate yolk to wrestle with. Grid light also fits existing backboxes, while individual modules can be swapped without disturbing their neighbours, making future maintenance considerably less painful. The 20 amp rated system can accommodate up to three modules on a single square plate with installers free to mix and match switches, dimmers, USB outlets, and other modules to suit the job. There's plenty of choice on the looks front, too, with grid light available across BG ranges, including Nexus Metal, Evolve, flat plate, screwless, metal clad, and part M, giving electricians plenty of scope to build something considerably more bespoke than your average grid plate. A British company reckons it's finally found a better way to wire the humble 13 amp socket by separating the terminals from the socket itself. Sockets uses a detachable cassette which can be wired, tested, and approved before the socket body is fitted. That means much better access when cables are short or back boxes are awkward, while decorating and future replacement should become considerably less painful, too. Once wired, the cassette simply slides into the socket body and locks securely into place. On USB versions, removing the electronics from the equation also allows the full 500 volt insulation resistance test to be carried out without the socket body getting involved. Sockets says the design is repairable and upgradeable rather than disposable with terminals engineered for a 25- year life. So replacing the fronts to match the decor couldn't be easier and actually reduces waste. The range is tested to BS 1363-2203 with independent SGS approval. And despite all that cleverness, a standard white version apparently costs less than a meal deal. Meanwhile, Chumpfix is offering a special key fob for every purchase of the device made on its website. It's the perfect way to locate your keys if you mislay them. If you're not familiar with it, Chumpfix is basically a clever piece of perforated plastic. You push it up through a 25 mil hole. usually the same one for the cable and then flatten it by pulling the handle. You then screw through the plaster to reach one of its many holes. This secures it nicely to the plaster board ceiling. It means you don't have to use wall plugs and it helps to spread the weight of a light or pull cord across the ceiling. It comes in two sizes, 12 and 25 cm. To get your key fob, place an order for any pack of chumpfix or chumpix L and you can add a free key fob to your basket. There's more details at chumptools.com. Now, how about this for a bright idea? It's the Paul Russell's lamp of the week. This week, we're diving into their Prestige range. It's an LED lamp with an Edison screw base, giving out 600 lumens from just seven watts of power. Better still, it has an extra warm colour temperature of just 2200 Kelvin from a decorative string style filament, giving you that softer, warmer glow that works particularly well in decorative and more relaxed lighting schemes. It's fully dimmable, too. And what's better than a Paul Russell lamp? How about a handy pack of three? 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 XS 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. Our learner of the week this week goes to somebody who hasn't quite started her journey into the electrical industry yet, but is already making a fantastic start. We'd like to highlight Maisey Robinson. No relation, as far as I know. Maisey has just secured a place at NWSLC College to begin her electrical course this September. Rather than resting on her laurels over the summer, she's been actively gaining valuable work experience at Nylon, giving her a great insight into the electrical industry before she even steps into the classroom. She's also been getting ahead of the game by completing some of the eFIXX CPD courses. This puts her in a fantastic position to start college on the front foot. It's brilliant to see someone showing this level of initiative before their course has even begun. We wish Maisey every success with her studies and her search for an electrical apprenticeship and congratulations on being the eFIXX learner of the week in association with excess training. 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. Meet Julhas Molla, an electrician from Bangladesh who spent four years building an actual aeroplane in his spare time. The 100 kg aircraft is powered by a 7 horsepower water pump motor. No aerospace engineering degree, just wires, patience, and pure sparky ingenuity. He actually flew it 15 meters up over the Jamuna River. Beat that for a weekend project. 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 eFIXX, especially now it's in sexy new packaging for rocksolid 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 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 baboon and meringue. And the baboon bit must have thrown a lot of people off as hardly anyone got that one word. But of those who did, the first person to come out of our electronic hat was Robert Small 1715. So, well done to you, Robert. Make sure you click the get involved link in the show notes to claim your prize. And now it's time for this week's weather from Joe 3PO and Fox CSS. Last week saw much needed cooler conditions across the country with sunshine, showers, thunderstorms, and basically every other type of weather August could muster. And this week still may be a little changeable, but there could still be some decent solar generation squeezed in between the showers. But before we get to that, this week's Fox ESS featured installer is HS Energy. They install solar, PV, battery storage, and EV charging systems across the UK. and they have already been putting Fox ESS equipment to work on some seriously impressive installations. This week, the solar barometer lands on Hawthorne Street in Leicester. Rows and rows of terrace rooftops, but solar still appears to be relatively thin on the ground. We've spotted some panels, but there looks to be an awful lot of unused roof space. So, Leicester Installers or Thorn Street might be worth keeping an eye on. Okay, so Tuesday is where things start getting interesting. After a largely settled Monday, showers and potentially thunderstorms begin developing from the south and pushing north across the country. Temperatures could still reach around 24 to 27° across parts of the south. So, when the sun does appear, solar generation could actually be pretty decent. Just don't expect it to last uninterrupted. Uh, Wednesday keeps the changeable theme going. We're looking at sunshine mixed with showers with some of those showers potentially becoming heavy and thundery. Temperatures should generally sit around the low to mid 20s in the south with cooler conditions further north. Heading towards the end of the working week, things remain unsettled. Expect a mixture of cloud, sunny spells, and showers with the possibility of some heavier bursts of rain. There should still be some useful periods of generation between the showers, particularly further south, but batteries could really earn their keep by capturing those brighter windows when they arrive. And for the bank holiday weekend, the current outlook remains changeable with showers or longer spells of rain possible. But importantly, there should also be some drier and brighter periods mixed in. Temperatures should stay around average for late August, although the south could still see a brief warmer spell. So, a mixed bag of weather. Still no sign of any meaningful rain, maybe next week. Thanks for that update, Joe. 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.