Electrical News Weekly
Episodes
222 episodes
UK's Electricity Network Has a BIG Problem. It's Getting Worse.
EV chargers dropping out and solar inverters refusing to export? The fault could be the supply voltage. This week: Britain's growing voltage problem, tougher MCS installer contracts and the rush for plug-in solar. Plus TestFast, Eltako, consume...
CEF company fined £4m after worker crushed
CEF faces a £4m fine after a worker is crushed by switchgear. Homes without driveways get an EV charging breakthrough, but the shock risks still need designing out. Plus Octopus unveils an air-conditioning add-on for its heat pumps, and college...
Burnham Set To Axe Renewable Grant To Fund Defence
Heat pump grants face the chop, a cable recall raises fire-performance concerns, ...and dangerous electrical work lands two Irish tradesmen in court. ...Plus smarter lighting controls, an apprentice tool giveaway and a...
Stop using the current Wiring Regs, electricians warned
The Brown Book bows out on 15 October...Irish solar firms face a bid rigging investigation...and a fatal ladder incident brings a suspended jail sentence. Plus turning cable offcuts into cash, Stelrad’s electric column...
UK Government Issues Tesla Battery Fire Warning
Tesla Powerwall 2 fire warning, EAS qualification changes and a fake MCS portal targeting installers. Plus aluminium cable terminations, a 22kW FastAmps charger and the latest electrical products.Full stories, guidance and resources men...
The 16A Plug With A Shocking Problem...
The government alerts the trade over big-brand 16A plugs and sockets…….your cable clips could be putting lives at risk, says a manufacturers body……and a builder is caught using twin-and-earth…as an extension lead…Full st...
Electricians Warned About Serious AI Dangers
Electricians are warned against asking ChatGPT and other AIs about the Wiring Regulations……the death of a London couple in a Spanish hot tub is blamed on electrocution……and did you know that vaping in your van could be illegal?<...
Government Warns of EV Charger Fire Risk
The UK government has issued a special warning about the fire risk from a major brand of EV charger…Napit issues fresh advice to electricians on the practice of borrowing concealed cable zones in residential jobs…….and the cleve...
Plug-In Solar Legal... Are Batteries Next?
The UK government considers how plug-in batteries could become a fixture in British homes……the trade warns that it can no longer afford to take on apprentices……and a power drill is removed from the scene of an electrocution in S...
IET Issues Urgent Island Mode Earthing Guidance ⚠️
The IET unveils urgent guidance on solar panel installs……the Health and Safety Executive issues an alert over high voltage switchgear……and an electrician is stuck for six hours in an illuminated sign, 130 feet above the ground…<...
UK Government Orders Destruction Of Double-Gang Sockets ⚠️
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 fina...
Sparks Warned of Hidden Risks With Cross-Pavement EV Charging
The author of the Wiring Regs, the IET, steps in as cross-pavement EV charging rolls out across the UK……we meet the electricians who have single handedly re-invented the lightning conductor process……and, what’s the worst day you...
Electricity Meters Wired Backwards ‘Causing Grid Chaos’ ⚠️
Electricity meters which have been fitted backwards are causing chaos on the network, say grid chiefs……an electrician suffers a serious leg injury after a fall at a nuclear power plant……and the government warns the trade about a...
Grid Chiefs Deleted Records? Power Cut Warning Exposed!
The trade is warned about the risk of network faults after an alleged cover up by grid chiefs……the government is set to give millions of free plug-in batteries to low-income homes……and a guttering firm is charged with corporate ...
Plug-In Batteries Spark New Safety Battle!
Electricians are set to be caught in the crossfire AGAIN as the trade gears up for a fresh battle over plug-in batteries……the government acts over the branded light switch with a high risk of electric shock……and Siemens’ circuit...
Revealed: The Police Sell Electricians’ Stolen Tools
It’s been revealed that police forces are selling tools stolen from installers on eBay……an electrician who earned £150,000 a year is sacked over a biscuit……and can a heat pump keep you cool in summer? We have the answer…
Tax Bombshell: Thousands of Electricians Face Trouble!
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...
Electricians Refuse To Install Plug-In Solar... Here's Why
Installers REFUSE to install plug-in solar kit, says the IET… …courts hand out big fines following two high-profile electrocutions, one of a footballer and one, a 10-year-old boy… …and Octopus unveils a plug-in battery s...
The Shortcut Electricians Are Taking to Stay in Work...
The NICEIC warns the trade over fake certs after the big qualifications shake-up ……an industry source sounds the alarm over a sharp slowdown in UK domestic work……and the IET fights back over mounting criticism, telling the trade...
UK Plug-In Solar Standard Is Here - But Who Wrote It?
Ed Miliband shocks the industry with a fast tracked standard for plug-in solar in his ongoing battle with the electrical industry…… social landlords are told they MUST report their electrical safety checks for the first time……an...
Miliband Says Go, The Industry Says no... Here's Why
Energy secretary Ed Miliband picks a fight with industry bodies over plug-in solar……another smart meter roll out is on the cards despite mounting criticism……and how did YOU celebrate International Electricians Day?…Welco...
Bi-Directional RCDs Unplugged - Have we got this Wrong?
We bust the scare stories over plug-in solar and bidirectional RCDs……investigators probe a dramatic explosion at a rooftop solar install on a home in Northamptonshire……and Wago recalls a terminal block over fire fears…We...
Electricians Are Getting This Rule Wrong!
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 a isol...
Anger Mounts as Sparks Discover They’re ‘Unqualified’
Anger mounts in the trade as more electricians discover they’ve been rendered unqualified by industry bodies……the IET steps into the debate over DC isolators for solar panel installs...…and supermarket Lidl unveils a home ba...
The IET Just Settled The SPD Argument… Or Did They?
The author of the Wiring Regulations, the IET, weighs into the debate over Surge Protection Devices and overcurrent protection……the Government issues an urgent alert over the mislabelling of EV charger terminals……and an electric...