- Coming up on this week's news, don't mess with your meter.
That's the trade's message to homeowners this week
as they resort to desperate and deadly measures
to save money.
Crown House starts wiring up Everton's new stadium
from a hundred miles away,
and an apprentice electrician's life is narrowly saved
by his hard hat.
Welcome to Electrical News Weekly
in association with Scame.
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, as always, if you think you've spotted the two words
I've been challenged to slip into this week's show,
comment with them below for the chance to win a prize.
Meter tampering is believed to be at an all-time high
in the UK as desperate householders search for ways
to cut their spiraling energy bills.
Residents are installing powerful magnets,
breaking the meter seal, opening the base
and even trying to interfere
with the incoming service cable
in an attempt to bypass the meter.
The boom is being fueled
by irresponsible social media posts promoting the idea
as an innocent energy-saving hack.
SELECT, the trade association for electrical contracting
in Scotland, is calling on its members and all electricians
to report meter tampering immediately
to the relevant energy company.
It says bypassing services are increasingly offered
by unscrupulous individuals who have limited knowledge
of what they're doing.
Crimestoppers has launched an awareness campaign
after the first fatality was recorded.
An elderly mother died in a fire in Glasgow caused by
a bypassed electricity meter.
It turned out her son had arranged to have the work done
to save money.
A poor connection led to a spark, followed by a blaze,
which his mother was too frail to escape.
She died of smoke inhalation
before fire officers reached the scene.
The son admitted the offense and was charged
with causing his own mother's death.
A subsequent investigation revealed that families
in five of the eight flats of the block
had all bypassed their meters in the same way.
The fire service said that this endangered
not just their own lives and property,
but those of their neighbors.
You can report meter tampering to Crimestoppers
on 0800-023-2777.
I've also popped the link
to their dedicated Stay Energy Safe website
in the show notes.
In other news, electrical contracting giant, Crown House,
is starting this week on the mammoth job
of wiring up Everton's new 500 million pound stadium
at Bramley-Moore Dock in Liverpool.
The twist?
They're doing it a hundred miles away
in the West Midlands.
The electricians don't have arms of spaghetti
like Mr. Tickle.
Rather, the company is conducting as much
of the electrical work as it can
in a special factory in Oldbury.
In a modern way of construction, much of the cabling,
the panels, and the switch gear
will arrive pre-manufactured and factory-tested
before being plugged together on site.
Crown House has been tasked to complete the job in time
for the club to move in for the 2024 to 2025 season.
No pressure, guys.
No matter how much the offsite cabling trend continues,
there will always be a need for electricians to work
on building sites and the need for vigilance
under such conditions was underscored this week
after court proceedings were initiated in the case
of an apprentice electrician who suffered
a devastating head injury.
20-year-old Liam Hamilton was wiring up new houses
in Bury St Edmunds when a heavy load hit him on the head.
It had fallen several stories from a forklift truck.
He was wearing a hard hat at the time,
which unquestionably saved his life,
but he still suffered horrific injuries,
including a fractured skull.
Hamilton was rushed to hospital
where surgeons carried out emergency brain surgery.
They also put him in an induced coma for four days.
Hamilton, who is originally from Hertfordshire,
now suffers from ongoing cognitive, strength
and balance problems
and fears for the future of his electrical career.
He has now asked his solicitors to issue court proceedings
in relation to the incident.
A separate Health and Safety Executive probe is ongoing.
In product news this week, identifying cables has been taken
to a whole new level by HellermannTytan.
The company has just launched glow-in-the-dark labels,
so you can see what's what even in low light conditions.
It says they've been specially developed
for electricians who work in the panel building,
automotive, rail and telecom sectors,
or places where it's, you know, dark.
The Tiptags, as they're known, glow green when exposed
to ultraviolet light.
They're made in the UK using a halogen-free process.
They are resistant to abrasions, UV, acids and fuels,
and you simply fix them with a couple of cable ties.
How do you design a better screwdriver?
That was the challenge
that Panasonic engineers set themselves two years ago
and they've now unveiled the result.
It's an electric insulated screwdriver for electricians.
It's a super-lightweight red and yellow model designed
for one-handed operation.
You can easily switch between forward or reverse mode,
as well as toggle between rundown driving
and manual tightening.
The EYED11SA uses a lithium-ion battery pack,
which you charge with a USB-C cable.
Fully charged, it has enough juice for 600 standard screws.
Not entirely sure what a standard screw is,
but there's enough juice in there for 600 of them.
CTEK has won the electric vehicle charge point
Manufacturer of the Year Award
at the UK's E-Mobility Awards 2023.
CTEK won the coveted trophy
for its CHARGESTORM CONNECTED 2 EV kit,
which is designed to be compact, smart, and reliable.
The CTEK team was presented with the award
by the broadcaster, Quentin Wilson,
at the British Motor Museum in Warwickshire,
and we're sure the win was greeted with much hullabaloo.
Many congratulations to them.
We did a deep dive into
the CHARGESTORM CONNECTED 2 last year,
including a test install.
You can see how we got on via a link to the video,
which I've popped into our show notes.
Speaking of product awards,
the prestigious Build Back Better Awards
have now opened for entries.
The initiative celebrates innovation
and environmental leadership in the built environment.
Categories include solar, EV, heating
and ventilation retrofit, and smart home products.
The early bird entry prices close this Friday,
the 10th of February,
and the final deadline is Friday the 10th of March.
I've put a link 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, with the best blend
of Italian and British since Lewis Capaldi,
and providing all your circuit protection needs,
It's Lewden Palazzoli.
And they're strong, tough, Northern and conductive.
Nope, we're not talking about Rick and Joe,
it's Doncaster Cables with their innovative
and top quality cabling.
Thank you very much to our premium partners.
Now if you think you know the words I've smuggled
into this week's show, pop your guess into the comments
and we'll dig out a goodie bag prize
to the first to get the right answers.
Last week's words were kerfuffle and lullaby,
which apparently were quite well hidden amongst
some other red herrings,
as it took a while for it to be guessed.
First past the post was David Griffin,
so well done to you, sir.
Click the link in the description to claim your prize.
Releasing on our YouTube channel this week,
we've got a Q&A on a consumer unit relocation kit,
which may well put the cat amongst the pigeons.
Do you have ugly old smoke alarms in your property?
Well, we've got a solution from Cavius with one feature
we suspect may blow your mind.
And, of course, it's a live stream week,
and joining in the fun and games
we've got Brendan Beaver from Metrel.
He really is a top bloke,
so we can be sure that'll be a good laugh,
and we're looking forward to seeing
how his Top Trumps card comes out.
Thanks for listening to this episode
of Electrical News Weekly in association with Scame.
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.