- Coming up on this week's news,
"Meter tampering is a ticking time bomb," say experts
as it's revealed that 4 out of 10 electricians
are regularly asked to slow down the devices.
A council and a building firm appear
in court this week after an electrician is killed
by a falling tree
and the daddy of all transformers brings chaos
to the roads of Kent.
Welcome to Electrical News Weekly,
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
that I've been challenged to slip
into this week's show, comment with them below
for the chance to win a prize.
It's been revealed that 4 out of 10 electricians say
that they have been asked
by customers to tamper with their electricity meters.
The astonishing figure comes from research
by business insurance firm Direct Line.
They say it reflects how the cost
of living crisis is pushing people to extreme measures.
Cheating a meter to avoid paying bills is, of course,
classified as theft and can lead
to serious consequences, including prison sentences
and a fine of 30,000 pounds.
Additionally, 1/3 of electricians say
that they have noticed signs
of tampering at homes and businesses.
David Powell, an electrical installation safety engineer
at Electrical Safety First tells us
that even he is no stranger
to an off-the-cuff request to tamper with a meter.
But he says, doing so is a ticking time bomb.
And Direct Line has warned homeowners that it won't pay out
in the event of a house fire if it's discovered
that there has been interference with the meter.
It says, if your customers are struggling
with their energy bills, advise them to speak directly
to their energy provider instead
of being tempted to have a snuffle about in the meter box.
In other news, a construction company
and a district council are set to appear
in court this week following the death
of an electrician during a storm.
24-year-old Matthew Campbell was killed when he was struck
by a falling tree as strong winds lashed Northern Ireland
during Storm Ali in 2018.
Campbell was working on restoring power
to a water pumping station in Slieve Gullion Forest Park
as winds reached 91 miles an hour.
It's alleged that Lagan Construction Limited
and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council failed
to make appropriate risk assessments.
Campbell and his fiancee were due
to be married the following August.
The pair had sent out save the date cards
and they collected their wedding rings
on the very day the tragedy struck.
The case at Newry Crown Court is expected to last
for two weeks and we'll keep you posted on how it unfolds.
Just so, so sad that story.
Our condolences to the friends and family of David.
The UK's first-ever apprenticeship for heat pump installers
has been introduced.
Until now, if you wanted to connect heat pumps,
you had to train as a plumber or electrician first.
But now a low carbon heating technical apprenticeship
is ready and Salford College is expected to be one
of the first to welcome students later this year.
The UK needs to install 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028.
So it's a great game to get into.
Around 15 colleges are expected to participate.
At the end of the three-year course,
apprentices will be fully qualified heat pump installers.
However, there are wider concerns
that the uptake of apprenticeships is not keeping pace
with the demand.
There remains a perception issue
in the UK that vocational qualifications are only
for less academically successful students.
And this is a long-term issue which needs more effort
to change public perceptions.
Graham Hasting-Evans, chief executive
of National Open College Network says
that the biggest impact in the short term can only come
from those already in the trade
taking the opportunity to work on renewable technologies.
If you know anyone who's interested
in the heat pump apprenticeship,
I've popped the link in the show notes for you.
Staying on education, the ECA has given its backing
to Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham's
proposed new Manchester baccalaureate or MBacc.
The MBacc is designed as an alternative
to the existing national English Baccalaureate or EBacc
and will focus on subjects
which improve young people's chances
of securing employment in the greater Manchester economy,
including electrical installation.
The city typically has around 300 electrical apprentices
start a year.
The ECA hopes the new qualification will bring it closer
to 500 a year
if the region is to achieve its low carbon targets.
In product news,
Hager says it's set to supply factory built switchboards
from its factory in Telford.
The boards will use the firm's well-established
ACBs and MCCBs.
The product is based on the quadro evo platform
but will be designed to comply with BS EN 61439-2.
The UK version allows you to create customized disk boards
up to 1,600 amps.
And there's a wide range of choice
in terms of form 4A and type 27 arrangements.
Now, calling all tool geeks out there.
How would you like to review tools like Gary and Gordon?
We've teamed up with Spit
to find five electrical tool champions
who want to help us shape the gear of tomorrow today.
Sign up and if you're selected,
we'll send you a PULSA a 27 Enail gun for you to test.
You just need to share your opinions
on it in a video and share it on socials.
We'll train you to make sure
you get the most out of your new tool.
And as a thank you, you'll get to keep the tool
and you'll get future kit to test
before it hits the shelves.
If that sounds like you, click the link in the show notes
but hurry, there's just over a week to enter.
All the best.
Now, if you're proper old,
like say the aforementioned Gary and Gordon,
you'll remember the olden days
before central heating when times were tighter
than an earwig's pinch,
the days when you warmed your house
with real coal fires and if you were a youngster,
you were often given the task of cleaning out the ash.
The cinders, of course,
were considered useless and were thrown away,
until now that is because a product designer
from London started making lights from coal ash.
Rosy Napper mixes it with some waste ceramic
and then fires it in a kiln.
She says that the resulting material
has a beautiful translucent quality.
It's also 110% recycled.
She uses LEDs to illuminate the lights
and says they're perfect for homes.
And remember, you can see lots more innovations
at the InstallerSHOW later this month.
Big brands at the event include Tesla,
Easee, Knipex, Milwaukee, RIDGID, and Ring.
The eFIXX team will be milling around too,
checking out the new product.
So if you see us, come and say hello.
It takes place at the National Exhibition Centre
in Birmingham on the 27th, 28th, and 29th of June.
And finally, a humongous transformer has been bringing chaos
to the roads of Kent.
The Titanic transformer, which weighs in at a hefty 330 tons
got the M20 to itself as it was moved up five miles
per hour from Dover
to National Grid Substation near Sellindge.
The beast sat on an 86-meter-long trailer supported
by no fewer than 20 sets of wheel axles.
Engineers even had to remove the central reservation
at certain points so that the convoy could complete a turn.
The procession was supposed to cross Kent at night
but a series of delays saw it interfere
with commuter traffic to the fury of the county's motorists.
National Grid tells us
that its substations were built between the 1950s and 1970s
and aging equipment,
such as transformers now need to be replaced.
And before you go, just to let you know
that if you'd like to be featured in next week's news,
simply visit the news tab on efixx.co.uk.
Tell us about any exciting new products you've discovered,
any stories you've spotted, or simply any issues
that you believe deserve the community's attention.
The eFIXX team will then get on it
and everything will be considered for future news bulletins.
And 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 for all your circuit protection needs,
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Big thanks to you both.
We really appreciate your ongoing support for the news.
If you think you know the words that 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 riff-raff, and chinwag.
And the first person to get both right
was Norbert Kajubi EE.
So well done to you, Norbert.
Click the link in the description to claim your prize.
Thanks for listening to this episode
of Electrical News Weekly.
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.