The Solar Export Loophole No One’s Talking About!

coming up on this week's news no smart meter no  MCS certificate but still this homeowner gets cash   for power under the smart export guarantee  We reveal how it's done The MCS warns the   trade over fake alerts for solar panel jobs and  police arrest two men over the electrocution of   a 2-year-old at a fun fair 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 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 A UK householder has discovered  that you can be paid for export power under  

the smart export guarantee without a smart meter  and without MCS membership The story begins when   electrical expert Griff installs a single-phase 30  kW photovoltaic array on the roof of his property   in the north of England It ends up producing  much more electricity than his family needs So   he wants to export the surplus power and get paid  for doing so But he has two obstacles to overcome   First his installation isn't MCS approved For  this reason energy company OVO turns down his  

application for the smart export guarantee So  Griff seeks out the original rules for power   export set by the watchdog ofgem There he makes  a remarkable discovery that MCS certification   isn't necessary A clause in the rule book allows  for what's termed equivalent schemes to the MCS   This is defined as programs accredited to EN17065  Griff says the relevant clause is hidden like you   wouldn't believe As all competent person schemes  are accredited to this standard he simply employs  

a contractor who's a member of such a scheme  In fact anyone who's a member of an assessed   and competent person scheme and taking on work  relevant to their competency is accredited to   ISO IEC7065 In the end Ovo accepts the argument  and approves him for the smart export guarantee   But a second barrier remains to getting the  cash A problem with his meter Like many smart   meters in the north of England it's not talking  to his energy supplier That's because the radio  

technology used in the north is notoriously patchy  So without a means of metering the exported power   it looks like Thomas was back to square one and  wasn't going to get paid for his power But then   Griff returns to the law books There he reads  that in fact you don't need a communicating   smart meter to get the money The wording of the  legislation requires merely that a meter can read   energy at half hourly intervals It doesn't need  to communicate in a smart way Again Ovo accepts  

Thomas' argument They agree that he can read the  meter every month and send them the information   And now that's exactly what he does And he gets  paid for the privilege 250 quid is his latest   payment Griff Thomas is believed to be the only  person in the UK who receives payment this way He   came into the eFIXX studio earlier this month to  tell the full story exclusively to eFIXX I've put   the link to that in the show notes and it's a hard 

recommend from me Great show What a tale enough   to rival that of Goldilocks and the Three Bears  In further MCS news it turns out that scammers  

are imitating the organisation and creating panic  among householders with solar panels The scammers   are sending out text alerts stating that their  solar warranty has expired and asking them to call   a number provided to get it renewed The sender  ID shows up as MCS but MCS executives say it's   all fake news Their text is not from MCS and the  phone number is not linked to MCS in any way The   fraudsters are also making phone calls and sending 

emails claiming to be MCS They offer maintenance   packages and warranty packages by falsely claiming  that the customer's guarantee has expired MCS says   the trade should be aware of the scam which  it's now reported to Ofcom and the National   Cyber Security Center In other news two men  have been arrested and charged with involuntary  

manslaughter following the electrocution of a  2-year-old girl in Spain Amira whose surname isn't   being disclosed was fatally electrocuted while  bouncing on a funfair trampoline in Mercia She   died after touching the metal fence surrounding  the attraction Paramedics fought desperately   to resuscitate her for half an hour but she was  declared dead at the scene The two men believed   to be the owner of the trampolines and one of his  employees have been provisionally released pending  

the investigation The focus of the probe is a  grounding failure that may have allowed current to   pass through the metal railing where the children  were playing The judge has asked Mercia City Hall   for all the documents relating to the installation  including safety certificates technical reviews   and permits Meanwhile here in the UK four people  have been hospitalised after receiving electric  

shocks on a funfair ride in Wigan Police  paramedics and fire crews were called to a   funfair on the Meadow Bank playing fields after  reports of suspected electrocution The ride was   closed to the public and a scene was established  whilst emergency services dealt with the incident   The police said that the risk to the public has  since been mitigated The organisers of the event   have yet to comment The government has announced  a delay to the switch off of RTS meters Originally  

the signal which tells radio tele switch service  meters to flip between peak and off peak tariffs   was due to be turned off this week but fears  that homes and schools would be left without   hot water and heating led to a government U-turn A  third of a million households still use the aging   RTS meters Suppliers have tried swapping them all  for smart meters before the deadline but without   success A much more successful play appears to  be Octopus Energy's new car and charging package  

deal Under the arrangement householders can get a  leased electric car a two-way charger and free EV   charging for £299 a month It's being hailed as  a breakthrough by EV experts The company says   it's the first bundle to include vehicle-to-grid  technology This allows the battery in the car to   power the household and send electricity to the  grid Those signing up will get a BYD do Dolphin   a bidirectional Zaptec Pro charger and access to  a smart tariff that offers free home charging V2G  

as the tech is known transforms electric vehicles  into batteries on wheels allowing them to charge   when electricity is cheap and send it to the grid  at peak times when electricity is expensive That   news gets my inner man child very excited Now  welcome to our electrical news weekly feature  

where we focus on a specific product area This  week we're going week for wiring accessories   First up is a whole new concept a plug-in type  socket from Dagnall Innovation The design enables   fixed wiring to terminate directly into the back  box before wall finishes are applied This allows   for dead testing of the circuit cabling including  continuity of conductors and insulation resistance   Three special live neutral and earth pins are  screwed into the threads on either side of the  

rear of the socket The earth pin is longer and  wider to ensure it connects first The socket and   pin combination is then simply plugged into the  back box Initial feedback for the radical design   is positive but some concerns were raised Some  claim the arrangement if it uses flying leads   creates a spur but the inventor Martin Dagnall  says this is up for debate He says appendix 15   doesn't appear to raise any concerns to his  approach The connector is able to accommodate  

4mm cables to handle up to 26 amps at the outlet  Some have asked if the design has created higher   resistance and more points of failure Dagnall says  that using either of his socket methods the fixed   wiring remains in the same location as the day it  was installed This helps prolong its service life   and reduce the risk of failures along the ring  final circuit Finally some have queried if by   using a plug-in socket every time you insert and 

remove a plug it will create movement This will   in turn result in non-uniform marking and take  out an AFDD Dagnall says the pins used within   the plug-in socket are spring-loaded and intended  to ensure a solid connection What's your view We'd   welcome your feedback on this innovation in the  comments below BG is currently marketing its edge  

to edge rocker switches They feature a full face  switch a super slim profile and retain screws to   prevent them dropping out mid install They come in  lots of colours and finishes including matte black   copper and pearlescent white Best of all they look  pretty cool Selectric has introduced a range of  

fire rated back boxes made in flush galvanised  steel These 35 mil deep boxes feature a fire   retardant insert spring-loaded lugs and five 25  mil knockouts They're compliant with all national   and international standards including acoustic  requirements Knightsbridge has taken the outdoor  

double socket to the next level by adding a key  fob remote control The OP9R allows your customer   to control garden features such as lighting from  the comfort of indoors The key fob has a range   of 30 m The socket is rated at IP66 and it can  take a max load of 3 kW And while you're working  

away on your wiring accessories you're probably  generating a lot of cable waste The good news is   that innovative scrap metal startup GreenCable  is expanding again If you're not familiar with   the scheme it's a new concept where the company  delivers a green wheelie bin to your premises or   home There's no contract or service charge You  simply put in your offcuts of twin and earth and   other non-ferris metal They collect it they give  you money and that's it The firm describes itself  

as the trade scrapyard on wheels It's now upgraded  its fleet and is rolling out the service to more   parts of the country Having extended its service  earlier this year to Blackpool Yorkshire Surrey   and Bedfordshire we can exclusively announce that  Green Cable will be serving Essex Haven and South   Wales from this summer Hundreds of you on the  waiting list have already been contacted to set up   your accounts And if you're in those regions and 

are ready to sign up head over to greencable.com   and get yourself on the list to be visited I've  popped a sign up link in the show notes along with   a link to the episode of eFIXX TV where Ed Nash  from GreenCable joined us He was a great sport and  

it's worth a watch Now back to wiring accessories  Last week's live stream was a cracker We hosted   the CED Electrical Group and they brought along an  absolutely brilliant bit of kit for an EIX World   exclusive It's the MagCharge a new socket outlet  with a built-in point for charging your phone   truly wirelessly For phones featuring wireless  charging you can simply place your phone onto   the circular pad and it'll start to charge while  being held in place by magnets It's aiming to be  

available in October and it's given us a taste of  the innovation that's starting to come out of the   CED stable We look forward to bringing you more on  that when it's launched We also checked out a load   of the other gear that they offer including  the Now 25 of consumer units Click the link   in the show notes to see what that's all about  Next up we're heading over to Retro Touch Their  

Aura range offers a modular design solution for  modern interiors Featuring interchangeable metal   finish covers in black nickel brass and bronze  the two-part system allows aesthetic updates   without rewiring Designed in the UK the Aura range  combines style sustainability and practicality   with a 10-year warranty on electrical parts Ideal  for evolving tastes and interior refreshes it's   a flexible choice for homeowners and designers  alike It's a seriously good-looking range and well  

worth checking out This week's question of the  week is taken from our free training package on  

wiring accessories from the Luceco Group We asked  according to table H2 in the on-site guide what is   the maximum floor area an A3 final can supply The  options were 25 50 75 and 100 square meters The   answer was of course 50 square meters Just 29% of  YouTubers ticked the right box while a healthier   38% of LinkedIn has got it right Yet another win  for the Blues but also a pretty clear indication   that we as a group need to check out that wiring 

accessory CPD from BG You'll find a link to that   in the show notes That's our electrical news  weekly roundup of products or people that we   think deserve some attention Next time we're  overseeing cable management Now a big shout  

out to our learner of the week Katie Firth whose  Instagram identity is Electro one Electrical UK   It's inspiring to see the level of dedication  that she's bringing to her journey in the   industry Katie has built up impressive knowledge  particularly around portable appliance testing   What's even more impressive is her genuine passion  for safe isolation something we're always keen to   see championed in the industry She's been making  the most of our CPD packages too as well as other  

free training content which shows a real hunger  for growth and self-improvement Congratulations   Katie We look forward to seeing your impact on  the trade And a reminder that there's still time   to win a pair of tickets for the Oasis reunion  in the Schneider Electric promo The company is   offering two premium club hospitality tickets in  its story promotion The Oasis tickets offer some   of the best seats in the stadium and access  to exclusive bars You'll also get Oasis merch  

and a 50 Uber voucher to get you home afterwards  Runner-up prizes are pretty cool too They include   Ticket Master and Apple Music gift cards in values  from 50 quid to 250 quid To enter spend 250 quid   on Schneider products at participating wholesalers  and you'll receive an entry ticket Simply scan the   QR code on your competition entry ticket to  access the entry form The competition closes   at the end of June 2025 And our usual reminder  that we're in the market for your stories your  

projects and your recommendations as we'd like  to share them with the wider eFIXX community So   send us pictures of your installs or let us know  if you've come across any new kit or companies   that's making your job easier or any products  that you think deserve a shout out And 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  

they're the people who've created the Swiss Army  knife of solar inverters along with all weather   batteries Very much the boy scouts of the solar  industry it's Sunsynk Doubling down on terminal   screws in their top quality circuit protection  products and building innovative isolating units   with built-in surge protection It's WhiteCliffe  Electrical Distribution Next with deep commitments   to the economy the environment and the electrical 

community They're so much more than an electrical   distributor The self-styled experts in shifting  boxes it's Niglon And empowering their customers   to harness power through light with their  intelligent energy solutions solar technology and   advanced lighting systems It's Ledvance In an age  of energy uncertainty if you're looking for your   next EV charge point to install then helping you  charge into the future with confidence powering   the future together it's Rolec And now suspend 

your disbelief like you suspend a cable tray If   you need to get any piece of building services  equipment into the air and keep it there then   check out Zip Clip With their new award-winning  Lumo consumer unit and offering complete product   support from their highly trained team it's  CPN Cudis And with over 5,000 product lines   from heating lighting ventilation to wiring  accessories if you need it they've got it It's   electrical distributor CED Group Don't forget to 

use the code eFIXX30 to claim your 30% discount on   top quality light fittings from Philips and  Ecolink Download the Lumxpert app today and   make your life easier and less expensive It's the  light of our lives Signify And the best thing to   come out of Yorkshire in 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 that 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  winner of last week's challenge word competition   Last week's words were salmon and fly fishing  And as far as I can see absolutely no one got  

it right on any platform Bit of a shock at that  one So instead of announcing a winner I'll just   say hello to a viewer I met at the installer show  last week whose name I got spectacularly wrong the   week that he did win a prize He very kindly taught  me how to say it right So a big thank you to Here   goes Mira it was a pleasure to meet you Thanks  for watching and giving me what I hope is now the   correct pronunciation 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