¶ Electrical Industry News 28th November 2023
- Coming up on this week's news, prosecutors charge both a building firm and a local authority over the death of an electrician in a storm. Criminal gangs target solar panels and EV charges as energy prices soar. And we meet the dad who's banned his family from using electricity. He's even forcing them to wear head torches.
Welcome to Electrical News Weekly in association with Myenergi, 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 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.
¶ Council and contractor prosecuted for electricians death
Prosecutors in Northern Ireland have charged a construction company and the district council with health and safety offenses, 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 the province during Storm Ali in 2018. Newry Magistrates' Court heard that Campbell was working in Slieve Gullion Forest Park as winds in Northern Ireland reached 91 miles an hour.
It's alleged that Lagan Construction Ltd and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council failed to make appropriate risk assessments. Campbell and his fiance were due to be married the following August and the pair had sent out the save the date cards and collected their wedding rings on the day the tragedy struck. Defense lawyers have now asked for an adjournment to give them more time to review all the documents relating to the case. For me, that is just such a tragic story.
Our condolences to Mr. Campbell's family. We always round the show up by saying stay safe out there. Please, please take that seriously, folks. In other news, it's been revealed
¶ Solar panel and EV cable theft
that criminal gangs are turning their attention to renewable technologies including solar panels and EV charges. The energy crisis is causing a spike in the theft of solar panels as people desperately try to keep bills down. Worcestershire is the country's worst hotspot for solar panel thefts, according to DeterTech, who say overall, thefts are up 22 and a half percent this year compared to last. In one case, 3,000 pounds worth of panels were stolen from a disabled woman's home.
And in another, two inverters and 220 solar panels worth 70,000 pounds were removed from a poultry farm in Lincolnshire. And in Sheffield, Oxford, and Bournemouth, there have been reports of charging cables being hacked off and stolen. DeterTech's head of intelligence, Rachael Oakley, is advising electrical contractors not to buy secondhand equipment such as solar panels without first determining their origin. One piece of renewable equipment that thieves
¶ Giant Tesla battery installation
will struggle to steal is Europe's biggest battery which has just landed in Yorkshire. The giant battery has been built by Tesla near the Dogger Bank Offshore Wind Project. It can store almost 200 megawatt hours of electricity in a single cycle. That's enough to power around 300,000 homes for 2 hours. In fact, this is just the installation that judges in the eFIXX Awards
¶ eFIXX Awards - renewables installer of the year
are looking forward to assessing in the renewables installer of the year category. So, if you think you've completed an outstanding installation of batteries, solar, EV, or other technology, tell us all about it. Send us us some pictures and who knows, you could be the proud winner of an eFIXX Awards trophy. I've popped the link to the website in the show notes. One thing, however, that many electrical contractors won't win a prize for is labeling.
¶ Electricians labelling survey
Historically, it's been pretty rare to rock up to a disk board where all the circuits are clearly identified. So, we were curious to see if labeling has improved in recent years. In our eFIXX survey this week, we asked, how do you label your consumer units and switchgear? 2,000 electricians answered the poll. 12% of you told us that you write your labels by hand. Another 12% said you used the one supplied by the manufacturer. Almost half of you said that you print them yourself. Top work there.
And 27% of you responded by asking, what labels? The good news for the labeling (indistinct) that the latest kit is making it easier than ever to give that super professional look to your customers.
¶ Thermomark printers from Phoenix Contact - 👉https://youtu.be/26akJ2hmbqU
Phoenix Contact has in fact just unveiled a range of portable printers. Some use a traditional keypad and others use an app. Gordon has given them the once-over and his video review is fresh from the oven. I've put the link in the show notes, so don't be a donut and write a label to remind yourself
¶ Octopus Energy reduction scheme falls flat
to check it out on the channel. Finally, have you heard the one about the priest the minister, and the rabbi trying to save money on their energy bills? No, me neither. But you try shoehorning the word rabbi into an electrical podcast. Anyway, the cost of energy is causing huge headaches for many families across the UK. Some are turning to novel ideas to cut their bills, ideas that don't always work out as expected.
Some customers of Octopus Energy joined a company energy-reduction scheme only to learn that after sitting in the dark for an hour, they had saved mere pennies off their bill. During the so-called saving sessions, customers are asked to switch off their electricity for an hour. Over 200,000 households took part in the first session
00 PM on November the 15th. But one customer took to Twitter to complain after using no electricity for a full hour. they got a rebate of just 8p. The householder described it as a total waste of time. Another site in the dark with only the fridge on and saved 54 pence. Responding, Octopus Energy says that the typical bill pay is taking part received well over 1 pound for the one hour shift, and the top 5% of participants, and an average of 4.27 pound.
A company says it expects to run longer sessions over the course of the winter with the opportunity to save more. It also points out that the feedback from customers is actually very positive with many even enjoying the experience.
¶ Electricity use banned at home
But when it comes to energy saving, no one can touch Chavdar Todorov of Barnett in North London. The 53-year-old father of 2 has introduced a strict no electricity at home policy. He's even instructed his wife, Moda, 8-year-old Teo, and 20-year-old Nicole to wear head torches to find their way around the house. He puts the heating on just once a week and encourages his wife and children to wrap up in coats and blankets.
Todorov brought in the stringent measures after the family's energy bill doubled in price to 320 pounds a month. Normal tasks such as doing the dishes, reading, and yoga are now done under the solitary beam of a head torch. Todorov has also replaced the electric lighting with candles. He says, as they don't know what the bill is going to be like at the end of the month, they're doing everything they can. Meanwhile, Moda is remaining loyal to her husband.
She wears a head torch, but says it's scary and she doesn't feel as safe. She says the family is trying to think positive, but it's hard.
¶ Coming up this week on eFIXX - 👉 eFIXX TV https://www.efixx.co.uk/efixxtv
That's it for this week, but make sure you're keeping an eye on our YouTube channel, because we've got some cracking videos coming up this week, including a review of the Sterling Curve Dado Trunking from Marshall-Tufflex, a couple of intriguing Q and As on split load boards and splinted screwdrivers. And of course, it's a live stream week and we've got an industrial theme to this episode.
So, keep your eyes peeled for an appearance by top brass from CEE Norm, including Managing Director Ian Lockley, Project Sales Manager Luke Carter, and a mystery guest from marketing who's determined to stay off camera. Tune in to see how that works out for them. If you think you know the words I've smuggled into today's show, pop your guess into the comments and we'll dig out a goody bag prize to the first to get the right answers. Last week's words were whippersnapper and Bitcoin.
And the first person to guess them right was someone with the shortest surname ever, it's Mark C. So, well done to you, Mark. Click the link in the description below to claim your prize and make sure you give our love to Mel. Thanks for listening to this episode of Electrical News Weekly in association with Myenergi. 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 taut, calibrated arm.