United Kingdom (UK) Electrical Industry News

Scolmore has introduced a range of smart switches to its iNELS smart wiring accessories collection, making it easier than ever for installers to provide an upgrade to an existing wiring installation. Putting additional switches in more practical or convenient locations, for example, or the option to add two-way dimming, are all possible without the need for extra cabling. The smart switches are compatible with Click iNELS RF wireless control systems to offer automated lighting control and they...

Scolmore’s Click® Essentials accessories collection comprises a range of products which are vital for a variety of installations, including junction boxes, flush-mounted switches, and socket boxes. The latest addition to the range is a new, non-combustible metal enclosure. Suitable for use with all Click® fused main switches, the new metal enclosure guarantees ease of installation. Designed to mount flush against the wall, it features pre-cut mounting holes to ensure any compatibl...

Scolmore continues to expand its successful Inceptor range of integrated lighting products and its latest development brings to market a selection of energy-saving LED Bulkheads that have convenience and speed of installation as their key attributes.   The new Inceptor EVO Bulkhead offers a number of features and benefits unmatched by competitor products and Scolmore has a patent pending on the product’s unique design.  Incorporate Flow connector As well as integrating th...

Already providing installers with a simple, ‘back to basics’ smart homes solution with its Click Smart intelligent wiring accessories range, Scolmore is further enhancing its home automation offer with the launch of the Click Smart Box, which allows the control of lighting and appliances from a smartphone or tablet, via the newly developed, accompanying Click Smart App. Designed with simplicity in mind, the Click Smart Box and App can be easily integrated into a new or existing Clic...

Following a second major investment in its wiring accessories division this year, Scolmore Group announces the launch of its brand new Gridpro® collection - an extensive range of interchangeable mounting plates and modules, available in the most comprehensive choice of finishes, to offer the ultimate in flexible, modular grid solutions.   Building on the company’s hugely successful MiniGrid® range, Gridpro® has been developed with speed and ease of installation as its key...

Coming up with products that will help electricians carry out installation projects more quickly and efficiently is what drives Scolmore’s new product development program and the latest additions to the Click Flow Connector range are no exception. The new 20A 3 and 4 Pole Fast Fit Flow Connectors feature push-in, low maintenance terminals to offer a time-saving benefit for the installer, with no screws required. In a speed test carried out by Scolmore, the installation times were compared...

In what it is describing as its most significant investment in recent years, Scolmore announces the launch of a brand new collection of premium wiring accessories – Deco Plus - designed to bring even greater choice and flexibility to the market. Totaling more than 800 products, and the result of 18 months of development, Deco Plus is a comprehensive range of premium decorative metal wiring accessories that builds on the huge success of the classic Deco range first launched in 2003 and int...

Scolmore’s collaboration with globally renowned low energy lighting solutions manufacturer, Energetic, continues to produce new products, and the latest addition is a range of FlameGuard fittings that are designed to fit a wide variety of GU10 and E27 lamps. Energy efficient lamps The energy efficient lamps are fully compliant with Part L1 Building Regulations and incorporate the high protection FlameGuard system, which provides a fire and acoustic barrier. The new range includes a fi...

Scolmore has updated the app for its click smart range with a new feature that the company is calling the ‘cloud function’. It will provide access to click smart installations through the internet, allowing secure control of devices from anywhere in the world – from simple dimming and switching, to more sophisticated controls like live status, scenes, and schedules. Until now access to click smart through any smart device or tablet was only really possible when the user was lo...

Simon Brown, the trainer facilitator for electrical installation at South Devon College, was delighted to receive a recent visit from Scolmore Sales Manager, Matt Cooves, who arrived at the college laden with products from the company’s vast electrical accessories ranges. As the college where the winner of this year’s NICEIC and ELECSA Apprentice of the Year competition studied, South Devon College benefited from the prize of £1000 worth of products offered by the competition&...

Scolmore has upgraded its 13A 2-Gang USB socket which now features 2 USB charging ports which are both capable of delivering 5V 2.1A simultaneously. This allows for optimum charging of two devices at the same time, without fear of fluctuations in the power supply interfering with the charging process. Unlike some products on the market, the total power available is 4.2A, thus allowing both ports to deliver 2.1A at the same time, so the user is guaranteed optimum charge every time, regardless of...

Wiring accessories and lighting manufacturer, Click Litehouse, will be using its attendance at this year’s Electrical Trade Event to showcase the sheer breadth of its range of products for the electrical contracting industry. The company has been enjoying impressive growth in recent years and this led to a move from its site in Wicklow to larger premises in Dublin’s Sandyford industrial estate in 2013. A tripling in the size of its headquarters and distribution center and the recrui...

If rising prices for oil and gas, combined with COP26 sounding the “death knell for carbon” weren’t already enough for fossil-fuel-based companies, a new survey has found that 56% of those working in oil and gas want to pursue jobs in renewable energy in the coming years.  Energy companies such as Shell, BP and a range of smaller firms cut tens of thousands of jobs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic as they tightened budgets. Now, even as energy demand recovers, many co...

Some companies like BCH Electric Ltd look forward to Elecrama to display their product prowess and network strength. Kapil Grover, the Head – Sales & Marketing, BCH Electric Ltd, said “At BCH Electric, you experience the excellence in quality and technology. At Elecrama, we want to show the world how an Indian company can outperform in the switchgears market by offering the right solutions and technologies for delivering desired results. We have launched a few new products at...

Siemens Smart Infrastructure’s building products KNX/DALI gateway N 141 and the switch/dim actuator 2x DALI Broadcast N 525D11, as well as the Desigo PXC3 controller, were recently certified under the new DALI-2 communication protocol standard for lighting in buildings. DALI-2 is an update to the original Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) protocol and facilitates interoperability and control for LED drivers. Application integration Customers can choose between soluti...

Steve Hughes, the Managing Director of REO UK, said "It is impossible to deny the reality of electric vehicles (EVs). With the sale of petrol and diesel cars to be banned from 2030, EVs will soon be the main cars on the market." He adds, "There has already been a shift in public mentality, with 186 percent more EVs sold in 2020 than in 2019, showing a clear increase in consumer interest. However, there are still problems that EVs can bring that we must consider now." EV adoption The increase...

As the number of people owning a smart phone increases year-on-year, the popularity and use of apps continue to rise. Marie Parry, the Group Marketing Director of Scolmore Group, looks at some of the statistics and how apps are making life easier for contractors and installers. mobile phone population and apps In 2015, 52.7 percent of the global mobile phone population accessed the internet from their mobile phone. This figure is expected to grow to 61.2 percent in 2018. In 2020, the number...

With an influx of budget products from hitherto unknown names hitting the UK electrical accessories market, Marie Parry, the Group Marketing Director at Scolmore, outlines the value of investing in a trusted brand. wiring accessories market growth According to AMA Research, the UK wiring accessories market is expected to be worth £1.8bn by the end of 2018, while the market for home automation products, including intelligent wiring accessories, is described as a rapidly growing market...

Mark Flanagan, the Technical Manager with Scolmore Group looks at some of the problems associated with inferior quality connector products, which don’t meet the required standards and therefore, represent a safety hazard. Since Scolmore introduced the first-ever Flow Connector in 2007, it has proved a highly popular product and has continued to grow and develop the range. Inevitably this has led to a lot of copies of the product being brought to market. They may be cheaper, but in many...

In the light of the Grenfell tragedy, the spotlight has been shone on fire safety with the result that building regulations are becoming much more stringent, and building products are coming under more scrutiny. As the first manufacturer to launch fire-rated downlights back in 2005, with the award-wining FlameGuard fire protected and acoustic rated products Scolmore has had years of experience in developing, modifying, and improving the range of products to ensure they meet the latest requi...

A recent survey by online wholesaler - Electrical Direct found that despite the ever-growing popularity of smart home products, many tradespeople are unprepared for the increasing customer demand. The poll found that 82% of tradespeople have never undertaken any form of training in smart home technology and this figure remains largely unchanged following results from the same poll in 2018. Smart home integration While this may come as a surprise to many, it shows that despite the huge growt...

Marie Parry, the Group Marketing Director at Scolmore Group, looks at the latest report on the UK lighting sector. According to the latest report by AMA Research - Lighting and LED Market Report - UK 2018-2022 the UK lighting market was estimated to have increased by 44% in 2013, in value terms. Retro-fitting lighting solutions The key driver for the lighting market is LED lighting, which has gained a significant share in the non-domestic sector and has started to make inroads into the do...

A new generation of touch voltage detectors with a built-in lamp. Acquisition system with high-speed data processing microcontroller. Providing maximum reliability in areas where there are complex electrical fields. Lamp in the top part with high-brightness, low-consumption LEDs, for use in dark places Lamp use is independent of the detection Voltage present indicator using multiple high-brightness red LEDs over 360° and buzzer-type intermittent acoustic signal Absence of voltage indic...

It is of vital importance that operators make use of the pertinent personal protective equipment in perfect conditions to prevent electrocution, burns due to contact or electric arc, and even death. Dielectric gloves are an essential personal protective element that protects workers from a possible electric shock during direct or indirect contact with a live point.  Personal protective element Dielectric gloves are used for performing tasks involving low and medium-voltage electric lines...

SPECTRA is a compact electronic detector that detects voltage by direct contact. It indicates to the operator whether there is an electric field and guarantees that the work area is safe at all times. It indicates the presence of voltage by means of LED lamps while also emitting an intermittent acoustic signal. It can be used indoors thanks to the integrated insulating telescopic pole and outdoor in a dry environment. It works with two AAA batteries. Compact electronic detector Technical Spec...

Megger are pleased to announce that they have acquired the BALTO product line from STEVO Electric bvba (Belgium). The BALTO products, continually developed since their launch in 2003, are used to test the operation of DC high-speed electrical circuit breakers.  Acquisition of BALTO products These circuit breakers provide protection to equipment and are frequently found in DC traction, rail and underground transportation, where their reliable operation is critical to maintaining safe opera...

Sofamel has announced the release of the PV0/6 Voltametric Poles for Low and MV networks. The capabilities of the PV0/6 Voltametric Poles include a phase comparator function and a voltage meter function. Product Specifications  High voltage measurement from 0 V to 6 kV. Triple indication of phase discrimination through OLED screen display, LED indicators and different phase warning via a buzzer. Navigation between work modes using push button. Visual indication of battery level. Ind...

Relay and current transformers have been in high demand for a long time in India with only a handful of brands that customers are able to choose from. Megger entered this market in early 2016 but faced two critical challenges: Matching technical and commercial qualification criteria Identification of 765 kV site for validation Long-distance travel The end-user in India required specific criteria of performance certificate for the MRCT from 400 kV substations. After a series of demos at m...

Electrical measurement company Megger Group (Megger) announces it has acquired the entire share capital of Metrycom, a provider of grid network sensors and analytics to the electrical supply industry. Metrycom supplies unique grid sensor and analytics solutions for online measurements, condition monitoring, and fault location using extensive detection and prediction algorithms for medium and high voltage grid networks. Smart grid sensor networks bring insight to grid operators, enabling trackin...

Standards Australia published Amendment 2 of the Wiring Rules on 30 April 2021. These standards will come into effect on 1st November 2021 for all states and territories. The amendment covers the following areas: Clarifications concerning RCD requirements for alterations. Clause 2.10.2.2 — switchboard accessibility and emergency exit facilities: location, spacing, room layout, switchboard doors, and switchboard room doorways. Clause 2.10.3.2 — switchboard construction and verifi...