He Claimed to be an NICEIC Electrician... Big Mistake

A fake electrician who claimed to be NICEIC approved has been caught carrying out complete rewires of homes and offices…

…tragedy strikes as a mother of three is electrocuted in the bath…

…and solar installers are warned: get netting on your panels to beat the birds…

Welcome to Electrical News Weekly in association with Consumer Unit World, your circuit protection specialists, whether you're listening in the van, on site, or down at the wholesale counter.

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Show Notes

Hole Maker Technology 👉 https://hub.efixx.co.uk/HolemakerTech

Fluke Solar Solutions 👉 https://hub.efixx.co.uk/FlukeSolarSolutions

Viperclip 👉 https://hub.efixx.co.uk/ViperClip

Wera Torque Screwdriver 👉 https://hub.efixx.co.uk/WeraTorqueDriver

Velocity Pro Gear 👉 https://hub.efixx.co.uk/VelocityProGear
Use Code eFIXX

Consumer Unit World Power Sponsors 👉 https://hub.efixx.co.uk/CUWorld

Learn More About Quickwire 👉 http://hub.efixx.co.uk/QuickwireENW

Join The UK Apprenticeship Support LinkedIn Group 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14901004/

Check Out Flex7 👉 http://hub.efixx.co.uk/Flex7ENW

Check Out Eltako 👉 https://hub.efixx.co.uk/EltakoENW

Enter The Knipex Tool Of The Week 👉 https://hub.efixx.co.uk/KnipexToolOfTheWeek

Get Involved 👉 https://www.efixx.co.uk/get-involved

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Thanks to our premium partners:
Lewden Palazzoli 👉 http://hub.efixx.co.uk/lewden-enw
CPN Cudis 👉 https://hub.efixx.co.uk/CPNCUDISENW
Doncaster Cables 👉 http://hub.efixx.co.uk/doncastercables-enw
CED Electrical Group 👉 https://hub.efixx.co.uk/CEDElecENW
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Time Stamps ⏱️
00:00 Electrical News Weekly 06/10/2025
00:51 Fake NICEIC Spark Did Complete Rewires
02:30 Mother of Three Electrocuted in the Bath
03:32 Should You Use Netting To Stop Birds?
04:25 SolaSkirt Could Stop The Issue
04:43 A Drone For Cleaning Solar Panels
05:00 NexBlue Unveils Latest Domestic Charger
05:50 Special Lighting Control Module Wins Award
06:24 A New Tool For Threading Steel Conduit
06:53 Wera unveils new Torque Screwdriver
07:39 Have You Used The Viperclip Yet?
08:13 Flukes' Advice For Solar Testing
09:07 A Special Offer from Velocity Tools
10:08 Learner Of the Week
11:08 Tradesboard - A Great Place to Find Jobs in The Industry
11:45 Tea Break With Quickwire
12:27 eFIXX Fantasy League Roundup
14:40 Thanks To Our Premium Partners
15:17 Challenge Words & Winners
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#enw #electricians #electricalinstallation

Transcript

Coming up on this week's news, a fake electrician who claimed to be NICEIC approved has been caught carrying out complete rewires of homes and offices. Tragedy strikes as a mother of three is electrocuted in the bath and solar installers are warned. Get netting on your panels to beat the birds. 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. This week, the recording studio is being powered by our friends over at Consumer Unit World with high stock levels of your favourite consumer units, including BG and free next working day delivery on orders over 150 quid. We're being lit by Flex 7 with their lightning fast pre-wired modular lighting connection system that keeps your installation times razor sharp. 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. And while you're there, click the links to check out what our sponsors offer. A fake electrician who claimed to be registered with the NICEIC did complete rewires of homes and offices in Wales. It's been revealed. Wayne Phillips ran a business called WJP Electrical even though he was not qualified and not a member of the organisation. Swansea Crown Court heard that Phillips work was shoddy in the extreme and potentially dangerous. The bogus tradesman conned his customers out of thousands of pounds for work from a full rewiring of a building through to the installation of a shower and lights. He left behind him a host of problems which his victims had to pay to put right. The judge described Phillips as the epitome of a rogue trader. One job involved a complete rewiring of a form of vet surgery in Swansea which was being converted into a house. Phillips charged the customer more than £6,000 for the job. The court heard there were a number of problems with the work, including issues with the wiring of power sockets, and the job was never completed despite the customer continually chasing the defendant via texts. Another job was the installation of a shower for which the defendant charged more than £3,000. The work was described as being extremely poor with the shower tray resting on two loose planks. Additionally, there was no tanking around the shower and nothing to stop water from the shower leaking directly into electrical components. Additionally, the customer said that Phillips had used the wrong kind of connectors to fit pipes to the house's combi boiler. The householder had to get in a gas safe registered engineer to put the work right. Phillips had previously pleaded guilty to six offences under the fraud act, including failing to disclose he was not a qualified electrician and dishonestly making use of the NIC logo on his written quotations. The judge likened Phillips to someone with an A level in biology, claiming to be a doctor. He sentenced him to 30 months in prison, suspended for 2 years and 200 hours of community work. In other news, a mother of three has been electrocuted in the bath while charging a mobile phone. Ann-Marie O’Gorman was found dead at her home in Santry County, Dublin, by her husband, Joe. He found her unresponsive with her iPhone and a 3 meter cable partially in the water. The cable was plugged into the bedroom next door. Irish state pathologist Heidi Okkers said Ms O’Gorman had electrocution type burns to her chest and left arm as well as full thickness burns to her right index finger and thumb. Consultant engineer Paul Collins said he believed the phone had fallen in the water and in trying to retrieve it, Ms O’Gorman’s right hand came into contact with the shower attachment. This completed the circuit and allowed current to pass through her body. He said a current of 2 amps, which is typical for charges, was more than enough to kill a person. If she had not taken her hand out of the bath, she would probably still be alive, he said. Joe O’Gorman told the inquest he wanted a message to go to the public about the danger of charging mobiles in bathrooms. He said, "Warnings about such a hazard should be displayed prominently on the packaging of all electronic devices. Our sincerest condolences to the friends and family of Ann-Marie O’Gorman . That is just too sad." Now, should you use netting to stop pigeons interfering with solar panel installations? That's the recommendation of Renfrewshire Council in Scotland. It wants installers to prevent birds getting access to the rear of the panels. The council says that because pigeons carry diseases, it strongly recommends that the gap between the solar panel and the roof line should be sealed off with either mesh or netting. Councillor Colin McCulloch said it was important to stop the birds getting in in the first place because once they roofed under the panels, it's a breach of wildlife legislation to move them. Meanwhile, in Colchester, residents of blocks of flats are in a flap over pigeons nesting under their PV panels. One resident of Nancy Smith Close says the pigeon problem has become so bad that she has to wear a hat while in the communal garden to protect herself from bird poo. It appears the installation was protected by netting, but it turned out to be as effective as Gary's attempt to grow a ponytail because the birds are apparently able to dip under it. The council says it's now stopped using netting and is exploring alternative solutions. One innovation they could try has been developed and made by a company in Surrey. Solar skirt is a linear edging which can be attached to a panel to block off the gap between it and the roof line. As it's made from aluminium, it's UV and weather resistant and it also hides the cables and connectors from view. However, if the problem is bird poo on the PV panels, a French company has the answer. Drones. It has developed a quadcopter for cleaning solar panels. The Chandos unmanned aerial vehicle comes with a high-press water spray attachment and 25 m hose. Its twin nozzles spray at a pressure of 110 bar. The drone can reach heights of 50 m and is said to have excellent maneouverability. It can wash up to 500 square meters of panels in an hour. In other product news, NexBlue has unveiled its latest charger for domestic jobs. The Point2 has adaptive power from 1.4 to 7.4 kW and is compatible with all UK earthing systems. It has Penfault protection built in as well as 30 smart sensors to ensure safety. The firm reckons it takes just 4 minutes to install. You commission it instantly by using the contactless facility of your phone while running the app. It's compatible with all major UK energy tariffs and connects to the world using either a data cable, Wi-Fi or 4G eim. For the commercial charging market, NexBlue has unveiled the Delta Max. It shares many of the features of the point 2 and has a maximum rating of 22 kW. The company is also marketing a pre-installed docking system for its chargers. Dubbed NexBlue ready, this wall-mounted product acts like a buzz bar and provides power to a number of chargers. You can also install back plates with blind covers for future upgrading. It's designed for applications such as secure parking spaces in apartment blocks. A special lighting control module which combines DALI with the wireless control system Casambi has won a prestigious build back better award. The MDCC12C from Metway has a special integral Casambi module which converts its commands to DALI so that it can talk to DALI fittings. The unit has a 12 luminaire output configuration with two dedicated mains outputs for powered sensors or switches. It combines wired solutions for power distribution with an integrated wireless node. Installation is plug and play, reducing on-site time to a minimum. Now, how about this for an innovation that's really impressed the team here at eFIXX. It's a special tool for threading steel conduit. This task currently takes absolutely ages using a stock and die set, but a development from Holemaker Technology is set to change all that. You first use a bevelling tool on the steel tube. Then you connect the threader tool set to your impact driver. You put the tool on the end of conduit, pop some tapping fluid in, and start the drill. It will make the thread effortlessly in about 8 seconds. It's worth checking the catalog to confirm your impact driver is up to the task. And from now until the end of October, if you order via their website, you'll get 20% off. Hallmaker Technology are working with CEF to fulfil orders, so don't be surprised when they get involved with your order. I think that's just an incredible bit of kit that will speed up installation time no end. I want one. Wera has introduced its new 23-piece Kraftform compact VDE safe torque speed set. And it's an extensive kit featuring two VDE torque drivers, the 7508 and 7516, each with five selectable tightening torques ranging from 0.4 to 2.0 new meters for the 7508 and 2.4 to 4.0 Newton meters for the 7516, plus a torque lock function that allows for normal tightening and loosening without the torque setting kicking in. Both include a reliable slipover mechanism for accuracy. Also included are 20 colour-coded VDE blades with reduced diameters for easy access to recess screws and an 817 blade holding screwdriver. All neatly packed in a robust textile box. All in all, torque settings made simple. Another tool we love here is the ViperClip, a cable stapler for securing twin and earth and fire resistant cables. And like all the best bits of kit, it's been designed for the electrician by an electrician. The tool uses pre-loaded clips that are fired into place, avoiding the need for manual hammering. It's intended to speed up the process of fixing cables to surfaces while maintaining consistent spacing and secure fastening. The mechanism is spring powered and reloads quickly, allowing multiple clips to be fitted in succession. Each clip holds the cable firmly without crushing or damaging the installation. Gary and Joe loved it when they got their mitts on one for a bench test. I've popped a link to the video in the show notes. Testing expert Fluke says it's really important to use the correctly rated kit for solar jobs. It says, Knowing which category and voltage ratings are needed can make the difference between a safe project and one fraught with risk. CAT ratings reflect a tool's ability to withstand transient high voltage spikes. For photovoltaic arrays, industrial kit, or three-phase jobs, you'll need a CAT 3 tester. A 600vt CAT 3 will suffice for residential rooftop installs, but for commercial projects, you'll need the 1000VT version. It's no surprise that Fluke has shed loads of options covering all the bases. For household jobs, there's the 117 multimeter, which is rated Cat 3600 volts and ideal for troubleshooting lower voltage systems. Complementing that in the Cat 3 600 volt format is the 325 clamp meter. Next up is the T61000 tester, which as you've guessed is rated at 1,000 volts, and so is suitable for small commercial solar inverter outputs. In the same rating is also a multifunction PV tester and performance analyser and an insulation multimeter. Now to a special offer from Velocity, maker of top tier tool bags and backpacks for the trade. If you buy one of four qualifying products from the brand during October, then the company will add a 40 drill pod for free. Qualifying kit includes the firm's top of the range Rogue 600 wheeler tool case. This one has a superpower. It's the world's first trackable tool bag. The Rogue 600 is equipped with a velocity connect tracker right out of the box, so you can know where your kit is at all times. It combines massive storage capacity while being super mobile because it's equipped with two sturdy all-terrain wheels and a telescopic handle. It has two front tool sections for vertical tool storage and a larger open section on the rear for your larger tools. In total, it has no fewer than 55 pockets for all your gear. Other kit that qualifies for the deal are the Rogue 5.0 and the Stealth NB 100 backpacks and the Rogue 2.0 XL service bag. To avail yourself for the deal, simply buy the kit and pop the drill pod into the basket as well. Then use the promo code eFIXX to make the drill pod complimentary. You can use the code up to Friday the 31st of October. Now it's that great moment where we get to celebrate the sterling work being done by the next generation. Our learner of the week is brought to you by Eltako, German manufacturer of premium actuators, sensors, and energy meters for smart homes. And our learner this week is Zuriel Smith Wright, who has just become an apprentice electrician at EV Made Easy, a family-owned electric contracting business in Ipswich. He secured his apprenticeship after dedicating two years to studying at New Suffolk College. What makes this particularly exciting is the opportunity for someone so young to gain hands-on experience in such a rapidly growing and important area of green technology. It's a fantastic step forward for his career and it highlights how education can open the door to emerging opportunities. Congratulations, Uriel, on being the EIX learner of the week in association with Eltako. Now, if you're looking to break into the industry, we can help. eFIXX has set up a dedicated LinkedIn group for people training in electrical installation. It's aimed at apprentices, full-time learners, and adults training in the evening. Just log on to LinkedIn and search for UK electrician apprenticeships and career support. I'll also put a link in the show notes. And if you ever feel like you're swimming breaststroke against the current and getting nowhere in your job search in the electrical industry, another place to head to when you're looking for a job is Trades Board. It's a website set up by electrician and lecturer Thomas Flewitt in response to the age-old clamour from his learners on how they can get a job and progress into the industry. Thomas created his own answer and built TradesBoard, a platform which brings companies and candidates together. If you're a job hunter, you can showcase your skills, experience, qualifications, and also upload your CV. If you're a contracting firm, you can post jobs and search for potential hires by trade, experience, qualifications, and location. I've popped a link in the show notes, so check it out and keep up the good work, Thomas. And now to the lighter side of the electrical news. Yes, it's time for a tea break with Quickwire and its range of incredibly rapid electrical connectors. There's been a blackout in the Irish Parliament and it came at the most appropriate moment possible right in the middle of a debate on the cost of living crisis. As the room was plunged into darkness, lit only by emergency lighting, one member of Parliament quipped, "Have you paid the electricity bill, Minister?" The power in Lanster House continued to flick on and off throughout the day as staff worked to address the issue. The reason for the outage was later revealed to be a network problem, not an unpaid bill after all. That's the lighter side of the news in our tea break with Quickwire and their range of incredibly rapid electrical connectors. Click the link in the description to check them out for yourself. 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, for all your circuit protection needs, they're like having an Italian Star Striker in your premiership team. It's Lewden Palazzoli 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. And the best thing to come out of Yorkshire since 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 eFIXX 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 angophonic and ketchup. And we've got another repeat winner. Regular viewer and commenter Dave Friselle 3882, as well as inquirer after our health, which is rare and appreciated. So, well done Dave. Click the get involved link in the show notes to claim your prize. This week, the recording studio has been powered by our friends over at Consumer Unit World with high stock levels of your favourite consumer units, including BG, and free next working day delivery on orders over 150 quid. And we've been lit by Flex 7 with their lightning fast pre-wired modular lighting connection system that keeps your installation times razor sharp. Don't forget to click the links in the show notes to find out more. 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