Mer tackles infrastructure problems to successfully scale EV charging across Durham

Mer has helped Durham County Council transform its EV charging infrastructure. The two-year partnership has resulted in 150 EV charge points (EVCPs) installed across the county and brought charging stations to many formerly unserved communities. In 2019, less than 50% of Durham County Council’s EV infrastructure was functioning. Many EV charge points had stopped working and the companies that installed them were no longer trading. Two problems inhibited the use of electric vehicles throughout the region. Rural communities lacking coverage because charging providers saw little potential for commercial return, and legislation stopping on-street charging in towns. With funding from Innovate UK for the Scaling on Street Charging Infrastructure (SOSCI) project, the Council partnered with Mer to install 150 charging points at 67 locations across the county. By consulting with locals, Mer’s new charging points were strategically placed in areas of residential demand. In recognition of this approach, Durham County Council was awarded the 2022 Best EV Charging Project award from the Municipality Journal. Alex Hinchcliffe, Sales Director at Mer UK Public charging, comments, “Durham needed a future-fit solution to their problem, and that’s exactly what we helped deliver. Our parent company, Statkraft is the largest renewable energy producer in Europe and our chargers are powered by 100% renewable energy. There’s also no risk of our charge points becoming redundant or falling into disrepair. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to achieve in Durham, combatting the dual problems of rural and city coverage.” Tracy Millmore, Electric Vehicle Project Officer at Durham County Council says, “Durham is a unique county. We’re 862 square miles of rural communities contrasted with some densely populated towns and cities. 40% of our residents live in terraced houses where there’s no space for off-street charging points. We can’t wait for legislation to change in order to let people run charging cables across pavements, and research has shown us people are happy to walk five minutes to a charging point. So, getting Mer’s help to expand our network was the right solution.” Since the completion of the project, Durham has reduced its carbon emissions bringing it closer to its target 75% reduction by 2030, and due to its success, it has secured a second wave of EV charge point funding from Innovate UK, this time for the Regional Electric Vehicle Unified Plan (REV UP) project. Mer charging stations have recorded 67,474.3 kWh of usage to date, which is over 190,000 miles of clean driving. The introduction of Mer charging stations in some villages, like Shotley Bridge in Consett, has allowed local not-for-profit EV car sharing clubs to expand their reach, bringing green, affordable options to smaller communities. The roll-out has been touted as best practice, and reports have been requested to help inform future Government policy at the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV). Durham County Council has also used its learnings to produce a guide for local authorities to install EV charge points.

KNIPEX celebrates one million Facebook followers 

KNIPEX has reached the milestone of 1m followers on Facebook. A million KNIPEX fans all over the world now follow the company’s Facebook feed, which is crammed with information, videos and pictures of professional tools which save time, money and effort every day. To celebrate reaching 1m followers, KNIPEX is creating a piece of artwork for social media featuring its followers’ hands, their most important tools! Simply send KNIPEX two pictures before the closing date 31 July 2022, and KNIPEX will create artwork that lets followers become a part of the community. The cherry on top is that entrants can win a fantastic prize; a dream tool case equipped with tools for their branch of work whether it be for plumbers, for mechanics or for electricians, worth up to £1000. “We just want to thank every single one of our million Facebook followers for their support, and we look forward to holding even more competitions and offers, particularly with our ever-popular Advent Calendar competition in December,” says David Barnes, KNIPEX UK’s Marketing Manager.  “So, show us your hands and we could help you to fill them with some very special tools!”

Screwfix opens 800th store

Screwfix has opened its 800th store in Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire. Earlier this year Screwfix announced its store target of 80 new stores across the UK and the Republic of Ireland, creating more than 800 new jobs by the end of January 2023. This latest opening marks a significant milestone for the business, bringing Screwfix closer to its overall target of 1,000 stores across the UK and Republic of Ireland. The 800th store opening confirms Screwfix’s intention to bring its convenience and extensive product range closer to hard-working tradespeople, both in urban environments and in more rural locations such as Bourton-on-the-Water. Located in Bourton Industrial Park, Gloucestershire, the new store creates 12 jobs for the local community. To mark this significant milestone, the store was opened with a launch event, with colleagues and senior representatives from Screwfix, including Operations and Property Director, Scott Parsons and Managing Director for UK and Ireland, Max Britten. At the launch, Scott Parsons said: “We know how busy our customers are and how important it is to find a Screwfix store close to site. We’re delighted to open our new store Bourton-on-the-Water today and bring Screwfix even closer to local tradespeople in Gloucestershire. “Today marks a huge milestone for Screwfix in opening our 800th store and our ambition to open 1,000 stores across the UK and ROI. Our target of 80 new stores this financial year will ensure there is a Screwfix nearby for busy tradespeople, whilst also having a positive impact on local communities, creating more than 800 new jobs. Since our first store opening in 2005, we have employed around 9,600 colleagues across our stores in roles such as retail assistants, assistant managers, and branch managers.” Newly recruited staff at the Bourton-on-the-Water store will have the opportunity to participate in the retailer’s apprenticeship scheme, joining the already 850 apprentices currently training across the business in areas such as retail management, supervisor, HR, finance, data and legal, and trade supplier. As part of Screwfix’s ongoing commitment to reduce carbon emissions, all new stores are now equipped with air source heat pumps to provide heating, powered by electricity instead of gas. The retailer is also working to retrofit heat pumps in existing stores in a bid to make the entire network more sustainable. Most recently, its Great Yarmouth store became the 300th to be fitted with an air-source heat pump. Scott adds: “We are committed to minimising our environmental impact, helping to create a better future for our customers, colleagues, communities, and the planet. Screwfix’s entire store network is already supplied with 95% renewable electricity to support our move away from gas heating where possible.”

Keeping on top of finances ‘more important than ever’

Fergus is encouraging the trade to prioritise keeping on top of their finances. “With a cost of living crisis and rising energy, fuel and material costs, it is so important that business finances are prioritised,” says James Chillman, UK Country Manager for Fergus. “Autumn is the start of the heating season, and marks the point when construction work ramps up as people get back from their summer holidays. It is a busy time for the trade but making time to invoice on time and chase payment is absolutely crucial.” Staying organised as a trade business owner can be difficult, especially when managing a million things on a day-to-day basis. This can take its toll. Recent research showed that a third of tradespeople cited finances as being their main cause of anxiety, while Mates in Mind says 44% of construction workers worry that their workload is too high. “It’s all about discipline when it comes to keeping on top of the books. If you are someone who is constantly putting your record-keeping on the back burner, you’ll know how painful it is to sit down and have to tackle days, weeks or even months of invoicing and receipts. If you don’t have the right processes in place, this is also where mistakes get made,” continues James. “Ask yourself; what can you do so your business can invoice every day and therefore get paid on time? If you are invoicing and following up on invoices every day you will notice the cash starts to come in very quickly. That’s where Fergus can really make a difference, allowing you to see how your business is performing in certain areas and how profitable individual jobs are.” In Fergus, you can create quotes on the spot, send out invoices or chase late payment with automated SMS messaging. Bigger jobs can be broken down into milestones, which makes managing costs and progress easier. The cost and purchase of all materials can be logged, and by uploading price books, material costs will appear in quotes automatically and can be adjusted by creating tiered mark-ups for different clients or job types. Plumber Dan Pollard, Founder of Fergus, knows all about business stress. After going bust once, and burning out a second time, he looked for a solution to dealing with finances and streamlining admin, but quickly discovered there was none. The trades had effectively been ignored by the software industry. Using his own experiences, he sought to develop a system which saved tradespeople time, simplified admin, ensured they could work efficiently, and get paid. Fergus was born, named after Dan’s dog and best friend. It’s a software solution that helps the trade easily keep on top of finances.

Shift project makes positive change for customers

The UK’s biggest electricity distributor is opening the way for local residents to join the energy ‘flexibility’ market to help cut the costs of running their electric vehicles (EVs). New ways of smart charging have been successfully tested by UK Power Networks to deliver greener energy at a lower cost for customers who charge their EVs at certain periods. With energy prices rising, smart charging enables customers to use electricity not only when it is greenest, but cheapest too. Project Shift, led by UK Power Networks in partnership with Kaluza, Octopus Energy and ev.energy, developed and trialled three different ways to incentivise EV charging outside of peak times. The world’s largest trial of smart charging incentives has shown that only 19% of the time customers spend plugged in at home, is needed to meet their charging needs. This makes ‘smart charging’ a possibility for people who can shift their charge times to when demand on the electricity network is lower, using cheaper, greener electricity to charge their car ready for the next day. Findings included that 85% of customers were open to smart charging, so long as their mobility requirements were met. EV demand during the evening peak was reduced by an average of 79% due to Smart charging with ongoing financial incentives. The median daily reduction in EV demand between 6-9 pm was 82%. Customers are now charging their car cheaper at certain times on a routine basis and earning rewards for charging, while avoiding the need for local electricity grids to be reinforced. As the distributor of electricity to 8.4 million homes and businesses across London, the South East and East of England, UK Power Networks is a key enabler of the UK’s transition to a low carbon economy and forging a path to net zero. Smart EV charging is critical to enabling the lowest cost electrification of transport, especially important as consumers are facing an increased cost of living. As more people opt for a low carbon way of life, demand on the electricity grid rises with customers wanting the choice of how and when they charge. Project Shift means people can easily access the benefits of the fast-emerging flexibility market while supporting the increased adoption of EVs. Ian Cameron, Head of Customer Service and Innovation at UK Power Networks, says: “It is great that customers can receive incentives for charging their electric vehicles outside of peak times at home. “Smart charging will ultimately save everyone money and offers new opportunities for domestic households and businesses to contribute to a smarter UK energy system. It is key to helping us deliver net zero at the best cost for both customers and the network.” William Goldsmith, Head of Grid and Data Services at ev.energy, says: "It's been fantastic working with UK Power Networks on such world leading innovation and I am delighted that the learnings from Project Shift have already been integrated into UK Power Networks’ first-of-a-kind flexibility tenders. “Charging electric vehicles smartly to unlock grid services is a critical part of delivering a green, affordable energy future. This can only be done by engaging and incentivising EV drivers to take part."

Toolstation supports the trades with Mental Health Under Construction podcast

Toolstation and On The Tools have joined forces for a series of podcasts created to support tradespeople’s mental health. Entitled ‘Mental Health Under Construction’, the bi-weekly six part show is hosted by mental health specialist and member of We Are Hummingbird, Ryan Ridgeway. Ryan is joined by guests from the trades, mental health experts and celebrities including Paul Merson and former special forces soldier and star of SAS: Who Dares Wins, Ollie Ollerton, who share their own blend of insight and experiences and discuss a wide range of mental health conditions including anxiety disorders, depression, suicide and addiction. The move comes as research commissioned by Toolstation found that 69% of those in the sector think looking after your mental health is very important and 33% say there should be more support available to them. When it comes to what can be done, 56% felt there should be more honest conversations around mental health, while 44% think there should be better access to professional help or treatment. 31% thought there should be better support at their place of work. In the first episode, Ryan Ridgeway spoke with psychotherapist India Haylor and tradesperson Paddy to discuss the effects of anxiety disorders within the construction industry. Greg Richardson, Head of Marketing at Toolstation comments: “We’re excited to have worked with the team at On The Tools on this very valuable partnership, and with Ryan Ridgeway and some incredible guests who provide listeners with valuable advice and insight each week. At Toolstation, we have a long heritage of helping to equip tradespeople with the tools they need to look after their mental health, and we are glad that we can continue this work.” Clare Harding, Brand Director for On The Tools comments: “Poor mental health in construction is unfortunately well documented, with high suicide rates across the industry. Teaming up with Toolstation, the Mental Health Podcast was designed to encourage tradespeople to look out for one another, and talk, listen and share thoughts and feelings. With the help of Toolstation and some fantastic guests we've been able to cover a range of relevant topics in the podcast, all designed to make an impact and provoke relevant conversations on this important topic." Fans can subscribe to Mental Health Under Construction on all major platforms including Spotify, iTunes and Amazon Music. They can also watch video cut downs posted on Toolstation’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

Sevadis and Jumptech join forces to accelerate the roll-out of EV charging points

Sevadis has announced its partnership with software provider, Jumptech, to support the roll-out of the nation’s network of EV charging points. This partnership brings together two leading EV charging companies to provide electrical installers and contractors with an efficient and streamlined chargepoint installation process. The Jumptech platform will simplify the install process for Sevadis’ installers, commercial customers and EV driving customers and keep all parties informed about progress of the projects. The collaboration comes at an exciting time in the industry where the number of EV chargepoint installers is increasing, alongside the demand for EV chargepoints across both domestic and commercial properties. Recently, Sevadis partnered with YESSS EV & Energy as its strategic wholesale partner, providing installers across the UK with access to Sevadis’ comprehensive range of charging solutions to meet the growing demand. YESSS EV & Energy is also partner of Jumptech, delivering an end-to-end solution to its customers. The partnership between Sevadis and Jumptech additionally further strengthens YESSS EV & Energy’s offering to its network of installers, presenting greater opportunities in an industry that is only heading in one direction. Craig Slater, Managing Director of Sevadis says: “We are delighted to be collaborating with Jumptech to support our growing network of Sevadis approved installers, providing them and their customers with a streamlined and transparent installation process. Installers play a critical role in deploying the nation’s network of EV charging points; at Sevadis we are investing our resources into making the installation of our charging points as seamless as possible, hence joining forces with experts in the green energy and installation sphere, Jumptech.” Phil Nunn, CEO & Founder of Jumptech says: “Sevadis has a great product range which is increasingly popular with installers and commercial customers. We’re looking forward to working with their fantastic team to make it simple for drivers and businesses to switch to electric vehicles.”

Termtech launch premium conduit range

Termtech has launched Premflex, a premier range of conduit and glands. Available in a wide range of materials to meet the needs of almost any environment, Premflex specification includes Bare Galv, PVC Coated Galv and LSZH Coated Galv with sizes ranging from M16 up to M50, bulk coil sizes or contractor packs. Steve Parry, Commercial Director of Termtech comments: “This is a brand new product range that caters for those contractors looking for a high quality product built to last and packaged to help make installation easy. “Premflex was designed and produced in response to customer feedback who were keen to see a Termtech product that competed at the high end of the conduit market.” Designed in both a fixed and swivel gland option across the entire range, the product is available boxed, on a high quality drum for transport. Steve adds: “As ever, we are keen to supply the wholesaler with as much marketing support as possible to help raise awareness of our products and we will supply a pull up banner for each new stockist. “Premflex is already generating a lot of interest and we expect to see strong take-up from our UK-wide wholesaler customer base.”

Building managers must question if emergency lighting systems are ‘fit for purpose’

As the Building Safety Act 2022 comes into force, Abtec BT is urging facilities and building managers to ensure their emergency lighting systems are ‘fit for purpose.’ The call for action from Abtec BT comes following a number of fires in high rise buildings in recent months, and at a time when the call for the ‘stay put’ policy to be abandoned. Welcoming the new legislation, the company believes such incidents place a much-needed spotlight on the need for more integrated approaches such as secure, robust emergency lighting reporting solutions which allow occupants to safely exit the building. Abtec BT believes too many buildings reman ill-equipped with outdated emergency lighting systems and testing practices. This means they are not fit for purpose and cannot be relied upon in the event of an incident. Fully supportive of the current industry standards, ARGOHub can be tested in accordance with BS EN 50172:2004/BS 5266-1:2016, which specify the minimum provision and testing of emergency lighting for different premises. “Emergency building services is about more than fire alarms,’ comments Dave Watkins, Director of Abtec Building Technologies. “As the focus on building safety continues to increase, it is absolutely vital that those with responsibility for building safety take a good look at their existing systems and ask: are they truly fit for the purpose they were installed for? “Building managers must be sure they can control, monitor and test their emergency lighting systems with ease and confidence. We know from experience that integrating technology such as ARGOHub into building management systems will enhance overall building safety and bring peace of mind to building owners, operators and users everywhere. For any building manager who remains unsure of how things can be improved or made more robust and reliable, we are here to help.”

Knightsbridge brings the great outdoors to book

With gardens becoming crucial to so many during lockdown, the effective utilisation of outdoor space is more important than ever, and Knightsbridge has curated its impressive IP-rated outdoor ranges into a single collection that meets the needs of developers, contractors and homeowners alike. Complied into single handy reference (The Complete Outdoor Range) the 49 page brochure is packed with high quality full colour product and lifestyle illustrations and shows how Knightsbridge caters to all types of demands. Available from all major wholesalers, the outdoor collection includes single-gang, two-gang and RCD sockets, fused spurs, switches and switch boxes (including remote-controlled items), plus ancillaries such as enclosures and connectors. Floodlights for domestic and commercial purposes, as well as external decorative fittings, are available, as are spike and ground lights for gardens and decking. With safety paramount, all wiring devices and ancillaries are rated to a minimum of IP44. This means they are secure, at the very least, against solid particles that are over 1mm and any possibility of accidental contact and protected against low velocity water sprays from any direction. Connectors are rated to IP68, making them submersible to beyond 1m depth and perfect ideal for water features and underground extensions. Floodlights come in a huge variety of IP-rated combinations and provide for every requirement, environment, budget and taste. Exterior decorative lights come in a range of either contemporary or traditional designs, lamp choices of LED, GU10 or E27 depending on the fitting, and wattages from 3W to 60W. Spike lights for garden accents and pathways are offered in either thermoplastic, stainless still or die-cast aluminium; and Knightsbridge’s stainless steel or aluminium ground lights are ideal for driveways, decks, patios and even indoors, such as in kitchens.