Welcome back….is what I would say if I was a mid-morning TV chat show host after a commercial break. It does seem kind of appropriate here though as we return to work in a new year, re-engage our brains and start where we left off.

Let’s be honest, January is unlikely to ever win the People’s Favourite Month award, but (I’ve checked) apparently, we’re not allowed to remove it from the calendar year. And even if we could we’d still need a first month to get through, so it would become February, and if we removed that it would become March, and if…well you get the idea.

We all know the first couple of weeks of a new year can take a while to get going and the infamous terms ‘January Blues’ and ‘Blue Monday’ seep into our minds and trigger us to want to do something to cheer ourselves up. Crowds used to flock to the high streets for January sales – although with the rise of online shopping this has declined slightly in recent years. Holiday promotions are also unavoidable – you can’t turn on the television or radio without Paddy McGuiness telling us about those ‘booking geniuses’. Of course, not everybody is in a position to book a week of winter sun or buy a new sofa, but there are other ways to achieve little victories. Starting a new hobby, taking a short walk on a frosty morning, meeting a friend for coffee or lunch, or simply bingeing a TV series are just some of the things we can do to brighten our days and evenings. Inspiration can come in all sorts of forms and lead us down a positive path.

For example, a January de-clutter can start as something quite small, as you pick a couple of things out of your wardrobe that you’ve not worn in years and list them on Vinted. Before you know it your living room floor is covered in old books, shoes and jackets and you’re planning your next DIY project.

So, while December can be a busy time for tradespeople and wholesalers, with a rush of jobs to finish in amongst seasonal shutdowns, office parties, shopping and holiday traffic, January and February can almost feel too slow in comparison. But new projects are never far away and before you know it there’s blossom on the trees and it’s the Easter bank holiday and you can eat chocolate again. See, you feel better again already!

– Tracey Rushton-Thorpe
Editor

Catch up on previous ‘Editor’s Viewpoint’ here

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By the time you’re reading this we might have a new Government, hopefully some sunshine and we’ll have a better idea of whether our home nations have crashed out at the first hurdle at Euro 2024 or are cruising their way to the later stages.

I have absolutely no interest in football but if you see me decked out in orange at all it is because I have drawn Netherlands in the office sweepstake so they are my adopted country for now. Anyway, I will return to the football later.

Our special features in this issue are heating, EV infrastructure and fire & safety. Some might think it slightly ironic including a feature on heating in the middle of the summer but considering many of us probably had our radiators on in June this year perhaps it is perfect timing.

Fire & safety is particularly topical as Grenfell Tower was recently lit up on the seventh anniversary of the fire that tragically claimed 72 lives. The disaster brought the issue of fire safety in high-rise blocks, as well as building safety standards in general, firmly under the spotlight. In particular, government regulations came under scrutiny, while significant gaps in knowledge, standards and competency within the construction industry became evident. It’s devastating and unacceptable that things had got so bad, whether through complacency, ignorance or underfunding, that it took a disaster of this magnitude to highlight the many shortcomings. Since then, however, we have seen vital improvements, thanks largely to the outcome of the Hackitt report, which led to a number of recommendations aimed at changing industry practices to create safer living spaces and subsequently the Building Safety Act 2022 and more recently the Building Safety Regulator, which assumed the role of building control authority for higher-risk buildings.

Turning towards EV infrastructure, it may surprise a few people to learn that electric vehicles were around as far back as the 1830s, not quite on the level of technology we see on our roads today of course, but then at some point in the next 150+ years the internal combustion engine became the go-to technology for everyday driving while electric cars became more of a pipedream. And yet now here we are with three in-depth articles focusing on them, including one which even takes a look at some specialist tools designed for installing EV charging equipment. While there is plenty still to do to ensure we have enough infrastructure in place to ensure a totally electric future for the automotive industry, it is a rapidly growing market which tradespeople and wholesalers alike can really benefit from.

Now back to the football, I was trying to see how many Euro 2024 footballers’ names I could shoe-horn electrical trade references into. So far I have Kieran Trippier switch (England), Marc-André ter Stegenerator (Germany), Jonas Wind turbine (Denmark) and David Strelectrician (Slovakia). Erm, that’s it!

– Tracey Rushton-Thorpe

For previous articles, click here

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It’s Spring, the clocks have changed and the dark nights will start to fade in our memories…..ok so not immediately but we are now on a firm path which is heading for summer. I don’t know about you but I can’t wait.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) is an interesting one though and every year when the clocks change there is a news article somewhere with people arguing for and against the change. 

People in favour of DST argue that it saves energy, promotes outdoor leisure activity in the evenings, reduces traffic accidents, reduces crime and is generally good for physical and psychological health.

People against DST argue that it disrupts human circadian rhythm which has a negative impact on human health. They also argue that it increases fatal traffic accidents and that the actual energy savings are inconclusive.

DST was introduced in 1914 due to the cost of energy usage during the war. Many will argue though that Benjamin Franklin proposed a similar idea in the 1700s but it never took off. Either way there was a reason why the concept is still with us.

There will always be arguments in favour and against the concept of ‘springing forward’ or ‘falling back’. Personally I don’t have a strong view either way…. until recently when I was visiting a wholesaler who said that they look forward to the clocks changing because business picks up – now there is a tangible benefit.

Over 70 countries around the world observe DST and the general consensus is that the main goal is to reduce energy demand – yet many studies have shown that DST produces only modest savings on electricity consumption.

Does that mean it is all in our heads?

I am more interested in the thought process which says that business picks up when the clocks go forward in March. Perhaps there is a correlation between people being told that DST produces energy savings and thus people feel more inclined to spend a little more on projects which they have been putting off through the dark winter months – or perhaps the lighter nights just put a spring in our step and generate a desire to crack on with new projects. 

I cannot find any conclusive evidence to suggest either of these to be correct but for me, Spring is a time to crack on with new projects so there is obviously something in the air which changes the mindset and this has got to be good for business.

If nothing else I am prepared to hang onto the fact that DST leads to a reduction in energy use – that is going to put a spring the step of many people. But I also think that it’s a time when people do start planning new projects for which you can provide a range of projects.

Maybe it’s time to do a quick stock take to make sure you’re ready for the summer months and if you’re not sure what the hot new products are then obviously you need to read on because we have it all in this month’s issue.

See you next month – Tracey Rushton-Thorpe, Editor

Read more viewpoints here

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