Wiring Accessories
Installers tell manufacturers to keep it simple
When it comes to wiring accessories, installers want products that are as simple to fit as possible. Marie Parry, Marketing Director at Scolmore Group, looks at the sector and how it needs to keep evolving to meet these requirements, and the implications for the electrical wholesaler.
mature one, with the product mix remaining fairly stable in recent years. As a mature and sizeable market, the
E
forecasts for electrical accessories are for relatively slow and steady growth of 1-3% per annum until 2020, in line with relatively subdued forecasts for construction as a whole, following the UK’s decision to leave the EU. Key influencing factors on the market include
legislation on energy efficiency and carbon emissions, which has seen increased use of integrated systems spreading throughout domestic and commercial markets to provide greater control for heating, lighting and all electrical systems. The current focus is on integrated solutions and systems within the electrical accessories market and this trend will continue to feed demand in the medium term, as well as an increased use of pre-fabricated and modular wiring assemblies that make installations easier and quicker.
Modularity equals flexibility The whole area of wiring installations continues to evolve, with one of the key words today being modularity. It is not necessarily about new and exciting finishes, it’s about flexibility and functionality and incorporating multiple
xpected to be worth £1.8bn by 2018 according to AMA Research, the UK wiring accessories market is a
modules into one plate – media modules, USB ports, HDMI outlets – and ultimately being able to create bespoke installations to suit individual requirements. The modern home is now more than simply
a home. It doubles up occasionally as a cinema, concert hall, meeting venue, computer room and office and each of these functions brings unique requirements in terms of the provision of necessary services such as telephone or satellite sockets, as well as the myriad different electrical and electronic products that we have in our homes. Traditionally, products such as telephone and
TV coaxial sockets have been all supplied built into a standard size wall plate. The environment in today’s office and home however, requires a number of services to be provided to a specific work station or convenient access point. The most flexible and efficient means of doing this is the use of modules on a multiple aperture plate. By offering modular switch plates as
standard, manufacturers can facilitate the quick and easy creation of virtually any switch plate design required. With such a wide range of modules available, contractors and installers have total flexibility to quickly and easily customise bespoke designs and solutions on site, assembling up to as many as 24 different switching functions on a single plate if required. Modular wiring’s flexibility means that there is no minimum project size and it is easier for
contractors to take on bigger projects than they might otherwise do. From single room solutions to the largest multi-million pound new-build hospitals, for example, systems can either be retrofitted or newly installed to provide users with safe, reliable and convenient power and lighting services.
Smart homes As the evolution of the smart home gathers apace, the market is witnessing a continued increase in the appetite for smart technology from end users. Whilst this advance is bringing significant business opportunities for switched on electrical contractors and installers, there is reluctance on the part of some installers to fully embrace this new technology as it is deemed too complicated to install and they are therefore unwilling to upsell to customers. Those wholesalers who are on board with the latest products and technologies are in a prime position to be able to help educate the contractor and boost business opportunities for all parties. Manufacturers are playing their part in trying
to educating installers and wholesalers by offering training courses to develop their knowledge, skillset and confidence. With the right wiring accessory products it is now easier than ever for installers to provide an upgrade to an existing wiring installation with minimal disruption. Smart switches are helping
Scolmore’s CLICK GridPro frontplates are available in a range of finishes.
www.ewnews.co.uk
September 2017 electrical wholesaler | 35 ●Continued over
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72