Advanced Electrical Services

25/05/2026

Machinery safety is changing again and it is not just about the machine.

Make UK highlighted in May that UK manufacturers need to pay attention to another shift in machinery safety regulation. At the same time, the government has confirmed it intends to keep recognising CE-marked machinery in Great Britain and update the UK’s machinery safety rules to bring in similar measures to the newer EU approach.

Why does that matter? Because newer machinery rules are increasingly tied to software, connectivity, cyber risk and safety-related control systems, not just physical guarding and mechanical design. Analysis of the government response says connected machinery and AI-based safety functions are likely to face more detailed requirements.

For manufacturers, that means any change to machinery, controls or automation could have wider implications than expected.

AES helps manufacturers with the practical side of that work, including electrical upgrades, control systems, automation and machinery integration, so changes can be made safely and properly in live industrial environments.

If you are planning to upgrade machinery or make changes to control systems, now is a good time to review the electrical and safety implications with AES before the job gets more complicated later on.

19/05/2026

UK manufacturers are being hit with a big business-rates increase and that makes efficiency even more important.

Make UK said in April that the sector could face almost £1 billion a year in extra business-rates costs, with nearly 9 in 10 manufacturers seeing an increase from April 2026.

When fixed costs rise like that, businesses naturally focus on the things they can control:

reducing downtime
improving equipment reliability
cutting wasted energy
preventing faults before they become costly problems

That is where AES can help.

We support manufacturers with:

proactive and reactive maintenance
emergency call-out
voltage optimisation
variable speed drives
control and automation improvements
practical electrical upgrades that improve resilience

When margins are under pressure, keeping plant running efficiently becomes even more important.

If your business is reviewing where it can protect performance and reduce avoidable cost, AES can help you look at the electrical and control side of the picture.

18/05/2026

🏃‍♂️⚽ Where’s Our Lee? Sports Day Challenge! ⚽🏃‍♂️

Ready… steady… FIND LEE! 👀

This month’s Where’s Our Lee? puzzle celebrates School Sports Day, packed with footballs, medals, trainers, tennis balls and enough sporting equipment to tire anyone out 😅

Somewhere in all the chaos is… Lee!
(Along with a few hidden AES items too 👀⚡)

🥇 Can you spot him?
🥈 How long did it take?
🥉 Can you beat everyone else in the comments?

Drop a 🏅 when you’ve found him!

29/04/2026

🌼👀 Where’s Our Lee? Chelsea Flower Show Challenge! 👀🌼

This month we’ve gone full garden mode for the Chelsea Flower Show 🌸🌿

Amongst the flowers, tools, plants and show gardens, we’ve hidden… Lee! 😄

Your mission:
🌸 Find Lee
🌸 Spot the hidden AES items
🌸 Tell us how long it took!

Think you’ve got a good eye for detail, or will this one have you rooting around for ages? 🌱😉

Drop a 🌼 in the comments when you’ve found him!

23/04/2026

🔄 Industrial energy flexibility is becoming more real — and that is good news for smarter sites.

The government and NESO are pushing forward with plans to increase flexibility from non-domestic users, including large industrial and commercial sites. By April 2026, NESO is due to explore carbon reporting for flexibility actions so bigger businesses can better measure their impact.

For manufacturers, this could create more opportunity to manage loads more intelligently, reduce waste and make better use of energy.

But it only works if the basics are in place:

- good controls
- strong metering
- better load visibility
- confidence in how equipment responds

👉 If your site wants to be ready for smarter, more flexible energy use, AES can help with the controls and electrical infrastructure that make it possible.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/clean-flexibility-roadmap/clean-flexibility-roadmap

21/04/2026

☀️ The UK is pushing hard on rooftop solar — and that is big news for factories and warehouses.

The government’s Solar Roadmap aims to speed up solar deployment across the UK, including commercial and industrial rooftop solar, with national capacity set to grow significantly by 2030.

For manufacturers, that raises an important question:

Is your site ready for solar from an electrical point of view?

Because successful rooftop solar is not just about panels. It is also about the distribution system, protection, monitoring and how everything fits into your wider site infrastructure.

👉 If you are thinking about solar for your factory or warehouse, speak to AES about whether your electrical systems are ready to support it properly.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/solar-roadmap

15/04/2026

In manufacturing, big problems usually start small.

A slight drop in output, a line that stops more often than it used to, quality drifting, or equipment that “just isn’t running right”… these are often early warning signs that something bigger is coming.

Control & automation systems can help by monitoring performance in real time, spotting anomalies sooner, and giving your team the data to act before downtime and waste hit the schedule.

Our latest article explains:
✅ how control & automation helps identify production issues early
✅ why real-time data reduces reliance on manual checks
✅ where to start if you don’t want a major overhaul

Read it here: https://www.advancedelectrical.org.uk/how-control-automation-can-identify-potential-production-problems-early/

AES offers free site surveys to help manufacturers understand where control and automation improvements will deliver the biggest impact.

Control and automation can help you identify potential issues earlier so you can deal with them before they cause major disruption.

13/04/2026

⚡ Electrical competence rules are changing in 2026 — and that is important news for clients too.

From 1 October 2026, updated EAS requirements will apply across the UK electrical industry. The changes tighten expectations around inspection and testing and also bring in qualification requirements for low-carbon work such as EV charging, solar PV, battery storage and micro wind.

That means businesses should be looking beyond whether a contractor is simply “approved” and asking whether the people actually carrying out the work are competent for that specific job.

For manufacturers, facilities teams and industrial operators, that matters. The more technical and specialist the work becomes, the more important competence becomes too.

👉 If you are planning inspection, testing or low-carbon electrical work and want a contractor with the right industrial experience and a serious approach to standards, get in touch with AES.

https://niceic.com/eas-changes-what-you-need-to-know/

09/04/2026

If the power went out in your building, would everyone be able to find the safest way out quickly?

Emergency lighting isn’t just a box to tick. It’s there to guide people to safety if normal lighting fails, and UK businesses have legal responsibilities to make sure it’s designed, installed and maintained correctly.

In our featured article we cover:

✅ what the key UK rules mean in practice
✅ where emergency lighting is commonly missed (stairs, changes in direction, final exits and external areas)
✅ what testing you should be doing and how often

Read it here: https://www.advancedelectrical.org.uk/emergency-lighting-legislation-explained/

If you’re not sure your system is compliant or your testing records are up to date, AES can help with design, upgrades, testing and ongoing maintenance.

Emergency lighting is critical to any business, it is a legal requirement - so make sure you understand your responsibilities.

02/04/2026

🌍 Global events can still hit UK energy prices — which is why resilience matters.

Ofgem says the ongoing situation in the Middle East could affect wholesale gas and electricity prices in Great Britain, and that prolonged disruption to global gas markets could put pressure on prices in future periods.

Manufacturers cannot control global events, but they can control how exposed their site is to energy volatility.

That means improving:

- visibility of energy use
- efficiency of equipment and systems
- backup arrangements
- electrical resilience across the site

👉 If you want to make your factory less exposed to energy shocks, AES can help review your electrical and control infrastructure and identify practical improvements.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/news/what-situation-middle-east-means-your-energy-bills