Electrical Contracting News (ECN) May 2017 | Page 58

SPECIAL
FEATURE
WIRING ACCESSORIES
CONCEPT OVER COMPLEXITY
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.
E
xpected to be worth
£1.8bn by 2018
according to AMA
Research, the UK wiring
accessories market is
a mature one, with the
product mix remaining
fairly stable in recent
years. As a mature and sizeable market,
the forecasts for electrical accessories
are for relatively slow and steady growth
of 1-3 per cent 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
The evolution in
smart homes is
bringing significant
business
opportunities
for switched
on electrical
contractors and
installers.
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 prefabricated 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 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
a mere 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 of
different electrical and electronic products
which proliferate 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
58 | May 2017
Wiring accessories
account for a
significant element
of the overall
investment in any
electrical installation
infrastructure.