The government hopes the plug-in panels will offer people a more affordable way into solar energy compared to roof installation, although savings will be lower because they generate less power.

A one-panel kit will cost £699 while two-panels will be £1,089, according to UK solar company UKSOL.

The government expects prices to settle at £400-£600 as competition increases and more products are developed.

Its research shows a household could save between £70 and £110 a year on their energy bills.

The precise amount will depend on how the panels are orientated and how long they run. An unshaded south-facing spot is best.

Households which use energy during daylight hours will benefit most as the electricity must be used as it is generated.

Any power not consumed will flow back to the grid, but it’s unlikely homes will get any cash for this.

Unlike rooftop solar panels, these systems do not need to be certified under the official Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), which is the UK’s official quality mark for small-scale renewable energy systems.

But it also means they will not normally qualify for the Smart Export Guarantee that pays people for excess solar power.

Most owners never think about asbestos until a builder stops work mid-job. Yet it sits quietly in thousands of older commercial premises across the country. The material is harmless while left alone, and dangerous once disturbed. For a business owner, that quiet risk carries a real legal duty.

The scale is easy to underestimate. Any property built or refurbished before 2000 may hold it, since the last types were only banned in 1999. Older shops, offices, and workshops sit among the many buildings that contain asbestos materials, and the risk stays hidden until a drill or a refit brings it into the open. Knowing where it lives, and what the law expects, protects both your staff and your budget.

Where Is Asbestos Hiding In Older Commercial Buildings?

Asbestos-containing materials, or ACMs, rarely look dramatic. They blend into fabric that owners walk past every day. That is exactly why a quick visual glance is never enough. Trained surveyors find it in places most people would never check.

Common spots include pipe lagging, ceiling tiles, and textured coatings such as old Artex. It also turns up in floor tiles, cement roof sheets, and guttering. Asbestos insulating board sat behind many partition walls and fire doors. Any refit from the 1960s to the late 1990s deserves a careful look.

Condition matters as much as location. Sealed, undamaged material in good order poses little immediate threat. Problems start when the surface breaks and fibres drift into the air. So a sound record of what sits where, and in what state, is the real starting point.

What Does the Law Ask of a Business Owner?

The core rule is the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. Its heart is a legal duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises. This applies whether you own the freehold or hold a repairing lease. It is a duty to control the risk, not always to remove the material.

The duty runs through a clear cycle. You must find out if asbestos is present and record its location. You then assess the risk and write a plan to manage it. That plan needs regular review, and everyone who might disturb the material must be told.

This sits alongside wider workplace safety law. If you are new to a site, the same care applies before you sign. Anyone renting a commercial space should ask for the asbestos register before taking on the lease. A gap in that paperwork can become your problem on day one.

Who Counts as the Duty Holder?

The law puts the duty on whoever controls maintenance and repair. In a leased unit, that role can sit with the landlord, the tenant, or both. The tenancy agreement usually settles the split. Read it closely, because assumptions here get expensive.

Alt text: A clipboard with survey notes on a table inside an old industrial building

Owner-occupiers carry the duty outright. A managing agent may hold it on behalf of a client. Where several parties share a building, the duty can be shared too. The safest move is to name the duty holder in writing and keep that clear.

How Do You Manage Asbestos Once You Find It?

Start with a survey by a competent, accredited surveyor. A management survey covers normal day-to-day occupation of the building. A refurbishment or demolition survey goes further before any works begin. The type you need depends on what you plan to do next.

From the survey you build an asbestos register and a management plan. The register lists each ACM, its location, and its condition. The plan sets out how you monitor it and who acts if it is damaged. Official HSE asbestos guidance sets out these duties in practical detail.

Training closes the loop. Anyone liable to disturb asbestos needs awareness training first, from electricians to shopfitters. This is one of the health and safety rules that owners forget until an inspection lands. A short course is far cheaper than a stop notice or a fine.

When Should You Call a Licensed Professional?

Not every job needs a licensed contractor, but the riskiest ones do. Higher-risk work, such as removing sprayed coatings or insulating board, requires an HSE licence. Lower-risk tasks may be handled under notifiable non-licensed work rules. Guessing the category is the mistake that hurts people.

If material looks damaged, stop and seek advice before anyone touches it. Do not sweep, drill, or bag suspect debris yourself. A qualified surveyor can test a sample and confirm what you are dealing with. Paying for that certainty is always the cheaper path in the end.

A Duty Holder’s Practical Starting Checklist

• Confirm in writing who holds the duty to manage for each premises.
• Arrange a management survey for any building predating the year 2000.
• Build an asbestos register and keep it somewhere staff can find it.
• Book awareness training for anyone whose work might disturb the fabric.
• Review the plan at least once a year, or after any building work.
• Ask for the register before you sign a lease on older premises.

Making Asbestos Management Part of Doing Business

Handled early, asbestos is a routine matter rather than a crisis. The steps are known, the surveyors are accredited, and the paperwork is light once set up. What turns it into a problem is silence and delay.

Treat the duty as ordinary upkeep, like a gas check or a fire drill. Book the survey, keep the record current, and brief your team. Do that, and a hidden risk becomes a managed line in your maintenance file. Your people stay safe, and your business stays on the right side of the law.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does My Business Really Have an Asbestos Duty?

Yes, if you control the maintenance or repair of non-domestic premises. The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 place a legal duty to manage on you. This holds even when you rent rather than own. The exact split between landlord and tenant depends on your lease.

How Do I Know If My Building Contains Asbestos?

Age is the first clue. Any building worked on before 2000 may contain it, as the final ban came in 1999. A management survey by an accredited surveyor gives you a proper answer. Never rely on a quick look, because most ACMs are hidden from view.

Do I Have to Remove Asbestos I Find?

Not always, and often you should not. Material in good, sealed condition is usually safer left in place and monitored. Removal is a job for trained contractors and can release fibres if done badly. Your management plan decides whether to manage, repair, or remove.

What Happens If I Ignore the Duty to Manage?

The risk to health is the first and worst outcome. On top of that, breaches can bring enforcement notices and heavy fines. Inspectors can stop work on a site until the issue is fixed.

Amazon-owned Ring announced a new video encryption system Wednesday called TAKE, short for Throw Away the Key Encryption, which the company says will become the default privacy standard for all Ring customers worldwide once fully rolled out, beginning in phases this September.

According to Ring, TAKE is designed to deliver stronger default privacy protections for the company’s video doorbells and home security cameras while still preserving the intelligent features customers rely on, including Smart Alerts, a balance the company says its previous end-to-end encryption option could not offer without sacrificing certain functionality.

Ring’s videos have already been encrypted both while traveling to the cloud and while stored at rest, according to the company. TAKE adds an additional layer of control by using unique, rotating encryption keys for each video. A copy of those keys is temporarily held inside what Ring describes as a secure enclave within the cloud, a protected environment the company compared to a sealed vault that grants Ring access to the key only under strict, limited conditions tied to the specific intelligent features a customer has activated on their account. Once those features have processed the video, Ring says it discards and permanently deletes its copy of the key. From that point forward, only the account holder, along with any trusted Shared Users they have specifically chosen to enable, retains access to the keys needed to view the video on their own enrolled devices, such as a phone, tablet or computer.

Ring described the system using a household analogy to illustrate how the new encryption approach functions in practice. The company compared TAKE to house keys: the company that manufactures a lock does not keep a copy of the key for itself, a homeowner might give a spare key to a close friend or family member they trust completely, and if a handyman needs access to fix something, the homeowner lends a key only for the duration of the job before getting it back. According to Ring, TAKE operates on that same underlying principle, with the account holder retaining the master key to their videos and deciding who receives access to a spare, and for what specific purpose.

The new system builds on privacy protections Ring first introduced in 2021, when the company became the first major smart home security provider to offer customers full end-to-end encryption, or E2EE, as an optional setting for those seeking the highest available level of video privacy and control. That E2EE option will remain available going forward as an alternative to the new default TAKE system, according to Ring. Under E2EE, only a customer’s specifically enrolled devices ever gain access to their encryption keys, a design that limits certain functionality; because access is restricted so tightly under E2EE, Shared Users and various cloud-based features are not supported under that setting, though core functions including live view, playback and direct video sharing continue to work seamlessly.

Under the new arrangement, every Ring customer will receive stronger encryption protections by default once TAKE fully rolls out, according to the company, while customers who want an even higher level of control can continue opting into the existing E2EE setting instead. Ring said customers will be able to manage their encryption settings at any time directly within the Ring app, adjusting those settings on a per-device basis and switching between the two encryption options as their needs change.

The announcement arrives alongside a broader hardware update from Ring. According to the company, Ring is also introducing 4K video support for battery-powered video doorbells for the first time, alongside three new 2K doorbell models that expand high-resolution video recording capability across both battery-powered and hardwired doorbell products.

Ring framed the TAKE rollout as part of an ongoing, continuous approach to privacy and security development rather than a one-time initiative. The company said it remains focused on listening to customer feedback regarding privacy priorities and continuing to develop new features and protections in response to those concerns as its technology and product lineup continue to evolve.

According to Ring, TAKE will roll out to customers in phases beginning in September, with the company indicating the system will ultimately become the default encryption standard applied to all Ring customers globally once that phased rollout is complete. The company has published a white paper detailing the technical specifics of the new encryption upgrade and has directed customers seeking additional information about how their video content is protected to visit Ring’s dedicated privacy page.

The introduction of TAKE reflects broader industry-wide attention to privacy and data security within the connected home security camera market, a sector that has faced periodic scrutiny in recent years over how companies handle and protect sensitive video footage captured inside and around customers’ homes. By introducing a system designed to combine stronger default encryption with continued access to cloud-based smart features, Ring appears to be positioning TAKE as a middle-ground option between standard cloud storage, which typically grants the company broader technical access to stored video, and full end-to-end encryption, which restricts cloud-based functionality more significantly in exchange for maximum customer control over video access.

As the phased rollout of TAKE begins in September, Ring customers can expect the new encryption standard to gradually become the default setting applied across their devices, with the company emphasizing that customers will retain the ability to adjust their specific encryption preferences at any time through the Ring app as the new system becomes more widely available across the company’s global customer base.

President Donald Trump’s new national emergency declaration could restrict U.S. purchases and imports of certain foreign-made power grid equipment and potentially force utilities and infrastructure operators to replace equipment already in service as the administration moves to address national security risks to the electric system.

Under an executive order signed Wednesday, the Energy Department can prohibit the acquisition, importation, transfer or installation of foreign-produced bulk-power equipment if officials determine the transaction involves a covered foreign entity and poses an unacceptable security risk.

The order goes further for equipment already operating on the U.S. grid. The energy secretary can require foreign-manufactured or operated equipment to be identified, isolated, monitored, secured, disconnected, replaced or removed, potentially requiring utilities and other infrastructure operators to make changes to existing systems.

Those provisions could carry financial and operational consequences for the power sector, although the order does not estimate potential costs or identify which equipment or vendors could ultimately be affected.

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The power transmission infrastructure and switchyard at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in California. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images / Getty Images)

The administration said the restrictions are necessary because foreign-produced equipment could contain vulnerabilities, including digital backdoors capable of providing remote access to critical infrastructure. The White House also argues that reliance on foreign suppliers leaves the U.S. vulnerable to equipment shortages caused by trade disruptions or other supply shocks.

The stakes have increased as artificial intelligence, data centers, advanced manufacturing and defense production drive greater demand for reliable electricity, according to the order.

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President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C. (Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

The equipment potentially covered spans major pieces of grid infrastructure, including transformers, generators, battery energy storage systems, grid-connected inverters, turbines and industrial control systems, as well as associated software, firmware and remote-access capabilities.

The order directs officials to weigh reliability and safety, the availability of secure replacement equipment and continuity of essential service before requiring equipment to be isolated, disconnected, replaced or removed. The Energy Department can also phase in compliance.

The order does not impose a blanket ban on all foreign-made grid equipment. Restrictions depend on Energy Department determinations involving covered foreign entities and national security risks, and the department can establish a list of pre-qualified equipment and vendors.

The Energy Department has 120 days to publish implementing rules or regulations as needed, providing the power industry with a clearer picture of which suppliers and equipment could face restrictions.

Workers assemble transformers at a factory in Neijiang, China, on July 31, 2026. President Donald Trump’s executive order gives the Energy Department authority to restrict certain foreign-produced bulk power equipment that officials determine poses a (Tang Mingrun/VCG via Getty Images / Getty Images)

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Trump is also directing the federal government to reconsider how it purchases energy infrastructure. Within 180 days, the energy secretary must recommend changes to federal procurement rules aimed at addressing national security risks and prioritizing U.S.-manufactured energy infrastructure in federal procurement.

That provision could have another business impact, shifting some federal demand away from foreign suppliers and toward domestic manufacturers as Washington seeks to secure the equipment underpinning an increasingly power-hungry U.S. economy.

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Microsoft has opened pre-orders for its Xbox Series X25 Limited Edition console and matching special-edition controller, marking the 25th anniversary of the Xbox brand with a translucent green design inspired by the original console.

The full package, referred to as the Xbox 25th anniversary collection, carries a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $899.99 in the United States. Regional pricing varies, with the United Kingdom listed at £759.99. The console ships with the matching controller and includes a full-game digital download of Halo: Campaign Evolved. Launch is scheduled for Nov. 13, 2026.

In an official statement, Microsoft said: “Beginning today, some of XBOX’s most dedicated fans will be invited via email to pre-order the XBOX 25th anniversary collection. Tomorrow, Thursday, August 27 at 7 a.m. PDT, all players in select markets can visit the XBOX site or participating retailers for an opportunity to pre-order while supplies last. The XBOX 25th anniversary collection launches on November 13, 2026, for an MSRP of $899.99 USD. Pricing varies by market, and players can check their local Microsoft Store or authorized retailers for region-specific pricing and availability. Pre-orders are limited to one XBOX 25th anniversary collection per customer.”

The console features a translucent OG Green shell with tributes to Xbox history and individual numbering via unique engraving on each unit. Internally it is based on the current Xbox Series X hardware with 1TB of storage. The included Halo: Campaign Evolved is described as a faithful yet modernized remake of the original campaign that launched with the first Xbox in 2001.

A matching Xbox Wireless Controller X25 Special Edition is available separately for $79.99 in the United States, £74.99 in the United Kingdom and €79.99 in Europe. The controller is scheduled to launch on Oct. 20, 2026, and pre-orders for it began earlier. It adopts the same translucent green aesthetic and incorporates design details that reference the original Xbox controller.

Pre-order access is staggered. Selected long-time customers received email invitations starting Aug. 26 for early ordering. Broader availability begins Aug. 27 at 7 a.m. PDT through the official Xbox website and participating retailers in select markets. Microsoft has emphasized that supplies are limited and that purchases are capped at one console package per customer.

The announcement came during Microsoft’s Xbox presentation at Gamescom 2026. The Series X25 was first revealed earlier in the year as part of anniversary celebrations. Microsoft has positioned the hardware as a collector’s item that celebrates 25 years of the platform rather than a next-generation performance upgrade.

Reaction among players has focused on the price point. The $899.99 cost exceeds that of the standard Xbox Series X, reflecting the limited-edition design, packaging and included software. Some observers noted that the premium aligns with other anniversary or special-edition consoles released by major platforms in recent years. Others questioned the value relative to the underlying hardware specifications, which remain those of the existing Series X.

Microsoft has previously taken steps to limit scalping on high-demand releases, including purchase limits and verified-customer priority windows. The one-per-customer restriction and early access for dedicated fans are consistent with those efforts. Availability is expected to be tight, particularly in the initial days of the general pre-order window.

Halo: Campaign Evolved forms a central part of the package. The remake updates the original campaign while preserving core gameplay and story elements that helped establish the Xbox brand. Including the full game at no additional cost adds tangible software value to the hardware purchase.

The controller’s earlier October release allows players to obtain the anniversary aesthetic ahead of the console itself. It is expected to function with existing Xbox Series X and Series S systems as well as compatible Windows PCs, following standard Xbox Wireless Controller compatibility.

Regional pricing and exact retail partners will vary. Microsoft directs customers to check local Microsoft Store pages and authorized retailers for availability and final costs, which may include taxes or additional fees depending on location. Pre-orders in some markets could open at slightly different local times corresponding to the 7 a.m. PDT global window.

The Series X25 arrives at a time when Microsoft continues to support the current generation of Xbox hardware while developing future platforms. The anniversary edition does not alter the core technical specifications of the Series X and is intended primarily as a commemorative product. Collectors and long-time fans form the primary audience, though the included game may broaden interest.

Microsoft has not disclosed production quantities. The combination of individual numbering, limited pre-order windows and one-per-customer rules indicates a controlled release designed to reach dedicated players first. Secondary-market prices for similar limited consoles have historically risen above retail after sell-outs, though outcomes depend on overall supply.

Players interested in the package are advised to prepare accounts and payment methods in advance of the Aug. 27 general opening. Those who received early-access emails can complete purchases immediately. The separate controller offers a lower-cost entry point for fans seeking the anniversary design without purchasing the full console set.

The Xbox 25th anniversary collection represents Microsoft’s formal hardware tribute to a quarter-century of the brand. With confirmed pricing, release dates and pre-order details now public, attention turns to how quickly the limited stock will be claimed once broader ordering begins.