Looking for Smart circuit breakers for UK use

Hardware
1

Given the cost of living crisis, I want to replace my night storage heater circuit breakers with smart 1P+N residual current circuit breakers providing overcurrent protection (RCBO) in one module.

There are a few listed on AliExpress but I’m hesitant to purchase anything which doesn’t conform to UK standards.

Has anyone found equivalent and compatible smart circuit breakers that include remote switch on/off and power monitoring?

1 Like
2

Did you get anywhere with this search ?

3

No, I was warned not to replace my current circuit breakers with any DIN rail smart device - like the Shelly Pro units. I am still looking for a viable solution but I found a couple of potential options that added relays alongside the current circuit breakers so that I would continue to be protected.

4

I tried a Tuya WiFi smart breaker. Tuya Smart Life MCB WIFI Metering Circuit Breaker.
Remote control, power metering, timer and preset protection value. So far so good.

5

Are you based in the UK? If so, did you have it professionally installed? I was warned against using any device that did not fully meet UK safety standards.

6

How do we know if it does or does not meet “UK safety standards”

7

I think the applicable standards are:

ANSI/ESD S20.20:2014, BS EN 61340-5-1:2007 and BS EN 60898.

9

Works well in Greece

10

The mistake which you made was that you communicated your intention of removing a critical safety component - the MCB - from the circuit and replacing it with what is possibly a sub-standard and non-compliant component from AliExpress.
The only way to acceptably achieve this would be by installing a contactor device below the existing MCB and connecting this to a device such as a Shelly EM with a contractor interface.

https://www.shelly.cloud/en/products/shop/em-120a

That way the safety device remains in situ, but you obtain control of the circuit though a remotely switchable, purpose-designed controller.
I’ll just add that these modifications may not be considered “minor works” under UK legislation, so may not be authorised unless carried out by an electrician.