Looking for a creative way to save energy? Don't forget about your cable box. The television might not be the first device most people think of when it comes to energy conservation, but that's about to change. A voluntary agreement among manufacturers, cable providers and the federal government calls for big efficiency overhauls in the set-top boxes that bring cable and satellite signals into consumers' homes.

Meeting Efficiency Goals

Certain cable boxes can use half as much electricity as a refrigerator, according to the Energy Collective, so there's a lot of room to conserve. And a full 85 percent of American households have some kind of set-top box, according to the National Cable & Telecommunications Association and the Consumer Electronics Association. In households with multiple set-top boxes in different rooms, there may be a shocking amount of electricity consumed merely by piping in everyone’s favorite shows.

Set-top boxes don't have minimum federal standards, so the voluntary agreement is an alternative way to bring all the products up to a certain energy conservation threshold. Since technology changes so quickly in telecommunications, and the federal regulatory process is so cumbersome and slow, voluntary compliance allows stakeholders to advance efficiency goals without waiting for new regulations that might be outdated by the time they are enacted.

The agreement was put into place last year and should save consumers $168 million in electricity bills annually, according to the NCTA annual report on the program. Even more stringent voluntary standards will kick in in 2017.

Cutting-Edge Efficiency

The highest standards are found in the federal Energy Star program, which certifies set-top boxes that are 40 percent more efficient than average models. If every cable box hit the Energy Star benchmark, the program claims, consumers would save a total of $1 billion annually and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking two million cars off the road.

Most boxes are always drawing power, even when they’re in standby mode. One way in which more advanced models save energy is through deep sleep mode, which consumes a maximum of 15 percent of the power used during active mode. Automatic power-down is another feature that many new boxes include.

Providers are also offering “thin client” boxes for homes with multiple televisions. Under this arrangement, the main cable box may use a fair amount of electricity, but the additional boxes would consume considerably less.

Of course, most people don't buy their own cable boxes, so to make sure you’re getting an efficient model, remember to ask your cable provider. Your cable company may also be willing to upgrade your existing box or swap it out for a more advanced model.

In need of a 24-hour electrician in Washington, DC? The experts at Kolb Electric would urge caution! We’ve spent some time talking about scammers in the past, and this situation could put you at risk. Wondering how? For starters, when you need an electrician RIGHT NOW you’re more likely to pay less attention to credentials and reputation. This could lead to shoddy work, dangerous wiring fixes, or just a plain scam!

Looking for a reliable and certified 24-hour electrician in Washington, DC? Contact Kolb Electric right away!

On the surface, nothing at all. Our team offers reliable 24-hour services, and most certified and licensed electricians do. The worry here is pressure. You’re in a pickle, and need a solution right now. And for each trusted professional out there, there’s a scammer who knows you don’t have the time to worry about credentials.

In our posts about scamming and why you should choose a trusted electrician, we talk about how to go about recognizing trustworthy service. We detail things like looking for certification, and checking local peer reviews. And these are all super-duper important! Thing is, you’ve got an emergency on your hands. No one has time to do research in a time like that.

Well, you can certainly do a quick online check. Sites like the BBB (Better Business Bureau) can give you a good idea of whether or not you’re dealing with an accredited and trusted business. But taking your time usually yields better results. The key is to find a team beforehand.

As homeowners, we like having “regulars.” Businesses that we know we can call when we need answers. We do it with a family doctor, or local food joints that we love. Why not do it with home services, too? You should always have major businesses hand-picked for your needs before you need them. Find some roofers, find an HVAC expert, and of course, find an electrician!

Follow these steps to find a reliable electrician for your home:

Our certified and licensed professionals have been providing dependable, trustworthy service to Maryland, DC, and Virginia for nearly a century! We’re proud to say that our satisfied consumers always turn to our team in an emergency. Need a 24-hour electrician in Washington, DC? Contact us!

Custom Electrical Services was recently voted for first place for Urbandale and Johnston area as best electrician!  The pole was taken by USA Today Best, and was presented by the Des Moines Register.  The voting is segmented into different areas by city.  Not all areas have the polls closed as of date.  The Urbandale and Johnston closed on September 27th, 2016.  The Des Moines metro voting closes on October 11th, 2016.  Custom Electrical Services would like to thank all the Urbandale and Johnston residence who took the time to vote.  We are proud to serve the Urbandale and Johnston area 24 / 7 as well as all of central Iowa!

We take pride in our work.  Our track record supports this.  Our electricians are not only licensed.  They receive special training that gives them superior customer service skills compared to other electricians.  We work hard to provide the best customer service experience possible.  Our electricians understand that your home is your castle.  They show respect for you and your property.  We are not your typical electrician that comes out and says your project is going to cost X.  We take the time to evaluate your entire electrical system as well as perform our full page safety inspection.  This provides a TON of added value to our service.  When is the last time someone took your panel cover off and inspected all your connections?  Most customers say not since I have lived here!  Electrical connections can loosen over time.  Wiring can expand and retract as loads fluctuate on the circuits, this expansion and loosen the connections inside your panel or breaker box.  Loose connections can leave to excessive arching and can cause fires.

Who are you letting into your home?  Our electricians receive an extensive background check.  We are not going to send a criminal into your home.  We realize the delicate nature of having strangers come into your home.  While you may not personally know the electrician you can rest assured we do!  Our background checked electricians are team members, not sub contractors.  We employee them full time and work one on one with them on a daily basis.  We work with them to develop the best customer experience possible.  We want you to feel comfortable with having our trained service technician in your home so you can be just as comfortable as we are with them.

In addition to a 3rd party background check our electricians receive drug testing.  You would not a person on drugs drive your kids to school!  So you defiantly don’t want an electrician on drugs performing wiring in your home!  Are drug tested and background checked electricians were the seal of safety.  This seal is worn with pride and taken very seriously.  When you see the seal of safety on our electricians uniform you know that you are working with a safe professional.

We all want the best for our children, and one of the most important ways we can help the next generation is by ensuring that they are receiving the highest quality education they can. But what if I told you there is an element to education that most people overlook when discussing ways to change education, even though it has been proven to improve behavior and focus, reduce disruptions and increase reading speed and learning capacity?

Though often overlooked, Research has shown that full-spectrum, cool white light is best for encouraging concentration in a classroom, so swapping out outdated fixtures for newer technology could be a great start to better classroom lighting.

Although fluorescent fixtures are popular in schools, the way they flicker (often imperceptibly) especially if a child has a visual impairment that necessitates a brighter environment. Try to position the lights (or the students) so that the task lighting is on the opposite side of their dominant (writing) side. This ensures that their writing arm won’t block the light, and distracting shadows won’t affect their work.

Teachers should try to avoid standing in front of lights or windows when talking, because these can easily distract or bother students. Though it can be difficult, students will focus and learn better when the teacher eliminates as many distractions as possible. And who among us hasn’t caught themselves drifting in a daydream out a window, whether interested in the topic at hand or not?

There are many programs and initiatives for better classroom lighting in place, though many are local to specific regions. Have you heard of any neat programs geared towards smart classroom lighting? Let us know in the comments!