Everyone is a victim of the monthly electrical bill, and nobody likes to pay it, however electricity is a necessity to our everyday lifestyle. One of the benefits of electricity is that we have the power to manage it efficiently. Taking the right actions can mean saving money every month. We like providing you with helpful reminders of how you can be saving electricity in your home to make energy wise choices and save money on your bill.

Upgrade home windows – As winter approaches, you will find yourself wanting to maintain a warm and comfortable home. A great way to keep the heat in the home from escaping outside is by upgrading to more efficient windows. Windows with more glazes/panes help to capture the heat and keep it in. While this could prove costly to replace all the windows in your home, in the long run it is a wise investment to reduce the monthly electrical bill.

Regular furnace maintenance – Just because your furnace is running does not mean that it is running properly. If you are neglecting your furnace it could be running inefficiently. A professional inspection of the home’s furnace can lead to the identification of a number of areas of potential improvement that when resolved can lead to increased energy efficiency.

Use portable heaters -We have previously spoken about the user of portable heaters in the past and it is always worth revisiting. When heating the home, it is more efficient to turn on a small heater in the room you are in, rather than turning up the thermostat. Heat only the areas that are in use and not rooms that are empty.

Use the right bulbs – Each light fixture has a specification for the bulbs that should be used. Matching the right bulbs to the fixture leads to higher efficiency as energy can be wasted powering an incompatible bulb. And, if you haven’t replaced your home light bulbs with LEDs or compact fluorescent bulbs its time to!

Smart Thermostat – We visited this topic in last week in detail – turning down the home thermostat when heat is not needed is the easiest way to save on energy. A smart thermostat will help your set better heating schedules and allow changes to be made remotely from a smart phone.

Unplug unnecessary electronics – Electronic devices that are not currently being used should be unplugged. Items such as phone chargers, kitchen appliances, and laptops can still consume electricity even if they are off.

Repair your roof – In addition to windows in a home, the roof is another area where heat can escape. Heating a home is not cheap, so each degree should be kept inside, not outside. A damaged, or improperly insulated roof can lead to heat loss. A professional will be able to inspect your attic and roof to identify areas of heat loss and repair them.

Home Electrical inspection – Old and outdated wiring is not only inefficient, but dangerous. Schedule one of your licensed electricians to inspect your home to identify areas your can take advantage of to improve electrical efficiency.

Making the right investments in your home can lead to saving thousands of dollars in the long run. Before the thermometer starts to drop this season, review your energy consumption habits and areas in the home that can be improved. For a home electrical inspection, contact your local Expert Electric.

You may have heard a little noise a while back about incandescent light bulbs being phased out. As this phase out happens, you are finding fewer bulbs that come in the 4-pack and typically cost no more than a dollar or so. In their place are those swirled bulbs that cost a few dollars for a single bulb. You are probably a little frustrated and wondering what is going on. Your electrician in Santa Monica is here to explain to you why those cheap bulbs are not going to be available for much longer. If you want more information about this matter, give The Electric Connection a call.

Those swirl bulbs are referred to as CFLs. The technical term is compact florescent light bulbs. They emit the same amount of light and use about a quarter of the electricity of the incandescent bulbs. That means money saved on your electric bill. And although the CFLs cost more up front, they last 10 times longer than the incandescent bulbs.

You may discover some of your lamps or light fixtures do not accommodate the CFLs. While this is an issue, it is actually worth the money to invest in a new fixture that is more energy efficient. You will need to hire an electrician to take care of your Santa Monica electrical upgrades. Yes, there are some initial costs, but you will be saving money on your electric bill every month. It is estimated that about $20 out of every $100 electric bill is because of lights. By using CFLs and energy efficient fixtures, you could potentially save anywhere from $15 to $45 every month depending on your regular electric bill. If you would like to schedule your lighting fixture upgrade give The Electric Connection a call today and start saving money on your electric bill.

If you want to take your lighting customization to the next level, try a new smart phone controlled LED light bulb. You can change this light bulb’s color temperature, along with its brightness, and even place it on a timer to help your kids learn how to fall asleep and wake up on their own.

3. Light Layers

Here’s where a bit more magic comes in. We always recommend using multiple light sources in whatever room you decorate. It adds visual interest, useful illumination for tasks, and helps make a space feel more inviting. In the the kids’ room, adding light layers the perfect opportunity to encourage self-expression.