Is your home in need of some electrical outlet upgrades? Mr. Electric has the inside scoop with the 6 most common types of upgrades. Take a look below or you can click on our infographic at left to learn more!

LED night lights give you longer light with more available plugs. Leaving you available outlets, LED outlets also save you money with a 20-year life expectancy. Your children can sleep with more ease at night with their LED night-lights while you are keeping more money in your pocket.

USB outlets are becoming the standard for homes. Instead of dealing with bulky chargers and adapters, you can plug your electronics directly into the outlet. While charging your mobile devices, you also have access to outlets for other uses. It's convenience for less than you might think.

Unlike standard outlets that leave plugs dangling from the receptacle, recessed outlets are set deeper into the wall, preventing plugs form extending beyond the surface.

When something unexpected happens causing wiring to overheat, an AFCI is necessary to detect the occurrence and shut down the outlet before damage can occur. These outlets can be easily incorporated into your main service panel and are a must have for protection from any sudden overheating.

Tamper resistant receptacles are a must have for every home. These specialized outlets feature a barrier to prevent small children form inserting any foreign objects in them. This allows you to rest easy knowing there is no risks of any injuries caused by electrical shock or burns.

This type of outlet upgrade helps to protect you and your family form potential electrical hazards. A GFCI constantly monitors electricity flowing in a circuit and if an interruption is detected, quickly shuts off power to that circuit. Easy and inexpensive installation makes this upgrade a no-brainer for your home.

Still have questions? No problem! Contact Mr. Electric today to learn more about these and other upgrades you can make to your home!

If you’ve been trying to save a little bit of money on your heating bills, shutting off the heater every day for a short while certainly isn’t the most comfortable way to do so. If you feel you’re running out of ways to save a few bucks on your heating bills, you might consider installing a zone control system. A zone control system involves investing in an initial installation, but the results for your comfort and for your bills should very well be worth it. Zone control allows you and your family members to control the level of heating in one area of the home individually from the others, for maximum comfort and savings.

A thermostat capable of controlling all of the dampers at once. When you raise or lower the temperature in a particular zone, the damper that leads to that area opens or closes to allow more or less airflow.

This is only a job for a professional as it involves knowledge of duct design and the proper methods of dismantling the ducts and sealing them to protect against leaks. But once you get a new zone control system, you’ll notice the benefits right away. If there is an area of the home that goes unoccupied throughout the day or night, you can shut off the heat in that area only to save on your utilities.

You can also use zone control to adjust the heating throughout a house with multiple floors or a unique architectural design or feature that makes even heating difficult. Sometimes, the way your home is designed makes it difficult for heat to distribute evenly in every room. But with zone control, you can make sure that each area is the same with separate thermostats that ensure that room is heated to the desired temperature. As an added bonus, you’ll never have to hear the people in your home bicker about the temperature in the house when they can control their own area individually, and you get zone cooling in the summer as well for year-long savings.

Call the heating and air conditioning professionals at FB Electrical Services to learn how you can get zone heating in Newton today.

There's an easy way to save money on your electricity bills that doesn't require any new appliances, smart technology or other expensive upgrades. This revolutionary idea is beautiful in its simplicity: Just unplug your devices when you aren't using them. It turns out that “always on” or standby technology is filling up the electricity meters and draining the pocketbooks of consumers across the nation. Read on to find out more and inspire yourself to pull the plug.

A Shocking Waste of Energy

Ready for a shocker? Idle devices are costing Americans a cumulative $19 billion per year, or $165 per household, according to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The paper, titled “Home Idle Load: Devices Wasting Huge Amounts of Electricity When Not in Active Use,” translates the numbers into something compelling: Each household wastes enough electricity to brew 234 cups of coffee per day. That's a lot of caffeine!

To be more explicit, the excess electricity use is equivalent to the output of 50 large power plants. In addition to spending money unnecessarily, we're creating an enormous amount of pollution just to power electronics that aren't in use. These bits of electricity are called energy vampires or phantom loads, notorious for their scary effect on your wallet and the environment alike.

Devices Gone Digital

Most devices drain small amounts of electricity no matter what, and the proliferation of standby technology that makes it easy to turn things on quickly or via remote control amplifies the waste considerably.

“One reason for such high idle energy levels is that many previously purely mechanical devices have gone digital,” Pierre Delforge, the report’s author and NRDC’s director of high-tech sector energy efficiency, told EnergyEfficientMarkets.com. “Appliances like washers, dryers, and fridges now have displays, electronic controls, and increasingly even Internet connectivity, for example.”

Obviously, you can't unplug your refrigerator or freezer, and some equipment like electric stoves and central air units might be inconvenient or impossible to disconnect on a regular basis. But there's still plenty of savings to be found in your televisions, computers, game consoles, phone chargers and other electronic devices found in the modern household.

What Can I Do?

It’s not realistic to expect every homeowner in America to go around plugging in and unplugging dozens of devices every day. But there are some tips that can help you out:

With just a little bit of extra diligence, you can do your part to reduce our energy consumption in the United States, and save money while you're at it.

Fun Fact: “Americans might not have a Columbus Day if Christopher Columbus had not been born in Italy. Out of pride for their native son, the Italian population of New York City organized the first celebration of the discovery of America on October 12, 1866.” *

Although declared a federal holiday in 1937 by President Franklin Roosevelt, Columbus Day is not celebrated in California, Nevada or Hawaii. Controversy over the “discovery” of America exists because native people inhabited the land prior to the arrival of the Europeans. **

While the “discovery” of America may be in question, there is no doubt that the European influence and influx of cultural diversity is worth illuminating. And, some of the most outstanding home lighting concepts incorporate Old World artistry with New World technology.

DISCOVER THE UNDENIABLE BRILLIANCE OF EUROFASE LIGHTING:

Established in 1989, Eurofase enters its third decade of excellence with cutting edge contemporary lighting and classic, traditionally-inspired designs.

From Gothic wrought iron chandeliers and grand crystal foyer fixtures to modern “green” lighting and energy-efficient outdoor lighting, Eurofase demonstrates a close attention to detail, embracing technology and a fusion of creative energy.

EUROFASE: WHERE OLD WORLD ELEGANCE MEETS THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF MODERN QUALITY CONTROL…

Headquartered in Toronto, a city rich in inspiration and cultural diversity, Eurofase’s inventory of over 2,600 unique products is controlled by state-of-the-art technology with world-class accuracy.

A Quality Control team overseas the mechanical and electrical integrity of every Eurofase product.

A stringent control process ensures that all crucial elements-such as safety approvals, longevity testing, packaging and instructions-meet the highest standards.

With an in-house UL (Underwriter Laboratories) Standards Testing Lab, Eurofase independently monitors the safety approval process.

Eurofase Lighting is credited with introducing several new designer and technological trends to the North American marketplace….

Visit a Capitol Lighting showroom or shop 1800lighting.com to view these sensational collections and enjoy promotional pricing on profound illuminations from Eurofase.

Also, this week enjoy Columbus Day savings on award-winning Hinkley Lighting. Winner of the “Lighting for Tomorrow” 2012 award, Hinkley Lighting offers outstanding energy-efficient outdoor lighting, as well as, superb chandeliers, ceiling fixtures, wall sconces and bath lighting for the distinguished home.

Discover great discounts at Capitol Lighting…take 30% off ALL new bath and outdoor fixtures now through November 1st!  From pendant lights and chandeliers by   Eurofase to gorgeous outdoor fixtures by Hinkley Lighting, Capitol Lighting carries the best brands and products to light your home with distinction and style.

*www.usafederalholidays.com/Columbus_day.html