We see plenty of tips and tricks for residential electric company owners that are meant to help save them money, but what about business owners? Businesses face the same issues as residential customers. When electric rates rise, businesses lose money from their bottom line. In order to keep the bottom line healthy or just to save a few dollars that could be put to use in other areas, it is important managers and employees learn a bit about energy savings. An electrician in Burbank, like those at The Electric Connection, has some tips that can help you lower the electric bill while lessening the demand on the power grid. It is a win-win situation.

*On Fridays, turn off power strips and unplug things like the coffee maker and other small appliances in the office. This will help reduce the phantom power that is drawn even when appliances, computers and other equipment are not in use.

*Install motion sensors in the copy room, bathrooms and supply rooms that are not always in use and do not always need to have lights on. The sensors detect movement and will automatically turn the lights on when somebody enters the room and shuts the light off when a person leaves the room.

*Switch your lighting to LED. This is a huge energy saver and you will see savings on your next Burbank electrical bill. Track lighting is common in offices. These fixtures are typically equipped to handle the energy-efficient LEDs. If you need to upgrade your existing lights, talk with your local electrician.

*Make sure to regularly maintain the fans on your computers. Keeping the computers dust free helps them run better and will ultimately lose less energy. This also applies to the coils on the office refrigerator and the furnace filters. Dust isn’t just unsightly—it costs you money!

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a lighting upgrade in your office, give The Electric Connection a call today.

There was a time not too long ago when gas and electricity costs weren’t really a topic of concern at all. Keeping in view expenses such as mortgage payments, insurance etc, energy bills faded in comparison. However, that is no longer the case today. Energy costs have become a major concern for property owners and the need of the hour is for energy – efficient solutions to be incorporated into the home.

And there is no dearth of these types of solutions. Ranging from LED bulbs, use of solar energy, smart lighting, optimum insulation, use of energy-efficient building materials, switching from standard ovens to convection ovens, people are trying everything in the book to coax their energy bills to drop a little bit. While all these measures are definitely helpful in bringing down energy consumption, there is one more thing consumers can do to keep a handle on their energy bills- use smart lighting schedules!

Energy providers in Australia charge consumers a variety of rates; this is based on the type of meter in the house and the manner in which energy is used in peak & off-peak periods. There is no standard rule here as different retailers maintain different energy rates. The one way to get a much reduced rate is to opt for a long-term energy contract. It’s important to shop around a bit as the difference in rates between providers can be significant.

Off peak times are those when businesses and homes typically use less electricity. The off peak time is dependent on your meter type and location; however, these are typically on weekends and/or at night. When consumers use electricity in busy peak times, it burdens the electricity networks in the country. It’s also why energy usage in the off-peak hours is charged at much lower rates. This is the way consumers are encouraged to use power outside busy hours.

There is another definition of off-peak rates. This can refer to the electricity used by a particular appliance on a dedicated circuit. For instance the electric hot water system in your house could be on a separate circuit and will be billed separately, on the off peak rates your service provider is offering. It’s possible to leverage this off-peak rate to reduce energy costs in your home. You can use interval metering or off-peak hot water to benefit from these lower rates at set times of the day and the weekends.

If you are considering using smart scheduling, it’s important that you contact your energy provider and find out if it’s something they accommodate and what you are required to do. For advice on smart metering and other electrical installation services, call Allround Electrical at 1300 169 263. You can also drop us a line via email.

Thanks for reading,1300 169 263

Question:  How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?

Answer:  Only one…but the light bulb has to really WANT to change.

Maybe you’ve heard this joke before.  And, maybe you are tired of hearing light bulb jokes in general.  But, like it or not—Change is inevitable and the LED light bulb is leading the way.

Nearly a day goes by that we do not hear about light emitting diodes (LEDs) and the changes taking place in the lighting industry.

And, for good reason.  LED is changing the way we see the light.  The latest ceiling pendants, mini chandeliers, task lamps and outdoor light fixtures are accepting these new bulbs with tremendous gusto.  The lighting effects are becoming more versatile and redefining our vision of elegance.  The price of LED lamps is even coming down.

As LED light fixtures become more affordable and user-friendly, the choice of which bulb to use in your next lighting design will be clear…or frosted or soft white or blue…but it will be LED!

1.  LEDs lasts up to 50 times longer and use 80% less energy than old standard incandescent light bulbs.

2.  LEDs burn out slowly over time, so the dreaded pop and bulb blow out will be a blast from the past–something to tell your grandchildren about!

3.  LEDs radiate little to no heat and they hold up extremely well in harsh winter weather conditions.

4.  LEDs are eco-friendly; they do not contain toxic gas or emit harmful IR/UV radiation.

5.  LEDs are also referred to as “solid-state” lighting  (SSL) because they use semiconductors and are solid light sources; they are shatter-resistant and durable.

Embrace change. Learn the facts and put LED to work in your home or office environment.

√ Buy from a reputable dealer.  All LED bulbs are not created equal.  Through a process of “binning,” LED chips are sorted according to the quality and degree of luminescence.  Cheaper LED bulbs may be equipped with a lower quality chip that will not provide the brightest light and may burn out prematurely.

√ Look for Energy Star®-ratings to find LEDs of the highest quality.

Some of the latest LED innovations include designer mini pendants and ceiling fixtures from ELK Lighting.

If you live in the United States, you’re likely well-familiar with our typical wall-socket setup. Your plug has two flat pieces of metal roughly half of an inch wide, with one side sometimes being slightly wider than the other. Your wall socket has two slots that match this, with one side also being slightly larger than the other. However, sometimes there’s a variance: some plugs have a third prong below and between the normal two, and most electrical sockets also have a third hole to match this plug. What’s the difference between these two types of plugs and is one better than the other?

To put it simply, yes, one is better than the other. When it comes to electrical plugs, the old adage “less is more” does not apply—the three-prong plug is far better than a two-prong. To learn why, let’s discuss the difference between the two.

In order for electricity to flow, you must complete a circuit. A circuit essentially is a connection from your power source to the device, and then from the device back to the power source. The line that brings power from the power source to the device is called your “hot wire”, which is most often red and comes off the positive terminal (noted by the large “+” sign). The line that then returns from the device to the terminal, usually a black wire connected to a “-“ sign, is known as the “neutral wire.” A plug must have both of these lines in order to work.

However, the third prong in a three-prong plug is a “ground” plug, which dramatically improves safety. When an unexpected burst of electricity happens, such a short in the device or a surge from your power supply, the ground plug will take that abundance of additional electricity and move it away from the device and down into the ground where it is safe. This prevents your device from being overloaded which can cause overheating, sparking, and fires in addition to ruining it.

Three-prong plugs didn’t become the standard in homes in North America until the late 1960s. If you have a home that was constructed around this time or after, odds are your wall sockets are probably already of the three-prong variety. Two-prong plugs can work with three-prong sockets just fine, and you’ll rarely experience any issues.

However, if you have any old two-prong plugs, you’ll likely need your electrical system updated in order to upgrade to a three-prong setup. Properly installing ground wires can involve several hours of electrical work and even cutting into your walls in order to do so properly, so it’s a rather large undertaking. However, it’s by far the safest and most prudent option.

Another option that doesn’t involve tearing open your walls is to install a ground fault circuit interrupter outlet, otherwise known as a GFCI. These sockets are two-pronged, but feature a miniature circuit breaker that measures the resistance through a plug and mechanically shuts off when the risk of a shock is present. While this can help you avoid being shocked by a faulty device, there is still no ground wire present so your electronics are not protected from a power surge.