During a lightning storm, the safest place to be is indoors. However, there are still several safety precautions one needs to take to stay safe in your own home. The three most common ways lightning can enter your home are through a direct strike, through inner/outer wires and pipes, and through the ground.

To know how at risk your home is during a storm, you can use a guideline that meteorologists call “The 30-30 Rule.” If you see lightning and then hear thunder within 30 seconds, move indoors and take necessary safety precautions. This typically indicates that a storm is fewer than 6 miles away, which is close enough for a lightning strike. Then, stay indoors for at least 30 minutes after you hear the last clap of thunder at the end of the storm.

The following guidelines can give you additional protection against electrical injuries during harsh, stormy weather:

Injuries caused by lightning strikes are more common than most people realize, but the above considerations and safety guidelines can help secure both you and your home during inclement weather.

Spring is always a good time to give your heating and air conditioning unit a break as well as your pocketbook. Summer is just around the corner and those electric bills will jump once you start using your air conditioner on a regular basis. The hot weather does not need to cost you a fortune to stay cool. There are a few things you can do to keep your home comfortable without setting the AC at 72.

Ceiling Fan

An electrician in Santa Monica can install a ceiling fan to help reduce your electric bill. The fan stirs the air, preventing it from getting hot and stagnant. The nice cool breeze will help cool you as long as you have the fan blades spinning in the right direction. It’s always best to hire a licensed electrician install your fans since they would have sufficient knowledge about electrical wiring. Typically, fans are sold with a kit with all the supplies needed to install it. The Electric Connection is reliable and can complete the job for you in a timely manner.

Kitchen Exhaust Fan

Use an exhaust fan in the kitchen to pull out the hot air. If you do not have one, these are available for purchase at most hardware stores. If the space is already available in the range hood, this is a quick replacement job. However, it’s always best to leave it up to a certified  electrician. Santa Monica residents know cooking in the summer heat is tough. When possible, use the microwave, stovetop or even better, barbecue!

Oscillating Fans

These are available at almost any store and use less electricity than an air conditioning unit. Simply moving the air around the home works to keep it cooler. Anything you can do to lessen the burden on your AC will save you money on your total electric bill.

Pendant lights are popular among many home designs. These versatile ceiling pendants unequivocally fit the bill in a variety of zones where points of light and design converge. Adding ceiling pendants over the kitchen island has been a design element we’ve seen and loved for a while, but interior designers and trendsetters are taking it a step further. We are starting to see designs incorporating unique, stylish pendants over dining tables, above the bath vanity, over the dressing table, by your favorite reading chair and over chic desks.

Whether your lighting design taste sways toward sparkling crystal or rustic farmhouse, selecting the correct size and number of pendants is key to creating a space that is both functional and beautiful.

The home of the future has arrived! Home automation is now easier to find and more advanced than ever before. With home automation, various electrical and security components in your home are at your fingertips—even if you are on vacation several states away!

An application on your smartphone allows you to control the temperature, the garage door, your lights, some appliances, and even your locks. Find out how this can save you time and money below.

Has this ever happened to you? You’re running late for work, but as you’re pulling out of the driveway, you remember that you’ve forgotten to lock the doors. Or, you get all the way into the parking lot when you remember you left the garage door open.

These are both things you can monitor and correct using the home automation system’s application on your smartphone or tablet. As long as you have internet access, you can check on the locks, the garage door, and the lights to see if you forgot any of the basics. You will, however, need to install compatible home automation products for your home.

You’ve just arrived home from vacation, and you left the heat off or at a very low setting while you were away. When you walk into the door, you’re freezing! You have to run the heating system for a long time to feel comfortable again, and that’s certainly not the greeting you would like.

With home automation, you can adjust the thermostat from your smartphone. That way, when the plane lands, you can set the thermostat so that a warm home is waiting for you. And you can monitor energy usage while you’re gone to make sure the heater is working efficiently.

Finally, a home automation system helps you to monitor your energy usage throughout the day. You can find out when you use up the most energy, in order to make energy-smart choices about your lights and appliances.