A lot of fires are caused by short-circuits and electrical problems. So for home improvement projects, always look for an electrician to ensure the safety of homes and of people living on it. One responsibility of electricians is to prepare the electrical installation layout plan of a house especially if it is newly built. He must prepare the new wiring installation and check the wiring facility for repairs. He also needs to maintain the electrical systems to avoid future damages, risks and problems. They respond to reported emergencies and power outages and even work with the electric power industry and many other sectors in preventing electrical hazards like jumpers or unauthorized power consumption reducers. With all of these responsibilities, searching for a qualified person to do the job requires a lot of effort. A person trying to improve their homes should not trust their electrical systems to inexperienced people.

Whether it is home renovation or electrical repairs, people must get a qualified electrician to work for their homes. One important aspect to be checked is his credibility. Is he licensed? Is he a member to associations or guilds in the electric service industry? By inquiring about these things, one will be sure that that person he is hiring for the job is knowledgeable and professional. Even if it is a small house repair, having a licensed electrician to fix it is the safest thing one can do because their license is an assurance that they are highly-skilled. One may also ask if the electrician has an insurance that will cover damages in case of accidents because the job is dangerous and are unavoidable. Always remember that an apprentice is not allowed to do a job alone. He always need the supervision of a licensed electrician and hiring them may cause problems not just for safety but also to the one who employed him since it is illegal. Check the state regulations too because there are a few states that do not require electricians to be licensed. Please report to the authorities if these cases occur to avoid possible dangers to life and property. Another thing to consider here are the feedback of people whom he worked with before. Do they still recommend him? If he recently worked in the community, one can ask neighbors, relatives, and colleagues about his skills and work attitudes. However, one can also refer to online information and reviews in searching for electricians. Check out several websites before calling someone to do the job.

Trusting homes to qualified electricians pays off. Safety is secured and damages will be prevented. Be careful in selecting and follow the reminders above to assure a successful home improvement project.

Sometimes the bad news about energy and the environment in the media can be overwhelming. Good news tends to get pushed aside in favor of spectacular disasters. Yet, every day in towns and cities across America, people are working on green energy projects that both help the environment and save money. This shouldn’t be a surprise — survey after survey has found that most Americans are concerned about the environment, and most cities today are scrambling to save money.

Energy Saving Light Bulbs in Street Lights. Replacing conventional incandescent electric bulbs with LED bulbs in street lights is one popular green energy project. In the largest such project in the world, Los Angeles is replacing the bulbs of 140,000 street lights. The LED bulbs use considerably less electricity, creating not only money savings but also savings in the oil and coal needed to generate electricity. When complete, the project will save the City $10 million each year. Of that, $2.5 million will be saved on maintenance costs and $7.5 million in electrical usage. The project will also reduce carbon emissions from electric generation by 40,500 tons per year. That’s like taking 6,700 cars off L.A. streets for the life of the bulbs – every year for 10 or so years.

L.A. City engineers originally hoped that the LED bulbs would save 40% on electric bills. When they measured the savings of switching over the first 20,000 bulbs, they were pleasantly surprised to find that the savings on electricity was more like 55%. The City has also found that the LED lights create brighter and more uniform visibility, reducing pockets of dark shadow that conventional street lights tend to leave.

L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa commented proudly, “We’re seeing L.A. lead the way.” The project is being funded, in part, by Federal stimulus dollars as well as the Clinton Foundation. Sarah Potts of the Clinton Foundation said, “The Clinton Climate Initiative was excited to work on this project mainly because L.A. was willing to be a mover on this. They were willing to set the bar for where energy efficiency street lighting could and should go.”

However, L.A. is not alone. This type of green street lighting project is being undertaken from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to towns in Northern California, where PG&E, the electric utility, gives rate breaks and rebates to its street light customers who switch over to LED bulbs.

Green Energy Projects at Home. We don’t have to wait for government projects before we can start saving money by helping the environment. If you want to go greener in your own home or business, you can take steps that range from quick and simple to more ambitious:

1) Replace the bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). Today’s fluorescents fit into regular lamps and fixtures, come in a range of warm colors, and save electricity. While CFL bulbs cost more at the supermarket, they last longer than old-fashioned incandescents, and so cost less over their lifetimes. You can start by buying a four-pack on your next trip for groceries. Unscrew the bulbs in the light fixtures you use most often and screw in the new bulbs. It’s that simple. If you have any questions, you can call The Electric Connection, your Los Angeles electrician.

2) Install a ceiling fan. Ceiling fans are very efficient when it comes to cooling a room. Set your thermostat for the air conditioner 2 degrees higher than usual, turn on your ceiling fan, and you’re achieving the usual cooling effect while saving money and electricity.

3) Here’s a more ambitious green step. Make your next car an electric hybrid or all-electric. Electric vehicles reduce our dependence on foreign oil — 60% of our oil imports are burned in our vehicles. Electric vehicles are available today that are competitively priced, convenient, and also give you the benefit of freeing you from the ups and downs of gas prices while enjoying the satisfaction of helping the environment. When you’re ready to make the move, keep in mind that The Electric Connection, a fully licensed and bonded electrician in Los Angeles CA, installs electric vehicle chargers.

If you see solar panels on some of the buildings in your town or if you’ve purchased an Energy Star appliance or installed compact fluorescents in your light fixtures, you and your town are part of the green energy movement that is quietly growing throughout our country. To find out more, call The Electric Connection, a knowledgeable green Los Angeles electrician. To visit their website, simply type in electrician Los Angeles CA on a web search, and you’ll very easily find their site near the top of the first page.

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As expected this year, the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland’s Winter has lived up to the hype. With arctic outflow warnings and extremely strong winds on the horizon, the likelihood of power outages occurring has increased tenfold. One of the best solutions to the threat of power outages is a standby emergency generator installation. The licensed electricians at Expert Electric have been installing standby emergency generators in residential homes for many years and can help keep your home powered in the occurrence of an unforeseen power outage. To provide you with a better understanding of standby emergency generators, Expert Electric answers some of the most important questions regarding them below:

A standby emergency generator does not require electricity to power household electrical appliances. Most standby emergency generators run on natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas which means they are unaffected by power outages. When Expert Electric installs a generator, the first main breaker is connected to the home’s load center while the other is connected to the generator. The generator panel is then connected to circuits for critical electrical loads such as a home’s larger appliances (furnace, refrigerator, lights).

A standby emergency generator can keep your home’s most important appliances powered during lengthy power outages. A generator can keep your refrigerator cool, reducing the likelihood of food spoiling and needing to be discarded. A generator can also power your home’s lights and heat source which are critical during the Winter months.

Determining the type of standby emergency generator that is right for a home often depends on the size of the home and the amount of appliances that will need to remain powered during an outage. It is best to determine which appliances you absolutely cannot live without during a power outage. Once you have identified these items, the licensed electricians at Expert Electric can help determine which type is best.

The main benefit of a standby emergency generator installation is power. Depending on the length of the occurrence, power outages can be extremely inconvenient, discomforting and costly. A generator allows homeowners to keep all of their main appliances powered and their families safe during an outage.

If you have any questions about standby emergency generator installations, please contact the licensed electricians at Expert Electric today. We offer a large variety of professional electrical services for both residential homes and commercial buildings. It is important to ensure that your home or commercial building is prepared for the extreme weather conditions forecasted for the remainder of Winter. For tips on how to keep your home warm in the Winter and Winter electrical safety, check out our list of past blog articles.