They are lights that rely on LEDs (a light-emitting diode) as their source of illumination. In a majority of the cases, the lighting stems from either a fluorescent or an incandescent light bulb. LED lights have a good reputation for being a lot more efficient than traditional light bulbs, and they can also be inserted into more traditional lamps and light sources, where they may be utilized as other regular light bulbs.

If you are a consumer in the market for some lights, you should understand that there are a bunch of benefits that the consumer will obtain by choosing these kinds of lights over other sorts of lights available on the market. For one thing, these sorts of lights are known to consume a lot less energy than other kinds of light bulbs, and they are known to be as much as 300 percent more efficient than a CFL or a compact fluorescent light. In addition, LED lights are up to 1000 percent more efficient when compared to an incandescent light bulb. They come with an extremely long life, relatively speaking, which translates to around 50,000 hours of usage at approximately 50 percent of their initial power, according to the Wise Geek website, anyway. If you want to work this out in terms that are more practical and applicable to everyday life, you can think of it in this way: This will equal around 8 hours per day for some 13 years at approximately 70 percent of power. By way of comparison, you should realize that the average 60-watt incandescent light bulb will only last around 1000 hours!

Furthermore, in terms of pure safety, LED lights can’t be beat. Here is an example of that. Consider this: These types of lights come without any toxins such as mercury or other unsafe materials. In addition, they are also known to be free from any emission of ultraviolet or UV heat, thereby failing to attract any insects, which is very much a welcome piece of news to people who are troubled by pesky insects! Further, these sorts of light bulbs fail to produce a lot of heat, meaning they are cool to the touch.

Of course, not everything with these kinds of lights is advantageous. For example, the price tag on LED lights is quite high, and they are known to be heat sensitive. This means that these sorts of lights can either fade or stop working altogether if they are not utilized with either a consistent or a steadfast current. Finally, utilizing them as a part of room lighting may be unbeneficial, too, since they are meant to be utilized more for room lighting situations.

Businesses as we all know, are always thinking about the bottom line. From ways to increase revenues to ways to decrease expenses, it’s all critical stuff for any company to pay attention to.

That’s exactly why we are creating this post on energy saving tips for businesses and companies alike. And while not every business in every building will be able to implement every single tip on this list, there should be numerous ones that will be highly relevant to your business.

Saving energy will allow you to reduce overhead expenses, enhance your public view as a “going green” company (which you could use as a marketing play), or even just have better piece of mind knowing your buildings are just that much greener.

Without further ado, here is the first on the list (out of 25)…

1. Upgrade to a LED lighting system. The benefits of LED technology far surpass any other lighting technology commonly used in buildings or fluorescent, metal halide, HPS, etc). reducing the amount of energy that is going to power those lights as well.

4. Install sky lights. How about all of that natural light that is going to waste otherwise? By installing sky lights in areas where natural lighting would otherwise not get to (e.g hallways and inner rooms), you open yourself up to some huge savings by not having to have nearly as many lights on during the daytime.

5. Switch to green web hosting. This is a huge one for those companies who have lots of traffic and do a lot of business through their website. spam email has a carbon footprint? Although this won’t save your company any money, it will definitely reduce the carbon footprint associated with your company.

14. Only purchase ENERGY STAR equipment. By purchasing office equipment that is ENERGY STAR qualified, you are buying into products that are proven to be more energy efficient than those that aren’t.

15. Switch over to laptops. Desktops are always plugged in, and that can mean a lot of energy consumption. By switching to laptops, you will use 1/4th the energy associated with powering your computers.

16. Update your insulation. Those nasty drafts aren’t only uncomfortable to your employees and / or visitors, but they are also wasting a lot of energy. If you can, consider updating your insulation to stop the escape of that warm (or cold) air you are paying to output.

17. Update your windows. While you are at it, updating your windows to ones that don’t have any leaks in them will stop those drafts too. Both of these go hand in hand, and together will reduce a lot of temperature control going to waste.

18. Hold a virtual meeting. If you have days designated for meetings and not much else, then why power your entire building (and make everyone drive) if you could easily have everyone stay at home? Your employees will probably appreciate it, and you are going to save a lot of energy for that day. Technology these days makes it a whole lot easier to save on energy for business and buildings alike.

19. Take advantage of tax credits. All of this effort on saving energy will not only save you in overhead costs, but it could also phantom load is basically energy that is being consumed through a product that is entirely off. The simple solution is to unplug everything when it is not in use. Alternatively, you could shut off the power to an entire room or area when it’s not in use to ensure no phantom load waste is occurring.

23. Reduce hot water usage. By installing efficient faucets, you will reduce the amount of water that is wasted. And if you do heat that water, reducing the waste of it will reduce the amount of energy you use to heat that water.

Is your sensitive electronic equipment protected from the potentially devastating effects a power surge brought on by winter weather? Seventy percent of U.S. power outages are attributable to severe weather, with winter months producing a host of storms that can result in outages and subsequent surges. Power surges are now more troublesome than ever, as homeowners now own a much wider array of this sophisticated and expensive electronic equipment.

A surge protector offers your sensitive electronics protection in the event of power surge or spike. Those looking for additional support may want to consider an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) as well, which offers surge protection plus the added benefit of a battery backup, allowing for the safe shutdown of equipment and prevention of data loss in the event of an outage.

Multiple layers of surge protection coverage are required for complete protection. Even whole house surge protectors cannot handle 100 percent of surges. While all three levels are recommended, the combination of Type 2 and 3 devices will provide an adequate safeguard, however.

Without a properly grounded home and outlets, even the best surge protector will fail to protect your home. Why? Surge protectors shed all that excess voltage through ground. Have your home inspected for grounding issues prior to installation to ensure effective surge protection and prevent the need for replacing expensive electronics due to failure.

Adding surge protection to your home costs very little in comparison to the replacement cost of your electronics. Protection at outlets runs as little as $10, while whole house protections costs a few hundred. Sound like a lot? The cost of replacing a single large home appliance such as a washer, dryer, stove, or hot water heater will likely cost you double the investment in a surge protector. Start adding in iPhones, tablets, e-readers, laptops or other devices in your home that could be destroyed by a surge while charging and the numbers are nauseating. This is why the average insurance claim for power surge and lighting related damage is over $4,000, not to mention the inconvenience of living without those electronics until replacements are procured, making the costs of installing a surge protector a drop in the bucket.

Can you afford to live without surge protection? Trust in Mr. Electric® to keep your electronic essentials from getting zapped. Our professionals have the information you need to help you select the best surge protection for your home or business.

We’re partnering with the Red Cross to collect donations and help save lives, reduce injuries, and cut down on needless losses caused by home fires.

Each year, 12,600 people are injured and 2,500 die as a result of home fires in the United States. Property loss as a result of this is estimated to be at $7.3 billion, making a devastating impact on the wellbeing of families around the US.

By donating you are providing the Red Cross with the resources it needs to provide critical services for people who have been impacted by home fires. They will also provide lifesaving tools, such as smoke detectors, and information to help support efforts for prevention of home fires, allowing families to stay safe and ensure that they are doing everything in their hands to avoid this catastrophe.

Help support us as we help provide families with the help that they need to rebuild their lives.