More than 480,000 house fires were reported in the United States in 2013, according to the National Fire Protection Association, resulting in over 2,800 deaths and more than 14,000 injuries, not to mention more than $9.5 million in property damage. A house fire is reported on the average once every 85 seconds.

A fire can escalate from a spark to a raging blaze in just a matter of minutes. Since it can start behind the walls without being detected until it gets out of control, an electrical fire is especially dangerous.

Unlike storms or other emergencies, fires often leave families with little time to prepare and evacuate the building—so it’s important to stay protected against some of the most common causes. Some of the biggest reasons for household fires are related to electricity, including:

Fortunately, there are many measures you can take to protect yourself and your household or business from a catastrophic electrical fire. One of the most important tips we can give you is to be very careful about who you have work on your electrical circuits and wiring. To avoid an electrical fire, only allow a certified electrician to install new wiring and/or work on your outlets, circuits, or electrical appliances. During your day-to-day routine, stay weary of any open flames, whether on your gas stove, a candle, or a cigarette.

Of course, even the most careful household or building can face an electrical fire. It’s important to have a working smoke detector in place in the event of an emergency (we can help!). You should also devise an evacuation plan and make sure that each family member or employee knows what to do if you have a fire.

Another way to prevent an electrical fire is to stay current with electrical maintenance. At Kolb Electric, we employ only skilled, licensed electricians to work on your wiring. We want you, your home, and your office to stay safe, so we’re careful to send out the best electrician for your particular job.

For more tips on electrical fire prevention or to get top-notch electrical services for your home or building, call us at 877 287-1179. We’ve been providing top-notch installations and maintenance work to Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC home and building owners since 1925.

If you’re already familiar with rebates from electric utilities and government organizations in your area, you may notice that the dollar amounts for most rebates have decreased over the past year. The average rebate for an LED replacement lamp has gone down by 7% since last January. Rebates amounts also decreased for LED fixtures: recessed down lights decreased by 66%, accent lighting by 12%, and high bay fixtures by 8%.

You needn’t be alarmed by these numbers, though. They’ve only been adjusted to match the lower prices of LEDs in 2013. Less money is necessary to make purchasing an LED financially attractive. Also, since there are over twice the programs this year, money is even more accessible.

If you’re still pondering a switch to LEDs, or have never considered utilizing LED rebates before, starting to look for them is easier than ever. Currently, you can find rebates and incentives for energy efficient commercial lighting in 71% of the U.S. As the year progresses, we should see that number go up.

Unplug the electrical appliance that is plugged into the “trouble” outlet. Connect a small working lamp into the outlet instead. Often, the problem isn’t even with the outlet; it’s caused by broken or faulty electrical objects. If the small lamp doesn’t light up, then the problem is with the outlet.

Another important thing to do before you call an electrician is to double check that the outlet isn’t connected to any switches. Many times when our electricians at Lightning Bug Electric get called out to fix a broken outlet only to find that it’s connected to a switch that has been turned off. It’s always good to do a switch check before you decide the outlet is broken.

Electrical outlets that are in locations that can get wet, such as bathrooms, kitchens, patios, etc., have a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) for protection. A GFCI outlet will have two buttons in the middle: one that says TEST and another that says RESET. If the outlet has tripped, the RESET button will be protruding a little bit. Push the button and test the outlet.

If the problem outlet is a GFCI but the RESET is not protruding out, there is a chance that it is connected to another GFCI outlet that has tripped and needs to be reset. Check all your home outlets and reset them, then test the problem outlet to see if it works.

The circuit that the outlet is on could have been tripped. Check the circuit breaker panel to see if the tripped breaker is between ON and OFF. If so, turn it on and test the outlet.

If you have exhausted all these options and your outlet still isn’t working, call an electrician. A professional can solve the problem and have your outlet working in now time.