It’s 2013, and if you’re still spending a ton on your energy bill, you should know that it doesn’t have to be that way. Right now, about 20% of the energy we consume goes to lighting. But, with a few energy-efficient changes, we can see that number (and the numbers on our monthly bills) dwindle. This post is the first in a series on how to make the lighting in your home or business more energy-efficient. 

Everyone’s got to eat, and for many of us, the kitchen is the very heart of the home. The kitchen also requires excellent lighting for cooking and cleaning up. So, I figure it will be a good place to start an energy-efficient lighting makeover.

The following facts may surprise you!

Many Famous Individuals Were Electricians First

That’s right. The electrical field has attracted many brilliant individuals who later went on to make their mark on the world stage. Before Sun Records discovered Elvis, he had trained as an electrician. Just before joining The Beatles, George Harrison was an electrician’s apprentice. Think Mr. Bean, the British comedian, is all fun and games? In his other life, this actor, whose given name is Rowan Atkinson, holds a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Queen’s College, Oxford. Even Alfred Hitchcock, Master of Suspense, studied electrical engineering beginning at age fifteen.

Basic physical fitness is not a prerequisite for every job. However, electricians do need to maintain some level of physical ability in order to climb ladders, lift and carry heavy equipment, move through small crawl spaces, break through walls and dig holes. Sound like superhuman tasks? Indeed. To keep up with this type of activity, day-in and day-out, electricians must be both strong and flexible. In addition, their work demands tolerance of all weather conditions. Whether freezing, hot and humid, strong winds, or a rainy downpour that they’re facing that day, electricians have to be ready, and healthy enough to work, whatever occurs.

A master electrician studies, both in a classroom and on the job, for a minimum of eight years. He or she is the very best at the craft of bringing power to homes, places of business, and industrial locations, and has mentored with other masters, worked in the field, and taken numerous classes to get to achieve a level of expertise. Medical doctors, through attending college, medical school, and a residency, also train for at least eight years. So your electrician, in the field of electrical engineering, is as trained an expert as the individual to whom you entrust your health and well-being.

Master electricians are highly-skilled individuals who keep your home, business, and even public spaces safe and operational. Whether your project requires commercial, residential, or industrial-level service, our team is fully equipped to install, repair, or maintain. Call us!

Alternative Energy for the Win

Many aspects of the federal energy tax credit program have already been curtailed, with credits from most common upgrades having expired at the end of 2013 (but it’s not too late to claim the money if you haven’t already — see below). However, there are some credits still active for alternative energy installations. You are eligible for a kickback of up to 30 percent of purchase and installation price come tax time if you made any of the following additions to your existing home or new construction in 2014:

And it’s not just the purchase price of the equipment -- your credit can cover the labor to set up and install your new efficiency devices as well. Qualifying homes must be located in the United States. Heat pumps, wind turbines and solar all are valid for your principle or secondary residence, with no limit on the dollar amount. Fuel cells have more restrictions — they qualify for primary residences only, and have an upper limit of $500 per .5KW of power capacity. Renters are not eligible for the tax credits.

If you didn’t act this year, you have until December 31, 2016 to purchase and install your new equipment and still qualify for the credit.

It’s Not Too Late

And there’s more good news. The NonBusiness Energy Property Credit is still available on the taxes you fill out this year — provided you made the improvements in 2013 or earlier. If you made qualifying upgrades to your HVAC equipment, insulation, roof, water heater, windows, doors or biomass stove, you can claim up to $500 in credits on up to 10 percent of the costs. These credits are limited to upgrades made on existing homes, and each specific installation has a cap:

Installation costs cannot be included for doors, skylights, windows, insulation or roofing. Also note that the $500 limit is over the lifetime of the Property Credit, so if you already claimed $300 in past years, you can only get a maximum of $200 on this year’s tax return, even if you spent much more than that.

How to Claim Your Credits

To claim your credits, fill out Form 5695 with the appropriate information about your expenditures and include it with your other tax paperwork. Don’t forget to hold on to all your receipts and manufacturer’s certification statements so you can back up your claim if the IRS comes knocking on your door.

It’s a win-win situation — you get your tax credit, you can reduce or even eliminate monthly fuel costs, and you can sleep easy knowing that you are doing your part to help the environment by decreasing the nation’s reliance on fossil fuels. If you are considering a major alternative energy installation on your property, contact an expert today to advise you on what your options are and how to get started.

Tired of breaking the bank just to keep up with the Joneses? Forget fancy cars and other status symbols. How about a way to maintain a friendly neighborly competition that actually involves saving money instead of spending? Americans have a wealth of resources at their disposal to empower families to cut back on energy consumption and reduce their electricity bills, but we don't do a stellar job of taking advantage of that information. Recent research, however, has shown that homeowners are more likely to take efficiency measures with their electrical work when they can compare their own consumption to that of their neighbors.

Whose Bill is the Lowest?

The experiment took place last summer, when the Vermont utility company Green Mountain Power worked with Opower, a software company that specializes in behavioral economics. During very hot days when air conditioning use was expected to be high, the utility reached out to customers with tips on reducing the amount of energy they need to power their home electrical work.

Afterward, the utility gave a report which ranked households in the neighborhood based on how well they had done on cutting back. By the end of the summer, electricity consumption among Green Mountain customers had dropped by five percent during hot days. That's some serious savings!

Peer Pressure at its Best

That five percent resulted from simple behavioral changes like bumping the thermostat up a few degrees and using curtains to block out sunlight during the hottest part of the day – no major investments or new equipment needed, just a little peer pressure. This research should be useful in helping understand what motivates people to save energy in order to develop more effective outreach programs for utility companies around the country.

One of the big takeaways is that the utility didn't give its customers any kind of incentives or payments to change their behavior – just the money they saved through efficiency, and the bragging rights of being more conservation-minded than their neighbors.

"Some of the decisions we make are not entirely rational, and they are due to a lack of context," Kevin Hamilton, Opower's vice president of marketing, said to Utility Drive, "and by providing that context you can encourage individuals to adjust their usage in ways that can benefit both the customer and the utility as well."

Little Changes Mean Big Savings

People come up with all kinds of reasons not to implement efficiency measures: It costs too much in initial capital, they are too busy to think about it, or they simply don't think the savings are worthwhile. But the reality is that even making small behavioral changes can add up in the long run.

If you want to decrease the cost of your electrical work and impress your neighbors, have a qualified home services technician perform an energy audit on your house to identify the most cost-effective ways for you to cut back.

A well planned electrical system should be a top priority in every home. There is no denying that electricity is a vital energy that enables everyday tasks to be completed with ease. Not having lights in the kitchen during a party due to a faulty wiring is truly a nightmare. The last thing that you would consider is to tinker with this electrical problem in your best suit, right? This is the time when you wish that a reliable electric repair service Downingtown, PA is in your personal phone book.

Electric repairs for the most part should be left to certified electricians. These are professionals that are trained to troubleshoot any electrical breakdown as safely as possible and to find the best solution that would get you back on track with your daily activities in no time.

Take note though that not all electric repair service companies are created equal. These are suggestions on how to choose the most appropriate electric repair service Downingtown, PA based on your desired quality of service:

a) Inquire how long the company is already in the business. Do they have any referrals that you can contact?

b) Make sure that the company is staffed with licensed electrician who is familiar with your home’s electrical system and well versed with the electrical repairs.

c) Factor in to your evaluation the location of the company. Is the office near your neighborhood? Since your service call would likely to be an emergency, it is nice if the issue can be addressed right away by the Electrician.

d) Check if the electric service repair company can provide a guarantee on completed jobs/ projects and for how long would this guarantee cover you. This provides security and peace of mind just in case the electrical repair done was not successful.

If in case you are really on a tight budget, then consider purchasing your own electrical parts. You can consult the electric repair service Downingtown, PA on what to buy and then just pay the company for labor in the end. Remember though that if you do not have the right information with you like the model and size of the electrical part, it might cost you more in the end. Speak to an experienced and reliable Downingtown Electrician by calling (610) 269-4136 or click here.