There are so many things to love about the coming holiday season. Great food, great company, family, festive decorations; we couldn’t be more excited! But there’s a not so great factor attached to it all, too. That hefty electric bill you’ll be seeing. Looking for ways to keep your costs at a minimum this holiday? The expert electricians at Hoffman Electrical can provide some easy fixes!

Our professionals have been proudly serving Tampa and Clearwater, Florida for years now. When it comes to quality and top-tier service, we’re the name to know in electrical! And as  apart of our great service, we’re always looking for ways to help out. If you want to reduce your energy costs this season, we’ve got the solutions you’ll be happy to know.

Don't get caught in the dark if a storm or other disruption knocks out your power. You can protect your home and your family with a backup generator. Read on for tips on how to pick out the right one for your house.

Why Do I Need A Generator?

Blackouts are unpredictable. Of course, you can have family fun in a power outage, but if the lights stay off for an extended period of time it can mean trouble. If you rely on electric heat and the power doesn't come back on promptly in cold weather, your pipes could freeze and your home could even become too cold for human habitation. In the summer, you can end up sweltering with no air conditioning while all the food in your refrigerator spoils. Smart homeowners are prepared to keep their electrical systems up and running no matter how long it takes the utility company to restore power.

What Are My Options?

You can buy a small portable generator if you just need to keep a few appliances functioning. Plug your equipment into the portable generator directly, or a special connection to your circuit box can be installed to allow you to plug into your wall outlets as normal. Be careful not to overload the generator, or you can cause it to short out. 

A standby generator is the best option if you want to keep your whole house online. Standby generators run off your gas connection (or you can attach a propane tank) and they turn on automatically when the power goes out. Standby generators are simpler to use once they are installed because you don't need to worry about cords or even turning it on yourself. However, they can cost $10,000 or more.

You should choose the size and power of your generator based on how much electricity you will need in an emergency. Adding up the wattage of all the equipment and appliances you want to keep online will give you a baseline to use as a guide. Portable generators range in capacity from 1,000 watts to around 17,500 watts, while heavy duty standby generators can handle up to 30,000 watts and above.

Safety First

If you get a portable generator, never run it inside. Find a level surface at least ten feet from your house, and connect properly-rated extension cords to the appliances you want to run. Because most portable generators burn gasoline, placing one too close to your home can put you at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Don't forget to inspect the extension cords for any fraying or damage and ensure they are rated for outdoor use.

Never modify an extension cord or plug your portable generator directly into a wall outlet. This will send electricity back through your circuit box and onto the grid, creating a danger to utility workers fixing the wires.

Choosing the right generator, not to mention properly installing it, can be tricky. Call an expert electrician to help you purchase and set up your new generator so you know that the lights will stay on the next time the power goes down.

Call local Mister Sparky® for generator advice or assistance. We're always here to help!

At first glance, you might not notice much of a difference between your current electrical meter and your new Smart Meter. But inside, your Smart Meter is hard at work using advanced technology to identify and analyze data about your home’s energy consumption. These meters then communicate this data between your home and BGE via a secured network.

BGE began installing these advanced meters back in 2012, and they’re slated to finish rolling them out to every home and small business in their service area by 2015. Smart Meters can do some pretty amazing things, including:

You may already be used to your home’s existing electrical meter, which keeps an ongoing record of your home’s energy use and must be read by the power company each month so you can be billed appropriately. A Smart Meter, on the other hand, allows for two-way communication between the meter and BGE via a wireless network—a crucial point for building a reliable smart grid.

When you first get your new Smart Meter, you may notice that it seems to function just like your old one, without any of the supposed benefits of installation. This will be true at first, but over time, you’ll be able to experience everything the Smart Meter has to offer.

Best of all, Smart Meters have been thoroughly tested for safety and reliability. These meters are already in use across the country, and they have undergone extensive testing by other utility companies. Smart Meters operate at a level that is much lower (1.4%) than the maximum permissible exposure limits for radio frequency, as defined by the Federal Communications Commission. Smart Meters transmit for an average of about two minutes a day.

BGE will be installing Smart Meters throughout 2014. During that time, every BGE electric customer will receive one for their home. The utility provider will upgrade existing gas meters during this time period as well.

Several weeks before BGE begins installing Smart Meters in your community, you will begin seeing notifications in various forms, including ads in your local paper, materials at your neighborhood library or grocery store and booths at community festivals. A few weeks prior to installation, you will receive a letter in the mail informing you of when your new meter will be installed, or, if your meter is inside your home, providing you with instructions on how to schedule an appointment. For outdoor meters, you do not need to be present for installation. We’ll leave behind a door hanger to confirm that a new meter was installed.

Once your meter is installed, you’ll be granted access to BGE Smart Energy Manager, which will provide you with the tools necessary to better understand how you use your energy, and how to better save energy and reduce your bills.