With energy prices on the rise and looking to keep going up, it is time to start considering your future. You can offset the increasing cost of supplying your home with electricity by switching to solar energy. Before you turn up your nose at the thought, you need to understand that solar energy has come a long way in the last ten years. The panels are a lot smaller and aesthetically appealing than they used to be. The solar installation process has been fine-tuned as well. The team at The Electric Connection has the experience you want when you are looking for solar installers.

You don’t have to live in a rural area to take advantage of solar energy. Most home covenants will allow for today’s more modern solar panels. The panels typically mount directly to the home’s roof and do not take up any space in the yard. Many of the panels blend right into the roof and hard to notice unless you look. They are available in a wide range of styles that are sure to fit your home’s design. One of the biggest concerns people have about switching to solar energy is the cost of solar panels. Cost isn’t what it used to be. There are plenty of options available to help make the initial investment a little more affordable and doable for the average family.

Imagine being able to save money every month on your electric bill. If you chose to rely completely on solar energy for your home’s energy needs, you could eliminate that bill from your monthly budget. You wouldn’t have to worry about an unreliable power grid or rapidly increasing rates. You can also take comfort knowing you are doing something great for the environment by switching to a renewable energy source. If you want more information about solar panel installation, give The Electric Connection a call today.

When a home or commercial building needs electrical work, many owners make the mistake of only getting a single estimate for the job. Getting multiple estimates may take longer than just having one Denver electrician visit the premises, but this extra time could lead to substantial savings and a better quality of workmanship.

There are several important aspects of any project that should be included in an electrical  estimate. Both material costs and labor costs should be specified. Any special fees for work permits or city inspections should also be listed. Sales tax and hazardous material fees should be indicated as well. In addition, the estimate should include a date that the amount is guaranteed through as well as a “not to exceed” price point.  . Any estimate should allow home and business owners to compare the quality of the materials used by different electrical contractors and getting multiple estimates in writing can help property owners compare the hourly labor rates of contractors as well as any other service fees.

The kitchen is one of the busiest and most heavily-used rooms in your home. When it comes to fires, it’s also perhaps the most dangerous. With various fluids being used, such as oils and water, along with electrical appliances, heat sources, and more, it doesn’t take much for a simple mistake to lead to a potentially devastating blaze suddenly bursting to life. When it comes to kitchen safety, knowledge and care can go a long way, as can preparation should a fire ever start. Check out these valuable tips for learning how to avoid electrical fires in the kitchen and how to deal with one that starts.

The kitchen frequently uses water, oils, greases, and other substances alongside electricity in numerous situations. Your appliances all likely run on electricity, including your refrigerator, garbage disposal, dishwasher, and possibly even your stove and oven. While most of these devices are designed to keep all potentially-sensitive electronics away from any possibly damaging fluids, you likely still have exposed electrical plugs, extension cords, and more running along your countertops.

It doesn’t take much for a kitchen fire to start. Perhaps the most common type is a grease fire. If you ever work with hot oil on the stovetop, you’re probably well aware of how dangerous this substance is. In addition to having an extremely high burn risk, a single spark could cause a grease or oil source to quickly ignite, becoming a massive and difficult to deal with ordeal. This means you should be extremely cautious when using electricity to cook. Regularly inspect your plugs and cords for any signs of wear or fraying, and you should immediately stop using a device if you find any exposed copper at all—the risk of a potential fire far outweighs the cost of replacing a broken appliance.

Your microwave is a particularly interesting appliance in that it reacts violently with any metal placed inside it. If you’re not paying attention, it’s not difficult to accidentally stick something that isn’t microwave-safe in there, and usually by the time you figure it out it’s already too late.

If a fire does erupt in your microwave, opening the door should NEVER be the first thing you do. Fires need oxygen to breathe, and opening the door allows the oxygen to get in quickly, allowing the fire to grow and spread, and your problem will only get worse. Instead, the first thing you should do is unplug the device if possible and allow the fire to suffocate itself and go out before opening the door. Before you do, be prepared to dial 911.

Putting out a fire in your kitchen is rarely as easy as throwing water on it. In fact, in most cases water actually makes the problem worse. If you have an electrical fire, throwing water on it will probably only encourage more sparking and increase the chances of injury by electrocution. If you have a grease fire, throwing water on it will only cause the grease to splatter and continue to burn, potentially spreading the fire further (after all, water and oil don’t mix).

If you have a grease fire in your kitchen, the best way to put it out is to smother it and deprive it of oxygen. If the fire is contained in a pan, the best way to smother it is to use a metal lid to cover the pan and cut off the oxygen supply. If you don’t have a metal lid, a large baking sheet will do the job. Just make sure you use oven mitts or some other form of hand protection when you finally remove it. If the fire spreads outside the pan, cover it with salt or baking soda to quickly and effectively put the fire out. These substances are made from non-flammable material, and will quickly cover and suffocate the fire from oxygen if applied properly. Electrical fires can generally be fought the same way, but you should always move to unplug the device first if possible. You don’t want to keep sending electricity through a short any longer than you have to.

Finally, every kitchen should have a fire extinguisher in it. If you don’t, pick up a small Class B or Class ABC unit from your local hardware store (they’re not very expensive). These devices are approved to fight grease and kitchen fires because the retardant they use is dry, thus meaning you won’t have to worry about splattering that you would otherwise face with a different type.

The end of the month has arrived, along with that same old utility bill. The cost of electricity can be a huge dollar amount, especially in larger homes with larger families. The utility bill has become just a part of life. Driven by the energy consumption of fridges, washing machines, lighting, and so much more, the electricity consumption of your home is dependent upon many things that often cannot be helped. However, there are a few household items that take up a surprising amount of electricity that you may not have thought about! Changing the way that you and your family uses these 5 common items could actually make a difference in that monthly bill in your mailbox! Here’s a list of these sneaky electricity users and some suggestions on how to decrease their energy use.

Personal electronics are a part of our everyday routine, whether it is our smartphones or our laptops. There’s no avoiding charging your device, but between 100% battery life and the idle time it spends charging afterwards, it becomes a major energy consumer. Leaving your cellphone or your laptop plugged in after it has reached a full charge still pulls in a decent amount of electricity. This does no good for your electricity bill, and it actually is worse for your device as well. Leaving your electronics plugged in past the full charge does damage to its long-term battery life.

The Solution: Immediately disconnect your electronic device from its charger when it gets to 100%. Unplug the actual charger, then do it all again when it’s time to charge again. Don’t plug in your devices at night when you go to sleep—that’s 8+ hours of idle charging time that racks up the dollar signs on your electric bill.

Xboxes, PlayStations, Wiis…the number of consoles that are available grow every day, providing entertainment and family fun. However, whenever those devices are on and not being used, it sucks up a lot of electricity to keep it powered.

The Solution: If you’re going to step away, turn the console off. Never let it linger and go idle, as this can use unnecessary energy. Unplug these devices when you travel, as well.

Surprisingly, your DVR or cable box can use as much energy as your refrigerator: one of the largest energy consumers in your home. These devices are always in standby, waiting to be used, which means that they constantly pull in energy just in case you press the On button on your remote. So not only do they use energy when they are on as you are enjoying television, but they are also using energy when they are off.

The Solution: Like the consoles, turn off the TV when you step away. Then unplug the actual DVR or Set-Top boxes when you know you aren’t using them or are traveling for a period of time. This could save you quite a few dollars on your next bill.

Summer time in Colorado means lots of dry heat. Especially if you do not have an AC system, like most older homes and apartments have, then ceiling fans are your only source of cool air. However, when they are big electricity users, so if you can help it, switch them off.

The Solution: Don’t keep the fans on for long periods of time, like when you are out of the house, or at night time when you’re sleeping. You could also upgrade to a more energy efficient model of ceiling fans, which could save you some money as well.

Just like DVRs, microwaves use energy both when they are on, and when they are off. When you’re not using your microwave, it sucks in constant amounts of energy to keep the buttons lit and the clock on. Then the energy levels jump to an all-time high when they are in use.

The Solution: Unplug your microwave when you’re not using it. Keep electricity levels low by only using the microwave when necessary. You could do this by doing things like avoiding defrosting meat in the microwave—letting it sit on the countertop for a few hours instead.

Though they seem small, these 5 household items are mighty when it comes to electricity use, even when they are not being used. If you’re trying to cut down your electricity bill, or want to be more energy efficient, these small changes in the way that you use these everyday items could make a huge difference in the long run.

Outdoor LED Decorative String Lights

When paired with vintage LED bulbs, these LED string lights add a spooky feel to your patio. The 21-foot LED light socket strings hold 10 LED bulbs with standard E26 bases. They’re available in in-line styles and are linkable up to 500 watts maximum.

Use this submersible RGB LED Accent Light to give your fountain an eerie glow. Place it under spooky glass decorations or inside a pumpkin, and use the included IR remote to select colors and color-changing modes. This LED Halloween light offers 13 static color modes and two dynamic color-changing modes.

30- or RF Touch-Color Remote (sold separately) or with a Halloween product category.