Outdoor lighting is often overlooked by homeowners who are more focused on their indoor lighting needs. A few lights set in the landscape are nice, but it doesn’t often do enough to properly light an area to provide adequate security. Many people will settle for a security light over the front door or the garage door and call it good. That does little good for the far corners of the yard or pathways around the garage or what not. An electrician in Glendale can help you enhance the security of your yard. You can count on The Electric Connection to make sure your yard is well lit.

Spotlights can be placed in the yard to shed light on a specific area like a fountain, a gorgeous rose bush or even a statue. The spotlights can be solar or electric-powered. The latter is preferable, especially for areas that are shady. The lights are brighter than a standard pathway light and light up a broader area. A row of spotlights along a pathway in the backyard is perfect for adding a layer of safety.

Patio areas will benefit from additional lighting. The standard porch light tends to only light up the area closest the door, while the rest of the patio is swathed in darkness. String lights are a popular choice and can enhance the overall look of the patio. You can add festive-colored light strings or romantic twinkle lights. In either situation, you will need to have your Glendale electrical system beefed up a bit to accommodate the light strings. Your electrician can install an extra outlet for you to plug the string lights into. This ensures you are not overloading an existing outlet and still have an outlet available to plug in a fan or other electrical device. Give The Electric Connection a call today and help make your outdoor area a little safer.

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.

When you have something you are proud of displayed in your home or your office, you likely want to create a display that accentuates the item. Sometimes, you need the perfect lighting scheme to accent a piece of art, a work station or a meeting area. A simple light bulb in a fixture may not be enough. Have you thought about custom lighting?

You may be surprised to learn that custom lighting is often more energy efficient than the old standard fixtures and bulbs. Whether your goal is to light up a specific area with bright light or simply to create a soft glow, you will want to contact an electrician. Pasadena home and business owners can call on The Electric Connection to help establish a lighting scheme that fulfills your wants and needs.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to creating a design that suits your style and is functional. Your electrician can install recessed lighting, track lighting or a gorgeous chandelier-type fixture. Under counter LED lighting is a great way to shed light on countertops and costs very little to operate. While you are thinking about installing new fixtures, you may also want to talk about dimmer switches with your electrician. Licensed Pasadena electricians at can install dimmers throughout your home or office with very little trouble.

The installation of a dimmer switch can help save money on your electric bill, while giving you the freedom to control how much light is emitted at any given time. These are great for dining rooms, hallways and bathrooms. When you combine a dimmer switch with energy efficient CFL bulbs, you are really maximizing your new fixture. By reducing the amount of light being emitted from your bulb by 25 percent, you are creating a 25 percent savings. Give your friendly electrician, The Electric Connection, a call to see how you can start saving money.