Many people think that in order to save money on your electrical bill, you must accept some discomforts or inconveniences. But that is not the case! You don’t need to deal with the unbearable heat in the summer instead of turning on your air conditioner. You don’t need to unplug all of your appliances after every use to save a few dollars.  We have put together a few key recommendations to get you started on your electrical bill savings without having to give up the comfort and conveniences in your home.

Home Energy Audit

The best way to start your savings is to have a local electrician perform a home energy audit. Your electrician will go through your house examining your electrical wiring, distribution, lighting, electric-powered home equipment and systems in order to increase the efficiency of your home and ultimately save you money on your electrical bill. Some auditors may even go as far as to understand your daily habits that may be costing you more money. For instance, did you know that doing a full load of dishes in the dishwasher rather than washing them by hand actually saves you money?

Once you have had your home audited, make sure to check out Live SmartBC for any rebates you may be eligible for. BC residents have the privilege of gaining rebates for increasing the efficiency of their home; don’t let this savings go to waste!

Install Ceiling Fans

Another great way to save money on your electrical bill is to install ceiling fans. Apart from your air conditioner, ceiling fans push air downwards, blowing the cool air directly onto your body rather than cooling the whole room. On top of that, ceiling fans need very little maintenance (other than a little dusting or bulb changes), which can save you a lot of money in the long run. You may be thinking, that’s great but what about in the winter when I’m trying to heat my house? Surprisingly, ceiling fans are a great energy saving tool for the winter months too! Heat rises. So by running your fan on a low speed, you can circulate the warm air that has risen and create a more evenly heated room and shortening the time it takes your heater to work. This saves you money both in the summer and the winter.

Replace Air Filters

Lastly, you can save money on small changes like replacing your air filters regularly. A lot of times, this is a task many of us forget about but it can make a significant difference in your potential savings. When dirt builds up on your filter it prevents the airflow from working as efficiently. Your air system now needs to work harder in order to maintain the same level of airflow and because of that, increasing your electrical bill. By regularly maintaining your air filters (once a month), you will not only save money, but your family will be breathing in the cleanest air.

These are just a few ways to save on your electrical bills. Our highly qualified team of professionals at Expert Electric is excited to help you get started on your potential savings. Call today for further assistance or a free quote on some of our money-saving services.  604-681-8338

Dimmers are relatively old devices. Granville Woods patented a “Safety Dimmer” in 1896 in order to substantially reduce energy usage. Saving energy is actually the first reason on our list of reasons why you should install dimmer switches throughout your home.

The biggest advantage to dimmer switches is that they can reduce energy consumption and costs by allowing you greater control over your lighting. Traditional light switches only have two options—on (100% power) and off (0% power). However, if you want to save electricity, you have an entire spectrum of settings in between to choose from. For example, if your family is watching a movie in the living room, you don’t need the lights all the way up to see where the popcorn bowl is. Instead of leaving the living room light on during the entire movie, you can turn it down to maybe 40%.

One of the benefits of controlling the amount of power your lightbulb gets is also controlling the ambiance. In the above example, the family watching the movie managed the level of lighting in the room, allowing the living room to turn into a makeshift theater. Likewise, if a couple wanted to have a romantic dinner, they could lower the lighting in the dining room to 30% instead of relying on the dim illumination of a couple of candles.

Last month, I wrote via www.bet.com

2) A Dwarf Makes Giant News

Astronomers are given the spotlight as they announce that Pluto, the dwarf planet with a changing orbit, has passed Neptune to become the ninth planet from the Sun. It had been the eighth farthest since 1979. Of course, we now know that Pluto is not a planet at all but some kind of ball of rock and ice. 

 4) Re-imagining Literary History

Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman win the Writers Guild Award for SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE. Also nominated were Robert Rodat for SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and Andrew Niccol for THE TRUMAN SHOW.

6) You’re Still the One

Shania Twain wins a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for “You’re Still the One,” in which the Twain passionately announces, “We’re still together, still going strong.”

9) Run to the Hills

Gloriously, and to the headbanging delight of metal heads across the globe, Iron Maiden announces that singer Bruce Dickinson has rejoined the band. 

11) The Tumultuous Days Continue for Kid Dynamite

Early in the month, Mike Tyson is sentenced to four years in prison for assaulting two motorists after a traffic accident in 1998. The judge gives him only one year of jail time, followed by two years of probation and a $5000 fine. Days after he begins his sentence at the Montgomery County Detention Center, he is put in solitary confinement for throwing a TV in the general direction of some guards. He is released from solitary after about six days.

13) Return Mail

TLC releases their third album, FANMAIL, after a five year hiatus. The new album sells 318,000 copies in its first week, and it becomes clear to the world that TLC “don’t want no scrubs.”

15) The Dawning of the Age of the File Share

The Artist Formerly Known as Prince makes headlines a second time as he files a lawsuit against nine websites for copyright and trademark infringement. He accuses websites of selling bootlegged recordings and offering unauthorized song downloads.