Before you deck the halls and transform your Florida home into a festival of lights this holiday, consider how your lighting display will affect your winter electric bills. Monthly bills can be especially expensive when you and your neighbors beautifully decorate your homes with holiday ENERGY STAR® qualified LED light strands you will save on your utility bills this holiday. And that’s not their only advantage—Use a timer to automatically turn on your holiday lights at dusk and turn off in the middle of the night. By limiting the amount your lights are on to times when people can appreciate them, you will reduce your energy bills.

There are plenty of ways to decorate your home for the holidays—ways that don’t impact your electric bills! Make use of other decorations like tinsel, wreaths, and jingling bells! Instead of decorating the front of your St. Petersburg home with strands of lights, consider buying a solar powered spotlight with different color filters. There are many ways to enjoy the beauty of the holidays without raising your electric bills exponentially.

Sometimes replacing a light switch or an outlet can be a quick job done in an afternoon. You may think looking up a ‘how to’ video on YouTube is all you need. But remember, electricity is dangerous and if you are not sure about what you are doing, it is better left to a professional. Here are a few troubleshooting tips to review before calling a professional electrician.

A common problem that can occur is circuit breaker tripping. If you find that power to certain parts of your home is constantly being shut off and requires you to use the circuit breaker to turn it back on, the line could be overloaded. Having to many appliances or electrical devices on one circuit can be too much for the line to handle and will cause the breaker to trip. To avoid this, try placing devices on a different circuit or unplugging appliances before you begin using another. If you continue to have problems you may have an issue with the circuit or one of your electrical devices. It may be best to call an electrician to diagnose the problem further.

Light bulbs must be replaced from time to time; it’s unavoidable. A common problem you could experience is dim or flickering bulbs. Turn off the power to the bulb and replace it with one you know is working properly. If the problem persists, there may be an issue with the socket or the wiring and it is best that an electrician takes a look at the problem.

While there are countless problems you can experience in your home, a good rule of thumb is to stay within your comfort zone. Everyone has a different level of knowledge about electrical systems but if a problem exceeds your understanding, it is best left to a professional. If you are unfamiliar with rewiring new sockets and switches, leave them alone and call an electrician. Tampering and altering wire connections can result in serious injury if not done properly. Be very cautious if you come across an exposed wire or are constantly being shocked, you could have a major safety issue on your hands. Make sure you shut off all power to the area or appliance you are unsure about and contact a professional.

A lot of people dismiss using a ceiling fan on the grounds that such devices do not actually cool the air within one’s home. Of course, this is true: ceiling fans do not actively cool the air. However, you should not be so quick to dismiss them, as they can actually help you to cut down on how much you rely upon your AC. You see, ceiling fans are able to help move cooled air throughout the house. This, in turn, helps your AC to cool your home more evenly, thus cutting down on its overall run time. The result is great comfort, and at a reduced price, as ceiling fans use far less energy than air conditioners do to operate.

You may think it counterintuitive to run a ceiling fan during the winter season. However, doing so allows you to supplement your heater in much the same manner as you have your air conditioner. Heat rises, remember. By flipping the switch that most ceiling fans have on the body of the fan, you can reverse the direction in which the blades spin. This allows the fan to force heated air back down into the living space. Contact us to learn more.

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The DMB also launched the Green Music Group, a high-profile environmental coalition of musicians, industry leaders and music fans using their power to bring about widespread environmental change in the music industry. Other members of this environmentally- conscious coalition of musicians include Maroon 5, Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow.

Hear the Band and Get in Tune!  Go Green and Sustain your Home and Community with Positive Change…

*Energy SMART tm refers to items that use less energy and conserve natural resources as compared to similar products that serve the same purpose.  Energy Smart also refers to the ways in which we consume electricity that are less costly energy-wise and generally more efficient.

** Energy Startmis a United States government program created in 1992 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the purpose of reducing energy consumption and green house gas emissions by power plants.  This voluntary labeling program has grown worldwide to include increasingly more consumer products. ENERGY STARtm ratings are given to products that meet a set a strict regulation standards for energy-efficiency and cost-savings.

***Revere the Dark Sky: Certain municipalities throughout the United States have passed laws and ordinances requiring outdoor lighting fixtures on newly constructed homes be “Dark Sky” compliant.

Lighting plans with “dark sky compliancy” provide for an unobstructed view of the stars and planets, protect biorhythms of life and prevent light pollution.  Be sure to incorporate shielded fixtures into your outdoor lighting scheme and position fixtures to avoid glare and superfluous light from interfering with your view of the nighttime sky or shedding unwanted light toward your neighbors’ property.

Continually searching for ways to protect the natural beauty of the universe, the lighting industry and modern technology go hand in hand.  Splendid illumination and thoughtful lighting plans are essential to this quest.

Enjoy the best in outdoor and landscape lighting, as well as fabulous lighting for kitchen and bath.  Visit a Capitol Lighting showroom or shop 1800lighting.com to view outstanding green arrivals to renew your home for sustainability and a cleaner America.

The use of electricity understandably increases during winter when sunlight is limited, the days are shorter and the temperatures down to freezing. The need for warmth and the desire to stay indoors translates to an increase in the use of electricity, which in turn increases the risks that are associated with electricity.

There are several electricity-related problems associated with winter that can affect homeowners during this season. People who own homes should be extra vigilant because among other things, the severe weather can cause power outages, fluctuations and other electrical hazards following heavy snow, rain and strong winds. These power abnormalities are the ones that cause all manner of trouble in homes and other places where electricity is in use.

Preparedness is the key to ensuring you as a homeowner, stay safe from electrical hazards during the winter months. Below are some basic electrical tips that always help in getting ready for winter in this regard: