Did you know that your video game habit is an energy hog? The costs aren’t limited to the price of your console and games – the Xbox One and other gaming systems actually draw a large amount of electricity. In response to criticism about how much power the Xbox consumes, Microsoft is reaching out to help consumers cut down on their product's energy profile with one small change that could save gamers $250 million per year.

Power-Guzzling Standby Mode

The big problem with the Xbox comes during its standby mode. By design, the system is never actually off, which provides gamers with two major benefits: They can start it up instantly with no load time, and the device downloads updates in the background when the console isn't being used, so you never have to sit around waiting for that annoying status bar to finish loading.

Unfortunately, the “instant-on” feature uses a shocking amount of electricity – up to 40 percent of the total consumed by the Xbox, according to the National Resources Defense Council.

“While the device is reasonably efficient when playing a game, that is more than offset by its power-guzzling ‘Instant On’ standby mode that is enabled by default,” Noah Horowitz wrote on the NRDC blog.

Last year, the NRDC released a study which found that the energy consumed nationwide by the three most popular consoles – PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo's Wii U – reaches as much as 11 billion kilowatt-hours annually, enough to power Houston, Texas for a year.

Microsoft Responds

The criticism must have stung, because Microsoft is now making an extra effort to remind gamers of the console's energy saving mode, which does not have the same features as instant-on but can save consumers $6 to $15 per year. With 7 million consoles and counting in the U.S., that adds up in a big way.

"While we believe Instant-on provides the best experience for our fans, we also believe in providing consumer choice which is why we offered the ‘Energy-saving’ mode," Microsoft wrote in a recent blog post. “By providing multiple power states in Xbox One and empowering our fans with choice, we sought to balance energy efficiency and functionality. At the same time, we know many Xbox One fans are vigilant about their household’s energy consumption; after all, environmental leadership often begins at home.”

The company also previously made changes to reduce power consumption during instant-on mode by one third.

Look for Energy Savings

To change your Xbox so it uses the energy saving option, look in the “power & start up” menu under settings. Fifteen dollars might not sound like a lot, but with so many Xbox fans, the energy savings really add up.

If you really want to go the extra mile with your Xbox and other electronics, just unplug them when you aren't using them. That gets around the matter of stand-by mode altogether and can help you save a decent chunk of change by avoiding energy vampires.

As you grow older you begin to understand why your parents cared so much about you not breaking things and wanting the house to look nice – not just when people came over, but all the time. It’s a matter of pride and stature, and with the purchase of a new house, the plan is to make the place into a home – something to be proud of and show off.

We started with art that we found interesting, hanging and placing in the living room, bedroom, and kitchen pieces that spoke to us along with accent pieces that were appropriate. We didn’t flood the place with décor, but it certainly wasn’t boring.

For many homeowners, the presence of a smoke alarm within the home equates to pretty much background noise. You might ask about it upon purchase, or make sure there is one within your home that may or may not work. This shouldn’t be the case! A smoke alarm just might be the single factor between heading off a dangerous situation and major property loss. At Hoffman Electrical, your safety always comes first, and we would like to take a moment to let you know why adequate smoke alarms within your home are of the utmost importance to your safety.

For professional  Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), there are nearly a million home fires in the United States each year. That’s nearly one in every three hundred United States homes! That is a concerning statistic, and damages include property damage and loss, and possible injury or loss of life. Ensuring you have the best chance possible of detecting, preparing for, escaping or mitigating a home fire is absolutely crucial.

If you’re in need of fire alarm installation, don’t hesitate to call Hoffman Electrical! The longer you wait, the greater the chance of extensive property damage and injuries! When you choose Hoffman Electrical, you receive:

One of the most integral parts of our daily lives is the electrical system that powers our home. We use it every day to provide power to our televisions, appliances, heating and cooling systems, lights and all other electrical devices that we have become accustomed to. For this reason, it is very important that our electrical systems remain both safe and in proper working order. Any damage, big or small, to your electrical system could pose potentially serious safety hazards, resulting in electrical shock, fire or even death. If you have an older home, or have been having doubts about your electrical system for one reason or another, it may be time to have an electrical safety inspection.

When should you have an inspection?

Older Homes

One of the biggest electrical issues with older homes is that they just were not built with today’s electrical usage in mind. Because of this, they have undersized electrical systems that can result in frequently tripped breakers or blown fuses. Although tripped breakers are sometimes easy to ignore, it can represent a serious problem if it happens frequently. If you are having this issue, then you will want to get in touch with The Electric Connection right away. We can send an electrician in Los Angeles out to your home to perform an electrical safety assessment and determine whether or not any electrical upgrades are necessary. In some cases, older homes can even have outdated equipment or ungrounded outlets that can result in unsafe situations. In this type of situation, you may require a whole house rewire.

If you are experiencing any regular electrical problems, whether your home is old or new, don’t wait to call your Los Angeles electrician. Leaving these issues unchecked will often only make them worse, ultimately resulting in more extensive repairs than if you had addressed the issue quickly. For more information about inspections and other electrical services, browse our website at theelectricconnection.com.

Demand for the electric cars has been on upward trend over the last few years. However, manufacturers and car owners still face a challenge due to the limited battery capacity which necessitates the need to keep on recharging after traveling a certain distance.

Despite the benefits of charging the electric cars at home, most residential installations, especially the older ones, may not support the systems. But the consumers can upgrade these to accommodate the additional load. The upgrade depends on the existing wiring, panel, capacity and charging station power requirements.

electrical wiring and capacity, and the charger voltage and level. The electric car owner must first decide on the preferred type of charger and time, and then compare its power requirements with the existing capacity at home.

Some chargers require 120V while others work on 240V and each takes different times to fully charge the batteries.  Higher voltages will require dedicated circuits and upgraded wiring, breakers, panel and service entrance.

Other upgrades include the price plan, metering, and compatible outlets or provision for hard-wiring. If you are installing a DC charging is very fast; it uses about 400-volt direct current and is capable of reaching full charge in about 15 minutes. This is a complicated method and may require significant upgrades in the home electrical system. It is also very expensive and rarely used for home charging.

upgrade your wiring or install the product if you system capacity can support it.

It is essential to ensure that the electrical panel and dedicated circuit have the capacity to handle the system. The installation of the charging station is similar to other high power equipment, such as clothes dryer, and should comply with all the electrical codes and requirements.

Each charging station should be on its own dedicated circuit with adequate capacity and protection. However, the it can still be connected to an existing 40 Amp circuit, such as the one for the kitchen, provided that there is a locking mechanism to ensure that only one load is connected at a time.

Charge stations may be hardwired or plug-equipped to connect to the electrical outlet. For the plug type charger, you will need to have an electrician to wire the compatible electrical receptacle according to the codes.

You may add ventilation to improve the cooling of the charge station if it is in a location with poor air circulation.

Charging electric cars at home is the desire of the majority of EV owners. It cuts down on the cost and time to drive and wait at a public charge station. In addition, it does not interfere with the daily activities of the electric car owners since they can charge at night.

Unfortunately, there are several homes without the provision or capacity to support the charging stations. However, the EV owners can consult the car dealers, and then engage qualified electricians in upgrading the existing electrical wiring. This will enable them to conveniently charge at home.