The outdoor spaces on your property become the perfect spots to spend leisurely moments with your family and entertain friends. In fact, if these areas are planned and installed well, they become an extension of your home. Well-designed spaces allow you to use these areas comfortably during the daytime; however, the only way you would be able to use them optimally after dark, is if you get the right kind of outdoor lighting fixtures installed in your landscaping.

Many homeowners feel that installing a few floodlights in different spots on the property is sufficient in terms of outdoor lighting. However, this kind of illumination is never enough. In fact, there are times when floodlights can mar the beauty of your home and its immediate surroundings; they may end up highlighting some of the unflattering features of your property as well.

The one way to overcome this problem is to hire the services of expert outdoor lighting electricians to handle the job for you. They will understand what your specific requirements and preferences are and will survey the outdoor areas on your property. They will also identify which features you want to highlight and which you prefer to keep in the background. Once they have all this information, they will provide outdoor lighting options and quotes.

A good and knowledgeable electrician will always focus on providing low-maintenance, energy-efficient and cost-effective landscape lighting solutions. While outdoor lighting jobs are typically a part and parcel of landscaping jobs, many homeowners feel the need to upgrade their existing lighting installations to modern energy-efficient LED lights.

Since there are a number of technicalities and aspects that have to be taken into consideration while planning outdoor lighting, it’s important that you consult an expert outdoor electrician who will provide you all the information you need; this helps you make a more well-informed decision.

It’s also a good idea to opt for outdoor lighting maintenance plans. As part of these plans the electricians will come over to your property and inspect all the outdoor lighting installations and fixtures. They will check whether there is any wear & tear in the electrical wiring insulation, the grounding and all the fixtures too.

Regardless of how you look at it, the right kind of outdoor illumination provides a number of benefits. It enhances the security aspect of your property AND adds to its aesthetics. When you have a well-lit garden and yard, you are more encouraged to use these spaces and this increases your return on investment.

For more information, simply speak with the experts at AllRound Electrical and take their advice on various aspects of electrical installations in your home. The number to call is – 1300 169 263. You can also write to us at this email address.

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Halloween night is when ghouls and goblins hit the streets, but beware -- there are vampires already lurking inside your home. Energy vampires, that is, or electronic appliances that drain power even when turned off. If you aren't careful this wasted energy (also known as phantom loads) can turn your electricity bill into something out of a horror movie.

Energy vampires can lurk in every room. Some of your devices are designed to draw power even while off by going into standby mode, in order to receive remote control transmissions or keep digital clocks running. Portable devices that use rechargeable batteries, like laptops and phones, will also consume electricity as long as they are plugged in, even after they are fully charged. Big screen TVs with “instant on” features are also notorious energy suckers.

Any one appliance might only draw a small amount of power, but when you consider how many TVs, computers, stereos, kitchen devices and other electronic items are found in the average American home, the totals start to add up quickly. Coffee makers, electric toothbrushes, fax machines and modems all seem so innocent until it's time to write the monthly check to your power company.

In total, households in the United States consume more than $10 billion in vampire electricity annually, or about $100 per household, according to Energy Star, an energy efficiency program established by the Environmental Protection Agency. That comes to as much as 10 percent of overall home energy use. In addition to higher bills, this waste also harms the environment. Phantom loads account for about 100 billion kilowatt hours per year nationwide, adding considerably to carbon dioxide and other pollution released into the atmosphere.

That's not all: in rare cases, appliances drawing standby power can actually catch fire, especially older models that happen to be kept in damp environments.

It may not be possible to eliminate vampire energy entirely, since some devices such as answering machines, security systems and programmable thermostats rely on a continuous stream of power to perform their basic functions. However, by following a few tips you can reduce the amount of power you waste, saving money and lowering your ecological footprint at the same time:

Take the time for these basic measures and make sure the only vampires and phantoms you encounter this Halloween are the ones that knock on the door to say “trick or treat!”