Across Nokesville and the rest of Virginia, parents and their kids anxiously await the arrival of Spring Break. The school year can be particularly stressful for everyone, both parents and kids, so we hope that you and your family are able to take full advantage of your downtime to relax. If you’re planning a getaway for your family, don’t forget to safeguard your home against potential threats. Getting adequate rest during this time is crucial for finishing out the school year strong. The last thing we want is for you to have to cut your vacation short because something went wrong at home. To get the most of your Spring Break holiday, follow these tips on keeping your home safe!

Whether you’re going to be gone for a few nights or the entire week, ask a trusted friend or neighbor to check on your home once or twice a day. Perhaps your neighbor can even keep a car parked there for the time being. You will also want to have your newspaper and mail picked up, as nothing says “I’m not home” like a driveway full of newspapers and a stuffed mailbox.

If you’re leaving pets behind, it’s especially crucial to have someone look after them. It’s always difficult determining just how much food and water your furry friend is going to need. For the safety of your pet – and for your peace of mind – make sure they’re properly taken care of!

Homeowners often make the mistake of leaving certain lights on at all times. While this may seem like an effective deterrent, it actually does quite the opposite. Wouldn’t you find it strange, too, if the same hallway and front room lights in a home were left on for several consecutive days? The goal is to make it appear as if someone is always home, so you want to follow a normal light pattern. You can do this by installing timers so that you can program your lights to turn on and off at designated times.

In addition to gaining control over your lights, by installing smart controls throughout your home, you can check to see if you remembered to lock the front door, close the garage, or turn the heat off. Even if you do have a friend or neighbor watching over your home, you might feel even better knowing that you can check on it too, even while hundreds of miles away.

With a hot, dry summer predicted for this year, it is going to take a little creativity to stay cool without the luxury of endless amounts of water and electricity. You are going to need to do everything you can to stay cool, without relying on a swamp cooler or your air conditioner. There is a possibility scheduled blackouts will be performed to try and conserve resources. You can still stay cool by doing the following things recommended by your Glendale Electrician. If you have any more questions, you can give the team a The Electric Connection a call.

1-Keep the blinds closed. You may feel like you are living in a cave, but caves are cool. You need to do what you can to block the sun from heating up the home. Investing in heavy, sun-blocking curtains is also an option.

2-Consider having any south facing windows tinted. This can give you the openness you like, while still blocking the heat from the sun. Tinted windows are becoming more and more popular as people look for ways to save on cooling costs.

3-Have a ceiling fan installed by an electrician in Glendale in your bedroom and main sitting areas. This can help you feel much more comfortable. The cool breeze stirred up by the fan will go a long way to keeping you cool.

4-Don’t run the dryer during the day. Only dry clothes in the early morning hours or late night hours.

5-Avoid cooking with the oven if you can. Consider cooking outdoors on the barbecue or using the microwave. A crockpot is another, much cooler option.

You can stay cool, without running up your electric bill or soaking in a tub of cold water. If you need a ceiling fan installed, call your electrician. Glendale residents can count on the professional team at The Electric Connection to take care of their ceiling fan installation needs.

Electric vehicles are one of the hottest new trends in the automotive industry. The idea is very appealing—According to ChargePoint, EV drivers save over 2.4 million gallons of gas annually and this will most likely only grow as popularity continues to increase. Going green is a very admirable goal. If you have considered the idea of an electric vehicle, one of the most common Los Angeles electrical questions you may have is how you go about keeping your car charged when you are on the go in day –to-day life. Utilizing your home’s electricity properly as well as visiting charging stations, such as those by ChargePoint will keep your EV going strong.

When it comes to charging at home, it is important to save money when at all possible while charging. You may want to contact an electrician in Los Angeles, from The Electric Connection, to see if your plug-ins, wiring and other equipment is up to par and will properly charge your electric vehicle. Then, it is important that you check with your electric company and see if there are any ways to save money by charging at certain off-peak hours. You may find that by changing your electric plan, you can save a significant sum on your electricity bill.

Charging on the go is becoming easier as more electric vehicle chargers are now available. For instance, in New York, there are currently 800 charging stations, and plans are to grow this to 3,000 over the next five years.

There are so many benefits to choosing an EV. In California, you may be able to drive in the HOV lane, even when driving alone. Spend some time researching and talk to an expert on electricity matters, such as The Electric Connection, and decide if it is time for you to jump board with the electronic vehicle trend.