With most of the population spending more time at home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and using more electricity, we’ve all seen a rise in our bills.
We’re pretty on board for saving electricity bills while keeping the kids happy, and having a safe home, so a solution is definitely in need.
We’ve employed the help of founder of Metropolitan Electrical Contractors, David Ellingsen who has given us the lowdown on the seven biggest electricity upgrades that we will never regret.
So with no further ado, here are David’s top seven tips:
LED lighting
As a certain music show host used to say, “do yourself a favour”. And do the planet a favour. Switching to LED lighting is the easiest energy saving move you can make. LEDs use a good deal less power than old school lighting and that includes fluorescents and those annoying slow-to-start-up curly CFLs. And they don’t contain toxic mercury like fluorescents and CFLs. An added bonus is that LED downlights don’t run hot like halogen so you can cover them with insulation in the ceiling. There are LED replacements for all the types of lighting in your home, so you can change everything from floodlights to globes in the shed. The price of LED is quickly offset by the electricity savings you will make, so this is an upgrade that’s a no-brainer.
USB powerpoints
What do you do every day? You charge a number of devices and so does everyone in your family. Teenage siblings squabble over powerboards for their bedrooms. But these days you can even find USB ports on the train. There is no reason why you can’t install them at home and enjoy the convenience of a USB powerpoint that isn’t next to the kettle. You get a quicker charge and reduce clutter. All sorts of combinations of powerpoint are available with single dedicated USB powerpoints, single conventional powerpoints with an additional USB socket or double powerpoints with dual USB chargers. Making something you do every day easier is always worth it. It also makes it easier to search for ‘electrician Adelaide’ to find someone to put them in for you.
Rewiring a house
If your home is more than forty years old and you are renovating, rewiring the whole place will save a lot of headaches and counts for a whole lot more than a fresh coat of paint. It’s surprising how long wiring can last and there are plenty of houses in Adelaide that have old cords in metal conduits still in the ceiling space. The wiring might still work, but it is often no longer fit for purpose, and if it has deteriorated badly, it can be a fire hazard. A clue that you need to rewire is if you have an old switchboard with all sorts of add-ons from years past. Electricity is part of the essential infrastructure of your house and the wiring in your home should be able to handle the demands of a modern household. Comparatively, ensure to use licensed tradespeople as insurance companies may not cover fire or personal injury caused by do-it-yourself electrical work. Everything working smoothly without circuit breakers tripping all the time is the least to expect. And remember that if you ever put the house on the market, prospective buyers always check the wiring.
RCD safety switches
If you’ve got those ceramic fuses that take fuse wire you should seriously consider rewiring the house and upgrading your switchboard. But you’re most likely to have circuit breakers, which are those switches that turn off if you have an overload on the circuit. They are an improvement on the old fuses because they are a lot more convenient – you reset the circuit by switching it back on instead of rewiring the fuse – but they are not safety switches. RCD safety switches look similar, but have a test button with a T on it. They protect you from electrocution, but the circuit breakers don’t. If safety for your family is a priority, you will never regret putting safety switches on all the circuits in your home.
Smoke alarms
Safety again. All houses have smoke alarms and most of them are hard wired. So what’s the upgrade? New houses and extensions in Adelaide are now required to have a number of smoke alarms that are interconnected so that when one goes off, they all do. That means you might want to upgrade the toaster at the same time. More seriously, interconnected smoke alarms are what fire safety experts recommend based on proper studies over the last couple of decades, so to protect your family and keep insurance companies happy, put in some well-placed alarms and make sure they are linked.
Doorbell cameras
Back to fun and convenience. Doorbell cameras or video doorbells mean that you can put your front door in your pocket and carry it anywhere. Better than that, you can answer it anywhere. It’s a camera integrated into your doorbell that you can access at any time from your phone. So you can sneak a look at what’s happening in your street any time you choose. If someone rings the bell you can also answer on your phone anywhere you happen to be. They’re good for security and just for the fun of checking out whether the bins have been emptied or chatting with some well-meaning Mormon. Who regrets hours of fun?
Smart Appliances
Smart lighting, smart fans and smart fridges are all things. Part of the ever-growing internet of things that do things at your command and give your life that Jetsons vibe. A connected, safe, energy efficient home is the best place to join the 21st century and luxuriate in the convenience of the digital age.
To get in touch with David and Metropolitan Electrical Contractors, head to https://www.metropolitanelectrical.com.au/.
Author: David Ellingsen
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