We all know that switching off the lights when not in use is a good thing; but we often leave the lights on even when we leave a room or aren’t using a particular space. This can result in an increase in our utility bills in the long term.

In many urban houses, electricity is wasted more than it is used. There are a number of devices on the market today that save a considerable amount of energy. Installing these controls would help in decreasing your bill in a significant way. Here are some of the devices that help save energy in your home:

These devices are largely used for security lighting installation. They detect movement and will switch on the lights connected to the system. They can be installed on the porch as well as the indoor spaces of your home. Installing different types of security lights in the outdoor and indoor areas of your home can be expensive.

However, installing motion detectors on your lawn or on floodlights directed towards your porch will add to the security of your property and help save electricity as well. The lights won’t consume an excess amount of energy and will be switched on only when any motion is detected. They can be customized to be turned off during the daytime.

LED lights are up to 80% more energy-efficient when compared to traditional lighting. The latter generate heat which results in energy-loss. However, in the case of LED lights, only around 5% of the energy gets converted into heat and more than 95% is converted into light. They are environment-friendly and an 84 watt fluorescent bulb can be replaced with a 34 watt LED and will emit the same amount of light. While the upfront cost of LED bulbs is higher than that of halogen or fluorescent bulbs, they can last for up to 50,000 hours and provide value in the long term.

This is a more technologically sophisticated version of motion detectors. These sensors are specially designed for indoor spaces. They turn on the lights automatically when someone enters the room, and turn them off when they leave. Ultrasonic sensors can pick up sounds and detect if someone is in the room; they trigger the lighting system in the room. But these sensors aren’t of much use in quiet environments. Infrared sensors are useful in these settings as they detect both – body heat as well as movement.

These devices are installed in areas such as basements, where artificial light is needed and there is less of ambient light. These sensors turn off the lights when they detect daylight and automatically turn them on when it gets dark; this saves a lot of energy. Many of these products can be customized to your needs. You can change the level of brightness at which the lights get switched off and on. These technologically advanced devices add to the energy-efficiency of your property.

A bad circuit breaker is a major inconvenience, but there can be other issues at play when your power supply isn’t working the way it should. Breakers protect you and your home from current overloads and other electrical issues. If the circuit gets overloaded, the breaker will trip, cutting power to eliminate the risk of fire. Sometimes a breaker will trip even when there is no overload, but it can be tricky to figure out which situation applies.

If you think you have a bad circuit breaker, look out for the following signs so you can get the problem taken care of quickly.

If your breaker is tripping, it could mean there is a device on the circuit causing an overload. Identifying what circuit the breaker is protecting can help you figure out if the problem is with a device or with the breaker itself. There might be a label on the breaker panel that gives you this information, but if not, you can figure it out by testing your lights and devices. If you disconnect the devices connected to the circuit and try to reset the breaker again, the outcome will confirm whether you have a faulty breaker. If it still trips even without the devices connected to it, it is defective and needs replacement.

Wouldn’t you like to keep your hard earned money in your pocket rather than pay it out on excessive electric bills? Californians get used to mild weather, but when those cold temps blow in, they are a real shock to the system. Your first reaction is to reach for the thermostat and crank it up. Unfortunately, if your home isn’t ready to ride out a cold snap, you could be paying double or triple what you really need to be to keep your home warm. These are some tips from your local electrician in Los Angeles to help retain the heat from your furnace in the home and save you money on your electric bill. The team at The Electric Connection is here to help.

• Spend some time adding weather stripping around your doors or windows. It is sold in a roll with self-sticking tape on one side. Simply peel and stick. This one little thing can block cold drafts from coming in as well as prevent your hot air from seeping out. During the summer, you can keep your air conditioned air in and the hot air out.

• If you have sliding glass doors or French doors, consider investing in heavy curtains. Again, these are great for the summer and winter months. You can block the cold by covering large windows with heavy curtains.

• Have your furnace or heat pump maintained. Keeping filters clean and the unit in good working order can save you a lot of money in repair costs as well as keep the unit operating in prime condition.

You don’t have to pay a lot for your Los Angeles electrical bill when you do these three simple things. You can reduce your heating and cooling bills by taking care of the little things around the house. If you have any more questions, give The Electric Connection a call today.

This post is part of a series designed to help newlyweds get the most out of lighting. Also be sure to check out our post about Click here for the perfect soundtrack for this post, then grab your bags and passports, because we’re taking you on a worldwide tour to find the most exsquisite, romantic lighting around the globe! The following list details some of the best honeymoon destinations in the world that are perfect for lovers of light.

1) Paris, France.

2) Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

3) Alaska, Norway, Greenland… etc.

Basically, anywhere you can see the honeymoon packages that include viewing the northern lights, so you’ve definitely got a lot of options. Bonus: the University of Alaska has an Image via niagarafallslive.com

4)  Niagara Falls, New York, USA.

What’s better than mixing the breathtaking power of North America’s biggest waterfall with the dazzling glow of colored lights? You can enjoy the raw beauty of nature and the fascinating art of a light show at night. Combine that with the rustic charm of upstate New York and the Canadian border towns, and you won’t be disappointed!

5) Outer Banks, North Carolina, USA.

6) Anywhere you can get away from light polution.

Highlights from Hong Kong International Light Fair (HKILF) include exciting new products for boosting energy-efficiency to new heights in home and office illumination.   As the largest autumn light fair in Asia, the HKILF introduces new items from home appliances to maintenance-free landscape lighting and novel LED products.

image from HKILF*

The Hong Kong International Light Fair continues to grow and gain recognition as the world’s most important platform for introducing novel lighting designs and new energy-enriched products.

The 16th edition of the HKILF (Autumn Edition) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre attracted 180,000 global buyers.* and was the most well-attended, as well as the biggest on record.

“Last year, the four-day event attracted 2,360 exhibitors from 38 countries and regions and produced strong visitor turn-out, with more than 38,000 buyers from 144 countries and regions in attendance.”–www.enlightenmentmag.com october 2014

Show highlights include:

• Energy-efficient, eco-friendly “LED and Green Lighting Zones” looking to meet international sustainability requirements.

• New Product Platforms

• Information Exchange Platforms

• New Trends and Styles

–LED and “green” lighting products are expected to see the highest sales growth in 2015.*

–Retail prices of LED lamps are expected to drop by 8 percent by the end of 2015.*