During a recent trip down to Washington, DC I stopped by the National Mall to tour the astonishingly energy efficient homes on display as part of the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathalon.  The Solar Decathlon is one of the DOE’s signature programs to promote cutting edge design and green techonology.

There has been a sea change in electrical safety systems for residential and commercial properties and these systems are significantly safer than the ones that existed even up until 5 years ago. Even if you have new installations on your property, you need to make some effort to prevent electrical accidents.

This means you have to ensure that the electrical infrastructure in your home is of a high-grade and that it’s well-maintained. It’s also important to make smart choices with reference to using various heat-producing appliances and extension cords. Here are some tips that will help make your home a safer space:

Electrical safety is about ensuring that every fixture, fitting and installation is updated and in a good condition. The power points are one of the most important electrical components on your property. Since these are the ones you come in contact with very regularly, they do become worn and damaged sooner than the other parts of the system.

Since they are the points of contact for various electrical appliances in your home, there is also the possibility of sparking. This is how they become a very common source of residential electrical fires. If you have noticed consistent sparking from these points or if any of the wires appear to be damaged or loose, it’s important that you call in a licensed and reliable electrician to get these fixed.

It’s a good idea to get a full electrical audit of your property. The electricians will quickly identify whether there is any damaged, deteriorated or faulty electrical system that has the potential to cause a fire. If you find the circuit breakers on your property tripping too often, it could mean that circuit is unable to bear the load of the appliances that are operating on it. If this is left unattended, it too could pose a fire risk.

If you find that you are using too many heavy duty appliances like gas stoves, dryers, microwaves and dishwashers on the same circuit, it’s important to spread them across different circuits. Your electrician will be able to handle this job expertly and will provide advice on what the best option would be.

While power strips and extension cords may seem like a convenient solution, they should never be used a permanent option. Long-term use might be required in areas like entertainment rooms or for computer systems; however these should be checked with regularity and replaced at the first indication of a defect/damage. It’s also very important that you don’t overload the extension cords and power strips.

These appliances can also become the cause of an electrical fire. These can’t be strictly categorized as electrical fires; however, if there is any kind of combustible material in the vicinity of these appliances, the heat that emanates from the latter can ignite the materials and cause a fire.

As a thumb rule, it’s important to keep combustible materials away from all heat and electrical sources. For instance, if you use space heaters it’s important to follow the safety instructions mentioned by the manufacturer. Newer model space heaters have more reliable fire prevention features and its best to consider buying a new one.

We at Allround Electricals are a reliable company with years of experience behind us. Our experts can come and conduct audits and provide preventive electrical maintenance services for your commercial and residential property. For more information, contact our friendly team at this number – 1300 169 263. Alternatively, you can also write to us at this email address.

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Proper lighting and positioning is a major factor in enhancing your brand image, building a customer base and increasing the sales of your retail store. A well-designed store is bound to generate higher sales than the one with an ordinary interior.

Shoppers these days are more knowledgeable and opinionated than ever before. There is a need for retailers to equip themselves with the right skills and tools to attract their attention and make shopping a memorable experience for them.

Upgrading the lights and positioning is one of the easiest ways to restore and enhance your store’s appeal, thereby making an impact on the sales.

The Retail Welcome

Your store’s exteriors and lighting systems are vital. This is the place making way to the store entrance. If your store is inside a shopping mall, then you might spend more on ads, signage and billboards, or else lighting should be the focus.

The proper outdoor lighting. Mostly, we tend to focus on name boards which are aesthetically designed with spotlights. But outside area should never be ignored.

The entrance of the store makes an emotional connection with a shopper. That’s where you showcase your products. Proper lighting and correct positioning can make all the difference here. Even an ordinary product can be made to look good when the lighting is spot on. This persuades the people who don’t intend to shop in the first place, enter your store.

Good lighting designers would strongly suggest using a variety of lighting intensities, colors, fixtures and placements to craft an impressive entrance.

Product Lighting

Right lighting at various areas within a retail store increases shoppers’ engagement with the products. Different lighting caters to different products which could be dissimilar in shape, size, texture, pattern and color.

The lighting needs to be in tune with the products that your brand sells, so at the time of testing, customers can closely experience the appearance and usefulness of the products they want to purchase. For example in a clothing store, the color of lighting often makes a garment look different in terms of shade and tone.

Lighting for walls and decorative stuff in your store should never take precedence over product lighting. You are there to sell your products and not murals or ceilings. A retail store for interior items is an exception.

Light boxes can enhance the appearance of your top products and special items. Since shoppers are naturally drawn to striking and unique displays, these items gain instant visibility. This makes it a great opportunity to showcase the best sellers, higher margin items, or even items you simply wish to sell faster.

Lighting the Fitting Rooms

Proper illumination within the fitting or trial rooms ensures an easy selection and product check for shoppers.

Make sure that the colors, quality, and fit are clearly visible. Smart lighting with careful use of mirrors and cabinets makes a product look better when tried on.

Customer Experience is Paramount – Some Tips

Right lighting and positioning is only one of the parameters among others that define sales strategies but mostly, it is overlooked by retailers.

Store owners and retailers must find out a way to measure if the store lighting is making an impact to their footfalls and sales. The results would certainly convince them revive the entire store from lighting perspective.