The relationship between weather and energy usage is a never-ending cycle. Spikes and drops in temperature and humidity lead to spikes and drops in energy use (and costs), which in turn correspond with spikes and drops in greenhouse gas emissions, further affecting climate. What does this relationship mean when it comes to your energy usage?

Temperatures above 100 and below 40 stress your heating and cooling system, pushing it to capacity, reducing efficiency, and draining energy supplies, along with your wallet. Quite simply, this amounts to less bang for your buck in terms of comfort. Add to temperature issues, wind, cloud cover, and precipitation and the snowball effect continues, further impacting comfort levels, not to mention your ability to illuminate interior spaces. Compound the issues – and the population affected – and you’ve got grid strain to boot.

That depends on the source of energy. In the US, 83 percent of energy usage comes from fossil fuels, which release gases such as CO2 into the environment during the creation of energy. Unfortunately, these gases trap heat in the atmosphere. Atmospheric greenhouse gases have increased 30 percent since the pre-Industrial Revolution era alone, and the level continues to rise with energy demand. As levels increase, so does the effect on the environment. Thousands of scientists agree the trapped gases are currently affecting the climate, and will increasingly weigh on it as time goes on. This has resulted in an increase in interest in cleaner forms of energy, including nuclear, solar, wind, and geothermal.

Is your sensitive electronic equipment protected from the potentially devastating effects a power surge brought on by winter weather? Seventy percent of U.S. power outages are attributable to severe weather, with winter months producing a host of storms that can result in outages and subsequent surges. Power surges are now more troublesome than ever, as homeowners now own a much wider array of this sophisticated and expensive electronic equipment.

A surge protector offers your sensitive electronics protection in the event of power surge or spike. Those looking for additional support may want to consider an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) as well, which offers surge protection plus the added benefit of a battery backup, allowing for the safe shutdown of equipment and prevention of data loss in the event of an outage.

Multiple layers of surge protection coverage are required for complete protection. Even whole house surge protectors cannot handle 100 percent of surges. While all three levels are recommended, the combination of Type 2 and 3 devices will provide an adequate safeguard, however.

Without a properly grounded home and outlets, even the best surge protector will fail to protect your home. Why? Surge protectors shed all that excess voltage through ground. Have your home inspected for grounding issues prior to installation to ensure effective surge protection and prevent the need for replacing expensive electronics due to failure.

Adding surge protection to your home costs very little in comparison to the replacement cost of your electronics. Protection at outlets runs as little as $10, while whole house protections costs a few hundred. Sound like a lot? The cost of replacing a single large home appliance such as a washer, dryer, stove, or hot water heater will likely cost you double the investment in a surge protector. Start adding in iPhones, tablets, e-readers, laptops or other devices in your home that could be destroyed by a surge while charging and the numbers are nauseating. This is why the average insurance claim for power surge and lighting related damage is over $4,000, not to mention the inconvenience of living without those electronics until replacements are procured, making the costs of installing a surge protector a drop in the bucket.

Can you afford to live without surge protection? Trust in Mr. Electric® to keep your electronic essentials from getting zapped. Our professionals have the information you need to help you select the best surge protection for your home or business.

Decorating your home and the outdoors is an extremely popular activity starting in about October. October and fall weather tends to be very wet. Putting electric-powered decorations outside can get tricky. Every year, it seems like we try to go a little bigger with our holiday displays. Every year, manufacturers are putting out bigger, cooler and more elaborate decorations for us to add to our collections. If you are one of those people who likes to have the coolest holiday display on the block, you probably rely on electricity to run lights and some of the moving figures placed outside or around the house. That means you need to brush up on your electric safety knowledge and an electrician in Santa Monica is here to help you do just that. You can always count on The Electric Connection to give you accurate information.

One of the most important safety rules to keep in mind is to pay attention to what the decorations and lights are designed for. If they are designated “indoor use only” don’t attempt to put them outside. It could result in the item shorting out and possibly sparking a fire. This applies to extension cords as well explains an electrician. Santa Monica homeowners need to follow the guidelines on the cords. Outdoor extension cords will generally be round and brightly colored.

Do not connect more than three strands of lights together. Read the manufacturer guidelines on each of the boxes to determine if you can put several decorations on the same cord or if they will need separate ones. Avoid connecting more than 2 extension cords together. If you need additional outlets outside, hire a Santa Monica electrician to do so for you. This can make decorating a breeze. Give The Electric Connection a call today if you need additional outlets or have questions about electric safety.