Do you have working smoke alarms? It could mean the difference between life and death. Smoke alarms are the first line of defense in a house fire. They act as an early warning sign, allowing you enough time to evacuate the premise. While these devices are small and often unnoticed, they could save your life. If you can’t recall the locations of your smoke alarms or when they were last tested, now is the time to act.

Throughout the years, we’ve added many great Father’s Day gifts to our extensive selection of LED products. Because the list is constantly growing, we decided to narrow it down to our top 10 best-selling gifts for dad. Our ideas range from LED products for task, leisure, and work lighting to vehicle LED bulbs and strips. They’re long-lasting, energy-efficient, and are sure to brighten dad’s day.

The kids are grown and have homes of their own, so it’s time to make those empty rooms into that den, office, sewing room or home theater that you’ve been wishing for over the years. Or, perhaps you’d like to update your kitchen with new appliances or add some new, luxurious bathroom lighting fixtures. Maybe you’ve been thinking about a whirlpool bath. Why not? However, don’t forget to give your local electrician a call as you’re planning those changes. Chances are good that you’ll need a few electrical upgrades to make sure your wiring system is ready to handle the increased load. Consulting an electrician in Pasadena who is licensed and knowledgeable about home renovations can help you keep you avoid last minute complications as your project gets underway.

Electrical system upgrades are often an afterthought when homeowners start planning a remodeling project. Often, the plans are made and the new appliances, lighting and other electrical components chosen before the very basic issue of how to power them is discussed with an electrician. Pasadena homeowners, for the most part, just don’t stop and think about things like electrical load distribution and wiring system capacities when picking out that new, streamlined refrigerator or over-the-range microwave. However, forgetting to plan for those practical things can lead to unexpected costs when the need for electrical upgrades to make it all work becomes apparent. Including a licensed and bonded electrician in the initial planning of your home improvement project can ensure that necessary electrical work is budgeted in from the start, eliminating unpleasant surprises.

If you’re planning a remodeling project and have yet to choose an electrician in Pasadena homeowners won’t find an electrical contractor than H Electric. With more than twenty years of experience with remodeling projects in the Pasadena area, we offer knowledgeable advice and quality electrical services to ensure that your project turns out right. And, every job we do is backed by our famous lifetime guarantee.

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Alternative Energy for the Win

Many aspects of the federal energy tax credit program have already been curtailed, with credits from most common upgrades having expired at the end of 2013 (but it’s not too late to claim the money if you haven’t already — see below). However, there are some credits still active for alternative energy installations. You are eligible for a kickback of up to 30 percent of purchase and installation price come tax time if you made any of the following additions to your existing home or new construction in 2014:

And it’s not just the purchase price of the equipment -- your credit can cover the labor to set up and install your new efficiency devices as well. Qualifying homes must be located in the United States. Heat pumps, wind turbines and solar all are valid for your principle or secondary residence, with no limit on the dollar amount. Fuel cells have more restrictions — they qualify for primary residences only, and have an upper limit of $500 per .5KW of power capacity. Renters are not eligible for the tax credits.

If you didn’t act this year, you have until December 31, 2016 to purchase and install your new equipment and still qualify for the credit.

It’s Not Too Late

And there’s more good news. The NonBusiness Energy Property Credit is still available on the taxes you fill out this year — provided you made the improvements in 2013 or earlier. If you made qualifying upgrades to your HVAC equipment, insulation, roof, water heater, windows, doors or biomass stove, you can claim up to $500 in credits on up to 10 percent of the costs. These credits are limited to upgrades made on existing homes, and each specific installation has a cap:

Installation costs cannot be included for doors, skylights, windows, insulation or roofing. Also note that the $500 limit is over the lifetime of the Property Credit, so if you already claimed $300 in past years, you can only get a maximum of $200 on this year’s tax return, even if you spent much more than that.

How to Claim Your Credits

To claim your credits, fill out Form 5695 with the appropriate information about your expenditures and include it with your other tax paperwork. Don’t forget to hold on to all your receipts and manufacturer’s certification statements so you can back up your claim if the IRS comes knocking on your door.

It’s a win-win situation — you get your tax credit, you can reduce or even eliminate monthly fuel costs, and you can sleep easy knowing that you are doing your part to help the environment by decreasing the nation’s reliance on fossil fuels. If you are considering a major alternative energy installation on your property, contact an expert today to advise you on what your options are and how to get started.