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David Heintz
President
A & H Electric Co.
3505 N. Loop 336 West
Conroe, Texas 77304
Office: (936) 756-0442

Category: Smart Home

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Spring for These Energy Efficient Tasks

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), as of 2020, the average Texas household consumed 1,132 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month at a $0.1171 per kWh for a total average monthly electricity bill of $132.59. Of course, these bills differ by household, depending on their specific usage and equipment choices. Other factors, including the square footage of your home and the number of household members, may influence your monthly charges.

Also, according to the EIA, a substantial percentage of a household’s annual energy consumption is spent on space heating and air conditioning. The administration adds that water heating, lighting, and refrigeration accounted for 22 percent in 2021. The remaining share of home energy use was used to power many household appliances, electronics, and other devices.

Unfortunately, as this data shows, powering our homes isn’t cheap. However, by examining your usage and identifying efficiency improvements, you have the potential to save energy and money. In addition, according to ENERGY STAR, you’ll be doing your part to help protect the environment. While many of these tips are do-it-yourself, others, like installing a smart thermostat and conducting electrical inspections, should be completed by a certified electrician in Conroe.

You Have the Power to Save By

Changing HVAC Air Filters

You should perform this task every three months for the best effects. A clean filter promotes adequate airflow and ensures your HVAC system operates efficiently. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you may want to consider a HEPA filter.

Sealing Air Leaks and Drafts

According to the ENERGY STAR program, you can save up to $200 per year in heating and cooling costs by identifying air leaks in your building’s envelope and sealing them using cost-effective materials, such as caulk. These savings also reflect adding insulation.

Installing a Smart Thermostat

Installing a smart learning thermostat, allowing you to control and monitor the temperature from your smart device, can save you up to $100 per year on heating and cooling costs. The key to these savings is to choose an ENERGY STAR-certified model.

Swapping Out Your Lightbulbs

Another cost-efficient way to save energy is to swap out the bulbs in your light fixtures with CFLs or LEDs that are ENERGY STAR certified. These lightbulbs use 90 percent less energy and last 15 times longer. Also, make sure to purchase dimmable bulbs.

Installing Dimmable Switches

Once you’ve purchased dimmable light bulbs, have a certified electrician in Conroe come to your home to install dimmer switches, which allow you to set the brightness in a room. These are particularly ideal for children and family rooms.

Contact a Certified Electrician in Conroe

A&H Electric Co. has over thirty years of experience providing residential and commercial electrical repair, maintenance, and installation. We offer a full suite of services, not limited to electrical safety inspections and whole home rewiring, with all work performed by experienced technicians. Please don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment anytime you need a certified electrician in Conroe to service your home or business, even if it’s after hours, as we offer 24-hour emergency repairs.

Join the A&H Electric Co. Family! A&H Electric Co. is currently looking for experienced electrical technicians to join our team. You must have prior experience providing residential and commercial electrical repair, maintenance, and installation. If you’re interested in becoming part of the A&H Electric family, please contact us at (936) 756-0442 or complete the online job application.

Resources:

“2020 Average Monthly Bill – Residential.” U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 2020.

“Heat & Cool Efficiently.” ENERGY STAR.

“How is electricity used in U.S. homes? U.S. residential sector electricity consumption by major end uses in 2021.” U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), n.d.

“Start Saving Now: Featured Actions.” ENERGY STAR.

“Texas State Profile and Energy Estimates.” U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 2019.

“Use of energy explained.” U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), June 23, 2021.

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3 Reasons to Upgrade Your Electrical Panel

As people purchase more electronics, possibly even adding a new appliance here and there, older electrical panels may not keep up with demand. That can create problems, such as breakers frequently tripping due to overloading the available circuits. Having a licensed electrician upgrade your electrical panel can solve this problem and prevent more substantial, perhaps even dangerous, issues from occurring.

Safety First

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), electrical failures or malfunctions were responsible for more than forty-four thousand residential fires each year between 2012 and 2016, making them the second-leading cause of home fires. Electrical distribution, lighting, and power transfer equipment accounted for half of these. Aging electrical systems, arc faults, short circuits, and overloaded circuits can contribute to electrical fires and should be mitigated by contacting a licensed electrician. 

Increasing Amperage

Inside every panel is the main breaker, which shuts off ALL power to the residence, along with several circuit breakers and bus bars. You can identify the panel’s current amperage capacity by looking at the main breaker. To increase this capacity or have dedicated circuits installed, as required by the National Electrical Code (NEC) for major appliances, a licensed electrician will need to rewire your home and upgrade the panel.

Energy-Efficient Upgrades

There are a few energy-efficient upgrades for electrical panels, including intelligent circuit breakers, that can monitor the power your appliances and electronics are consuming. That will allow you to make wise decisions so that you can save money on future energy bills. Like Leviton’s new smart load center, some of the more recent products on the market can also instantly alert you to a tripped breaker (Gartenberg, 2019). Another option is an after-market smart energy meter that a licensed electrician can connect to a specific circuit to monitor the amount of power a single appliance or electronic is using. Whole-home monitors are also available.

Contact a Licensed Electrician to Upgrade Today

A&H Electric Co. is a certified and licensed electrician specializing in residential and commercial installation, service, and repair. Our company services the Conroe, Houston, and The Woodlands area during regular business hours and, because we understand that emergencies happen, offers 24-hour repair.

Please contact us at (936) 756-0442 to schedule a service appointment.

Our electrical contractors possess the equipment and expertise necessary to upgrade your electrical panels when the need arises and ensure your system is fully operational. Plus, we are committed to standing behind our workmanship, with a full one-year warranty on all projects.

A&H Electric is currently hiring! Please click here to view and apply for our company’s open employment opportunities.

Resources:

Campbell, Richard. “Home Electrical Fires.” The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), March 2019.

Gartenberg, Chaim. “Leviton’s new smart Load Center brings app control to your circuit breakers.” The Verge, February 19, 2019.

“How to Buy Electrical Panels.” The Home Depot.

Smart Lighting: Getting Started

Energy Saving, Home Automation Systems, Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs), Programmable Thermostats, Smart Home

smart lighting

Let there be light! Controlling lights has never been easier than it is today. Smart lighting, whether with bulbs or switches, offers a relatively affordable way to light up your Conroe, Texas home or even, your business. If you’re interested in home automation, installing smart bulbs, smart switches or a combination of both is a great way to get started.

Smart Bulbs

Smart bulbs use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and connected technology, such as Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth to provide a degree of control and interactivity that you just can’t get with traditional bulbs. With smart bulbs, you have complete scheduling control, so you can come home to a lit house without leaving your lights on all day. Perfect for energy-efficiency! They can also be programmed to automatically dim or change color; great for setting the mood during date nights.

Smart Switches

Replacing traditional LEDs with smart bulbs isn’t the only way to achieve smart lighting. Smart wall switches connect to your home Wi-Fi and work with several popular home automation platforms. Smart switches can also be controlled via a smartphone whether the switch is on or off, whereas, smart bulbs require the switch to be on always. In addition to controlling the lights, smart switches can control your home appliances and electronics, even if they’re “dumb” devices. You can self-install or, better yet, contact a licensed electrician.

Achieving Ultimate Convenience

Have an Amazon Echo, Google Home, or Apple HomeKit device? Look for a compatible smart bulb or switch that allows you to control your lighting with your voice. Of course, you can also turn the bulb on or off by flipping a switch, as well. Some products can also integrate with security cameras, programmable thermostats, and other smart home devices. A home automation hub or bridge may be required.

If This, Then That (IFTTT) helps your apps and devices talk to each other. You can create applets that react in response to certain triggers or commands. For example: You can tell Domino’s pizza delivery app to automatically turn on the porch lights when the pizza is on the way. To date, IFTTT has more than 550 partner services, and millions of users who have created billions of applets.

Resolve to Save Energy in 2018

Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs), Electrical Safety, Energy Saving, Home Automation Systems, Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs), Programmable Thermostats, Smart Home

save energy

The beginning of a new year provides the perfect opportunity to update your home. When setting goals for your home, it’s a good idea to start by looking at your home’s energy efficiency or possibly, lack of. One goal that is easy to keep and will put money directly back into your wallet is to resolve to save energy.

Here are some ways to save energy in 2018.

Seal any air leaks. Sealing air leaks is a cost-effective way to cut heating and cooling costs, improve system durability, and increase comfort. It can also help to create a healthier indoor environment. The Department of Energy recommends using caulk and/or weatherstripping to seal leaks arounds doors, windows, and where any plumbing or electrical wiring comes through the home’s envelope.

Choose energy-saving lighting. LED lighting doesn’t just use less energy than traditional incandescent lighting, it also lasts up to 25 times longer, and turns on at full brightness almost instantly. LEDs are quite affordable – you can pick up a box of eight for under $20 at your local home improvement or hardware store. LEDs can also be controlled via a smart switch, or if using smart LEDs, a hub.

Install and set a programmable thermostat. It’s no secret that heating and cooling costs account for more than 40% of a home’s energy use. Switching from a manual to a programmable thermostat is one way to save up to 10% a year. The most basic programmable thermostat can be self-installed in under an hour, allowing you to easily set temperature settings for different times of the day. The best programmable thermostats come with a built-in application that can be controlled from a smartphone or tablet allowing you to control and monitor the temperature even when you’re not home.

Use a surge protector for your electronic equipment. Surge protectors (also called surge suppressors) protect your electronic equipment – home theater systems and gaming computers included – from damage in the event of random power spikes or surges. When shopping for a surge protector, it’s a good idea to get one with more outlets than you currently need, so you can add more components later. You can save $100 a year just by plugging your devices into a surge protector and turning it off at night.

Hire a professional to inspect and maintain your electrical system. A certified and licensed electrician will do a comprehensive audit of your entire electrical system, ensuring all wires, systems and components meet legal safety standards. Upon completion of the inspection, you will be provided with a detailed checklist, which includes areas in need of immediate attention and recommendations for improvement. The Electrical Safety Foundation recommends having a professional inspection done:

  • When purchasing a home
  • When a home is past 40 years old
  • When adding or upgrading an appliance
  • When completing major home renovations

Track Your Home Energy Use

Energy Saving, Home Automation Systems, Programmable Thermostats, Smart Home

track your home energy use

With Home Energy Monitoring Systems

We’ve mentioned home automation systems in previous blogs, such as “6 Innovative Ways to Make Your Home Smarter”, and “Home Automation Systems Save You Money”, for energy management. However, the big picture shows us that energy management is about so much more than just automating your thermostat, to meet your family’s comfort levels. In order to save considerable money on those pesky energy bills, it’s important to know how much energy your home is using, and when it’s using it. This knowledge is something that most home automation systems don’t currently provide.

Home energy monitoring systems, on the other hand, have a running meter that shows you in real time just how much energy you’re using. Armed with this information, most homeowners use a lot less power, than they otherwise would. In other words, simply knowing how much power they’re using, incentives them to consume less. The end result? Increased energy efficiency! And, energy-efficiency is a good thing for everybody, as it saves you money and helps to ensure a sustainable future.

Several home energy monitoring systems exist including those that allow you to monitor electronics plugged into a single outlet, such as the Digi XBee Smart Plug, and those that take a whole-house approach, such as the TED Pro Home (discussed below). The products mentioned below, which should be installed by a certified residential electrician, offer the right balance between energy reduction and cost – all while maximizing occupant comfort.

TED Pro System

TED is short for The Electricity Detective. The Pro Home System comes with two current transformers that clamp around existing power lines, an Energy Control Center, and interactive software. Data in real-time can be viewed on any computer or mobile device that supports iOS or Android. A hand-held display is also available for purchase. Actual usage and cost estimates are updated every 10 minutes. This system allows you to tweak your energy usage in order to save money.

Digi XBee Smart Plug

The Digi XBee Smart Plug is a wireless energy management device that lets you manage and control the energy use of electrical devices plugged in via a standard electrical outlet. A key benefit is more efficient energy usage, resulting in decreased energy bills. This device requires that a connection be made to a ZigBee network (sold separately). When connected to the network, you’re offered a whole energy management solution. Information includes electronic on/off status, operating range, and erratic behavior.

6 Innovative Ways to Make Your Home Smarter

A&H Electric, Energy Saving, Home Automation Systems, Smart Home

The vision of the future, which was spelled out in sitcoms such as The Jetsons and movies such as Back to the Future II, isn’t as far off as you’d imagine. While we’re on the subject of Back to the Future II, this year (2015) is the year that Marty McFly travels to, or for a better word, crashes into.

While flying cars remain to be seen, our future lets us see who’s entering our homes via live feed, turn on and off the lights, even play with our four legged friends remotely all by using something we carry around with us daily – our smartphone. Guess what? You can get your hands on these and more…now!

#1: PETCUBE

When you’re an animal lover, it can sometimes be far easy to feel guilty about leaving our furry friends at home, especially when they give you those “puppy” eyes. The Petcube is a video-camera system that allows you to watch live feed of your pets as well as play with them from anywhere you are.

#2: WELCOME CAMERA

The Netatmo Welcome Camera uses facial recognition technology to alert you whenever your family members arrive home. If it detects someone unrecognizable, you’ll get a ping. It even lets you view a livestream at any time using your smartphone or tablet.

#3: LG TWIN WASH

Why wash one load, when you can do two? The LG Twin Wash System has transformed a traditional pedestal drawer into a second washer; thus providing you with the opportunity to wash colors and whites or towels and delicates all at the same time.

#4: SENGLED SNAP

This is not your average lightbulb! The Sengled Snap is a light fixture that doubles as a security system with built in motion sensor, microphone, wireless camera and facial recognition software. The Snap is designed to work with existing home or lamps’ electrical infrastructure.

#5: PRONTO PEEL SMART REMOTE

If you’re anything like me, you probably lose the TV remote daily, but always seem to have you smartphone in hand. With the Pronto Peel Smart Remote, you never need to worry about losing the remote again, as it’s a hub that works with iPhone to allow you to control your TV, Blu-ray player and more.

#6: ECOVENT

Ecovent is a smart thermostat that allows you to set the temperature in each and every room of your house individually. The device utilizes hidden smart sensors that look like normal household plugs to monitor a room’s individual climate. Ecovent is compatible with many popular smart thermometers.