#Electrical goes full English

This year brings some exciting new changes to the #Electrical team.

Those of you who’ve used #Electrical’s services over the last few months will have already met our new #Electrician, Alistair.

Alistair made the big move to Aotearoa from Old Blighty right around the time we were looking for another #Electrician to join our team. The stars aligned and Ali came on board.

It seems Ali was born with a customer service ethos so he’s the perfect fit for our team. You’ll probably never see him not smiling and you know when he turns up to your place, the work will be done quick, professionally and to the highest standard.

Right about the time England beat the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup, Leigh decided it was time to leave #Electrical. As the sun set on 2019, we saw a changing of the guards for #Electrical.

A new decade brings new opportunities and 2020 has gotten off to a cracker start for Chris and Ali. We’re so excited for the year ahead and look forward to working with you soon.

Get in touch if you need a hand with any electrical requirement. Have a wonderful year ahead.

Why you should always choose quality over price

We always recommend good quality, reasonably priced products for our customers.

And this is why.

We had an emergency call out from a customer who's accidentally left his garage light on when he set off for work. 

When he came home later that evening, he noticed black discolouration up the wall - leading from his light switch. He quickly took steps to stop any further damage then gave us a call; this fast thinking saved his home.

The electrical switch:  

Upon inspection, we noticed the product was a cheap brand. We were able to replace the electrical switch to a higher quality, safer product.

Don't be swayed by cheap electrical products. Always put your safety first.

#Electrical is hiring!

#Electrical is looking for it's next Top #Electrician.

2018 is gearing up to be a massive year for #Electrical so we're on the hunt for a superstar #Electrician to join our team and help us to grow our business further.

We're looking someone prides themselves on the quality of their work while providing a service that exceeds our awesome customers' expectations. You'll mostly be working in the greater Wellington region - from Wellington City up through Porirua and the Kapiti Coast and over to the Hutt Valley.

You will need to have the right to work in New Zealand, a clean New Zealand Driver Licence and be able to demonstrate you have a thorough understanding of New Zealand electrical regulations. A 90 day trial period may apply.

To find out more about this position and the remuneration package, check out our advert on the Trade Me website.

Applications close at 5:00 pm on Wednesday 31 January 2018.

5 tips for keeping winter energy costs down

Is your winter power bill coming in a little high? Here’s 5 quick tips to help keep winter energy costs down.

1. Limit your household chores during ‘peak’ electricity times – generally between 6 – 10 am and 3 – 9 pm. Energy costs are more expensive during peak times; if you can hold off using your dishwasher or washing machine during these times, you’ll notice the difference in your power bill.  Energy peak times do vary, so check with your energy provider for exact details.
2. A programmable timer is a relatively cheap investment that helps keep losses to a minimum. Use the timer to turn heating off during the day when the house is empty; programme it to turn on shortly before you are due home. You can do the same with your heated towel rail.
3. These shorter winter days mean we’re switching our lights on earlier and keeping them on longer, equating to higher energy costs. If you’ve not already made the switch, consider LED lighting. LED lighting uses 80% less energy and lasts 25 times longer than traditional incandescent lighting.
4. Create a good habit of regularly checking your appliances to ensure they’re running at optimum. Things like fridge, freezer and oven seals can cause energy leaks when failing while regularly cleaning filters on heating appliances ensure they’re not building up dust, which impairs their efficiency.
5. Switch appliances off at the wall when you’re not using them. TVs, laptops, PlayStation... All guilty of using unnecessary energy when they’re not in use.

4 Quick Electrical Safety Tips

Every one of us has, at some stage, experienced an electric shock. Sadly, some of us have also experienced a house fire. At #Electrical, we're committed to electrical safety so here's a few quick tips to keep you and your family safe.

1. Don’t overload your outlets

If you live in an older home, you’ll probably find you have one or two electrical outlets in each room – and a lot more than two items of electrical equipment to keep charged! Don’t feel tempted to plug a bunch of stuff into a multi box or use multiple extension cords to plug everything in. This unsafe practice can cause power outages – and even fires.

If you’ve more electrical equipment than outlets, the best thing you can do is get in touch with an electrician to organise having more power outlets added. And, if you need to use multi boxes, make sure they’re the kind with surge control.

2. Child proof your electrical outlets

If you have young children, taking the time to teach them electrical safety is one of the best things you can do. However, for those with very young children, here’s three quick tips to keep in mind:

• Invest in safety caps for unused electrical outlets – this will prevent curious kids from sticking foreign objects into plug holes
• Keep all electrical cords tucked away, neat and tidy
• In areas where water is around – like bathrooms and kitchens – always ensure appliances like hair dryers and toasters are out of reach of curious kids

3. Listen for the buzz

If you hear a buzz coming from an electrical outlet after you’ve plugged something in, this is normally a sign that there’s an issue with the outlet. Remove the plug and switch the electrical outlet off at the wall immediately, then get in touch with an electrician. Ignoring the buzz could lead to power outages – or a fire.

4. Be careful with cords

This is less of a safety measure and more of a cost-saving measure. Never yank an electrical cord from the wall. Yanking a cord can damage the appliance, plug or outlet.

Spotlight on LED lights

One of the questions we get asked the most by our customers is about LED lights – whether we install them (the answer is yes) and whether they’re really worth the hype (again, the answer is yes). Here’s the five questions we get asked the most about LED lighting; if you want to know more about LED lights, feel free to get in touch with us for a chat. 

What is LED lighting?

LED lights are the latest technology in energy efficient lighting. LED stands for ‘Light Emitting Diode’, a semiconductor device that converts electricity into light.

What are the benefits of LED lighting?

LED lights have two main benefits. Firstly, they’re super energy efficient, using approximately 85% less energy than halogen or incandescent lighting. The benefit for you is significant savings on your power bills. 

Secondly, LED lights have a much longer lifespan than other types of lighting, which means less outlay in replacing blown bulbs. Depending the manufacturer’s guidelines (this is important), a typical LED light has a life expectancy of 20,000 to 50,000 hours - roughly 30 times longer than incandescent lights. At eight hours per day, this equates to approximately 17 years.

Is LED lighting expensive?

LED technology is moving fast and it’s now cheaper to install LED lighting than it ever has been. Despite having a higher initial outlay than incandescent or halogen lighting, LED lights’ longer lifespan and energy efficiency means you’ll quickly recoup the costs – and continue to save for years to come. 

Are LEDs able to be dimmed and do they come in different colour systems?

Yes – we install LED lights that can be dimmed. You can choose between warm and cool lighting systems.

How complicated is it to upgrade our current lighting system to LED?

Not complicated at all. 
 

We've started a #Blog

Welcome to the #Electrical blog!

This year, we'll celebrate our third year in business. Over the past three years, we've worked with some pretty cool customers on some pretty awesome projects so we thought we'd share a few insights with you. 

Our aim is to share monthly tips and tricks to help you to decide on your electrical requirements. We also want to share some electrical trends that you may want to include in your renovation, safety tips to ensure you're safe and examples of our work for inspiration.

Of course, we're open to suggestions for future blog posts; if you have an idea for the type of information you'd like, or inspiration you need, feel free to drop us a line - whether that's as a comment on this blog post or a post on our Facebook page. 

Happy reading!