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Month: May 2021

Important Facts About Car Charging Stations

Posted on by oleg

More and more people today are interested in owning electric vehicles. And buying an electric vehicle begets the need for an electric car charging port at the home. We have put together some important facts below to help you understand what goes into installing a port in the home, and to help you determine whether or not it is worth the cost and effort. So, if you already own an electric car or are thinking about purchasing one, these important facts should help in deciding whether a charging port is practical for you.

 

IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT CHARGING PORTS

 

  • You Must Have Proper Electrical Infrastructure – For starters, it’s important to have the electrical infrastructure in your home inspected and assessed by one of our certified electricians. This inspection will help to ensure that your home or garage is equipped with the safe and necessary electrical system. You want to be sure that your electrical system meets the required standards for installing an electric car charging port. Also, an inspection is ideal whenever you are thinking of adding any new large electrical appliance or device to your home network.

 

  • Knowing where and when to plug in, charge and go – Before installing your charging port it is best to familiarize yourself with how often you use your electric car. Do you use your vehicle for work only or for all your leisure driving as well? Remember that typically when you are on the go you will be able to find parking stations, malls, and a number of other electric charging stations situated in various locations to provide you with a charge. More times than not, however, an electric car owner prefers to have their own charging port at home to handle all their recharging needs.

 

  • Understanding Charging Speeds – Leaving your home with a full charge each day makes perfect sense. With this in mind, it is important to learn how long it will take to charge your vehicle so you are prepared for all your driving needs. You are able to charge your car using a 120-volt outlet, but this certainly takes a great deal of time, much longer than an electric car charging port that is designed specifically for the task. The amount of time it takes to recharge is dependent upon your battery capacity and the amount of driving you did since your last vehicle charge. Installing a charging port will most assuredly provide you with a faster and more efficient charge for your vehicle since it is equipped with a 240-volt power that needs to be installed by a certified electrician.

 

  • Checking On Whether A Permit Is Required – In some states a permit is required for electric car charging ports. In order to avoid paying any penalties, you may have to obtain a building permit for the electrical circuit that will need to be installed in your home.

 

  • Incentives – There are a number of incentives for individuals to install an electric car charging port in the home, so be sure to check with your utility company to learn about these incentives in advance of your installation.

 

THE PROFESSIONALS YOU CAN RELY ON

 

Once you have decided to take the step to ensure you always have a proper charge for your electric vehicle, Gervais Electric stands ready to meet your every need. Our team of highly skilled and experienced electricians is committed to providing only the highest quality electrical parts and services to all our valued clients, and that includes efficient installs of electric car charging ports as well. To learn more about charging ports or to schedule a consultation or appointment, be sure to reach out to one of our staff today!

Electrical Energy Saving Tips for Your Home

Posted on by oleg

As homeowners, we are all constantly looking for ways to enhance the aesthetic appeal and value of our homes as well as effective ways in which we can reduce monthly electric bills. We are all so dependent on electricity for nearly all that we do, that we tend to simply take it for granted and give little to no attention to its daily cost and usage. When we don’t take adequate steps to ensure cost effective use of electricity, we are sure to find ourselves faced with high electric bills at the end of every month. Certainly, some seasons throughout the year require the use of greater amounts of electricity resulting in very high energy costs. There are a number of steps you can take to enjoy electrical energy savings and reduce those frustrating monthly electric bills.

 

TIPS TO SAVE MONEY AND ENERGY

 

  • Install light dimmers – By installing dimmers on the general lighting in your home, you are able to control the overall amount of light that is produced and for how long, thereby resulting in the use of less electricity. Dimmers are an effective way of cutting down energy use in your home since rooms in your home rarely need to use all the light that is generated by your general light fixtures.

 

  • Use more power strips – Since appliances and electrical devices continue to use energy even when they are plugged in, the use of power strips will cut off the electricity flowing to your appliances and electrical devices once you power them off. You may want to invest in smart strips that will automatically cut off the power to all the devices and appliances plugged in, that have actually been turned off.

 

  • Install motion sensor lights – These lights are incredibly effective during the evening hours. They will only turn on when motion of any type is detected. With motion sensors there is no need to light up areas that are not typically used and waste additional energy. Motion sensors provide you with the light you need, when you need it and contribute greatly to energy savings.

 

  • Replace outdoor lights with outdoor solar lights –If your property has many outdoor lights installed along the sidewalks, patio or pathways, it is much more efficient to install solar lights. Solar lights are able to absorb energy from the sun during the daytime, which allows them to run for free all night long.

 

  • Replace those old bulbs with LEDs – LEDs reduce the amount of electricity that is used significantly and are not overly expensive at all. They have a much longer lifespan and will provide you with cost savings on energy over the long-term.

 

  • Reduce the temperature on your water heater – Your water heater has to use a great deal of electricity in order to keep the water in the tank hot. If you set the temperature at 120 degrees Fahrenheit you can still properly heat the water all the while saving on energy.

 

THE LICENSED PROFESSIONALS YOU CAN TRUST

 

With summer coming up quickly, Gervais Electric, Inc. highly recommends you use these tips for electrical energy savings in your efforts to reduce high electricity bills, especially during the warmer weather months. We feel confident that you will benefit greatly when using these energy saving ideas and will easily notice less expensive electric bills at the end of each month. If you are faced with any type of problems or issues with your home’s electricity or electrical system, then surely you have come to the right place. Simply give a shout out to one of our staff and schedule your home appointment today.