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It can often be really difficult to switch to more environmentally friendly practices because of the costs. Green technologies like electric cars or solar panels can be expensive, even if they save you money in the long term. However, when it comes to lightbulbs, one easy switch can start saving you money right away – making the change to LED lighting.
LED (which stands for 'light-emitting diode') lighting has numerous benefits, starting with the fact that bulbs can last for up to 30,000 hours! That means that you don’t have to replace these bulbs nearly as often as you would have to for classic halogen bulbs. This already starts saving you money, as well as time. Furthermore, because the bulbs last for so long, you won’t have to worry about electric problems that often arise in lower-quality lightbulbs.
The savings continue when it comes to the actual amount of electricity that each LED bulb burns to emit the same amount of light as a halogen bulb. In this aspect, LED bulbs are much more energy-efficient and thus can significantly cut down on your energy bill. According to the New Zealand Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority (EECA), LED bulbs are up to 80 percent more efficient than incandescent bulbs and last more than 15 times longer. You can spend 40 to 85 percent less on your electricity bill, compared to fluorescent and incandescent equivalents.
One of the other great benefits of LED bulbs is how versatile they are; you can install them to replace most of the major light bulbs and light sources in your home including lamps, overhead lights, and porch lights. You don’t need to hire an electrician or do any kind of special wiring, as LED bulbs are compatible with most regular lamps and electrical hookups. You can just purchase the LED bulbs and start experiencing savings right away!
Some things to keep in mind when installing LED bulbs include the colour; you should match the colour of the bulb to the area that you are trying to light. For example, "warm whites" are better for areas where people gather, like bedrooms and lounges, while "cool white" is better for bathrooms and offices. LED bulbs are also more suited to areas where lights are often left on.
Contact the team at Lloyd Electrical today for advice on how best to set your home up with LED.
You've heard the saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." But, what if the thing that breaks is important in your daily life and having to fix it will cost an arm and a leg? What if you could have avoided a large, costly repair by checking and repairing the small issues before they get out of hand? You go to a doctor for a check-up regularly to avoid issues, so why don't you do that for your home or business? It seems as though things break at the most inconvenient moments, so avoiding extensive and expensive repairs to your wiring or other electrical elements will be worth the maintenance. Here are three benefits to electrical maintenance:
As mentioned, your bank account will appreciate your efforts. Yes, it costs money to do maintenance; however smaller, steady fees are much more manageable than a large lump sum. Electrical issues can occur anytime, and what if they occur in a time where your bottom line is closer to the bottom than you’d like it to be? Let's face it, electrical failures are inevitable. As time goes on, something is going to break. Your wiring could be old or damage to the building can promulgate it. Either way, making sure you maintain your electrical elements can really be a saving grace.
If you're looking to maintain your business or your home, a big electrical problem can cause major disruption. Electricity powers your appliances, including some important ones such as your refrigerator, your air conditioner, desktop computer, etc. If the damage is extensive, it may take a few days to repair. You lose business and your home. With regular maintenance, you can avoid such problems.
Another way you can save money with maintenance is when things work correctly, they use less energy, which will save you some dough. Older systems may have to draw in more power to continue to work, which can drive up costs. Additionally, when you continue to run systems that don't work anymore, you are just throwing money away. Furthermore, as times change and advancements occur, your electrician can recommend new ways to save energy if he or she regularly maintains your system.
So, maintain your electrical service regularly and you will be a happy homeowner and productive producer. Luckily, Lloyd Electrical are here to help you maintain your wiring, LED light bulbs, appliances, lighting and more. Save yourself the big costs and the hassle and schedule your regular maintenance appointments today!
When it comes to electrical wiring, it's important to call an electrician you can trust to get the job done. Unqualified electricians may sometimes offer lower rates, faster service times, and a winning smile – but those are often at the expense of safety and quality.
Here are some important things to remember before you put your faith in a dodgy wiring job:
The old mantra is very true when it comes to electrical work – you get what you pay for. Bargain-bin electricians may seem like a great idea when you’re working to a tight budget but, ultimately, shoddy workmanship becomes even more expensive down the line.
How so?
Well, the cost of repairs and rewiring when your electrical setup goes belly-up can often surpass the initial cost – especially if there’s residual damage to your home. The worse the wiring job, the higher the chances are that it will need an overhaul in the future.
This may sound dramatic, but it's true. A bad wiring job can result in serious risks to yours and your family's health. It doesn’t take much to shock the life out of someone and there are countless examples where faulty wiring has been the leading cause in creating house fires.
It can't be stressed enough that wiring needs more than a rush job. Trusting expert electricians isn’t just about making your toaster work effectively, it's about keeping you safe in your own home.
Faulty wiring is one of the main reasons for unnecessarily high electrical bills. They can cause power surges and have your appliances use more electricity than they need too.
If your bill is seeming unusually high, give Lloyd Electrical a call and we’ll be able to deduce whether bad wiring is the cause.
As mentioned already, bad wiring can cause fires within your home as well as, on a smaller scale, damage walls, appliances, and more. It's just not worth the risking losing everything by saving a few bucks on bad electrical work.
For most homes in New Zealand, the walls, ceilings, and floors are full of electrical systems – from wiring and sockets to networks and appliances. Our modern dependency on electricity means that it's incredibly important to be aware of electrical problems before they happen. So, what should you look out for and how should you respond when an issue arises?
Please note: if you aren’t confident in your abilities to manage with any of these electrical problems, please make sure you call Lloyd Electrical to lend a hand. Our experience and safety practices reduce the risk of serious accidents occurring.
The circuit breaker is a marvellous safety feature, designed to make sure you don't overload your home with electricity by cutting the power when there's too much surging through it. Unfortunately for a lot of older homes, they weren't necessarily designed to power the modern requirements of having your lights, fridges, microwaves, TVs and all your other electricals on simultaneous – resulting in one light seemingly tripping the breaker.
Your immediate resolution is to head to where your circuit breaker is located in your home and un-trip it. For long-term results, look into upgrading your circuit breaker to accommodate for a more modern electrical load.
Don't worry! It's not a poltergeist wreaking havoc to your light bulbs. Usually, the cause of a flickering light is a lot less supernatural than that. A flickering light may be due to grid issues affecting your whole neighbourhood, such as a downed electrical line, or it may be faulty wiring or fixtures.
If it's windy outside when your lights are flickering, that's a good sign the cause is dodgy wiring – which means you need to give Lloyd Electrical a call. Before picking up the phone, though, check to make sure you don't just need to change the light bulb.
Typically, New Zealanders can blame winter for big spikes in their electrical bills thanks to electrical heaters, shorter days needing more lighting, and increased dryer usage. However, if you have the issue where your electrical bill is rising without any obvious increase in power usage, there may be something else going on.
A qualified electrician, like those here at Lloyd Electrical, can assess what may be the big drain on your power consumption. It could be as simple as a new appliance sapping up the juice or it could be something serious that urgently needs a fix, like faulty wiring. Alternatively, you may have just missed a notification about a rates rise so check with your electrical supplier to see if there's been a change.
If your electrical receptacle is giving off heat, stop using it immediately. Seriously. No power socket or light switch should ever be generating warmth (save for dimmer switches which may get slightly warm depending on the bulb you're using).
Check the entire room's sockets and switches for similar temperature changes and stop their use as well if they're feeling particularly radiant. Some of the receptacles may even have burn marks, which is a very clear sign of something wrong.
Bad, or faulty, wiring and receptacles can result in serious damage to your home, creating havoc behind your walls and even starting entire house fires. Stay safe and talk to an expert before considering using the sockets again.
While incredibly handy for making sure multiple appliances are powered without the need for additional sockets around the house, excessive use of multi-socket power boards and extension cords add significant electrical risk to your home (and not just because you can trip over them).
The tentacle-like maze of cords is a dangerous nest of electrical fires waiting to happen so avoid having too many appliances using a single socket. Instead, call an electrician to install more outlets or to provide you with an alternative, safe solution that works for you.
Forget Superman, LED lighting is the real-life saviour for households all across the world. It not only saves you money, but it also saves energy allowing you to reduce your carbon footprint without having to endure complete darkness every night. From outdoor lighting to indoor lighting, garden lighting to garage lighting, it's fast become the go-to choice for all illumination requirements.
Incandescent bulbs are fast becoming obsolete in the age of eco-friendliness due to how much energy they consume for the light they produce. The LED alternatives trump them in every single way that counts, being lighter and brighter while keeping the electrical bills down. While they may cost slightly more to purchase, manufacturing technologies are continually dropping those prices.
Believe it or not, every incandescent light bulb you regularly use in your home can cost over $20 a year to keep running. When you think of how many you have in your home right now or the amount of outdoor lighting you have, those costs add up. LED bulbs, on the other hand, cost under $4 each – and don't need to be replaced as often! Energywise has developed this outstanding tool so you can calculate exactly how much you save for every bulb you upgrade to LED.
Everywhere you have a light bulb, you can replace it with LED lighting. It's really that simple. Most, if not all, LED light bulbs don't require adaptors to fit into existing ports so you can match the bulb to your existing installations.
None! You can do it yourself, much like you do with your existing light bulbs. In saying that, Lloyd Electrical are on hand for the trickier installations, like downlight replacements and sockets in hard-to-reach places, so give us a call if you ever need help.
They're cool. LED bulbs won't heat up like incandescent bulbs will. This minimises fire risks and reduces energy output.
They're durable. You won't find a flimsy filament on an LED bulb and they can take much more of a beating than standard lighting. 
They're mercury-free. Long gone are the days when doctors thought mercury was good for you. You'll find none of the poisonous metal anywhere on LED bulbs.
They're versatile. You're spoiled for choice when it comes to the volume of LED designs and, luckily for you, Lloyd Electrical have plenty of variations to choose from. If you need indoor or outdoor lighting, there's most likely an LED solution available.
If you have any questions about LED lighting, our expert team of Auckland electricians is more than happy to answer them. Get in touch with us today by calling (09) 415 7075.
Most people simply don't know how easy it is to make their homes run on less energy. The key is to increase the energy efficiency of our homes, make choices to decrease energy usage, and in doing so, lessen our environmental impact. The following are just a few ways that energy bills can be reduced year round.
Programmable thermostats allow you to lower the temperature in your home at times when you are away or asleep. They can also allow you the ability to control the temperature in specific areas in your house. Data shows that setting the thermostat a few degrees lower for eight hours each day can save the average household around 10% each year on the cost of heating. Be sure to use a certified electrician to install the thermostat as it can be a bit complicated for the general handyman.
As your old bulbs go out, replace them with more energy-conscious globes. LED light bulbs are 80% more efficient than standard light bulbs, moreover, they can last up to 15 times longer.
Ceiling fans are great for providing cross ventilation in the summer and for heat circulation in the winter. Most fans come with a switch to control the direction in which the blades turn. Make certain that the switch is set appropriately for the different uses. If you do not already have ceiling fans in place consider reaching out to a professional Auckland electrician, as improper wiring can lead to electrical problems.
This is the most important and cost-efficient way to keep your heating and cooling system in top shape. Be sure to use the appropriately sized filter for your unit. Follow manufacturer's guidelines as to how often filters should be changed. Write a date on a visible portion of the filter so that you know quickly if it has been changed recently. Better yet, set reminders and mark your calendar so that you don't forget.
To ensure your heating and cooling system is running at peak efficiency have it professionally maintained. This includes having your system inspected before use in the summer and winter. Make certain to have any ductwork inspected and repaired as well as this can be a source of inefficiency and increase both heating and cooling expenses. It is a good idea as well, to have your electrical system inspected yearly. Electrical problems not only present a safety hazard but also creates energy loss through improper wiring.
A traditional water heater keeps the water stored in a tank heated continuously. Conversely, a tankless system heats water on demand. EnergyWise experts say that water heating accounts for about a third of New Zealanders' energy bills, costing the average household close to $650 per year.
Washing clothes on a warm cycle can use up to 10 times as much energy as washing the same load on "cold." By turning the dial to a cooler wash cycle, the average household can save around $100 per year.
Even if the most energy efficient homes can be draughty in spots. Weatherising is an inexpensive and easy way to save on your energy bill. Add weatherstripping to doors and windows. Check these periodically as the materials degrade and wear out over time. Check around chimneys and fireplaces, blocking off gaps with caulk or sealing the chimney flue when not in use. Other common areas that allow heat to escape or let colder air in, are pipes, drains, and electrical outlets. These can be sealed by caulking or using insulation to block out any air flow.
No one likes paying more than they should for energy. Fortunately, there are tricks that each of us utilise in decreasing costs, increase our energy efficiency, and thereby lessen our impact on the environment.
When you mention solar powered electricity, people often think of the panels lining the rooftops of suburban residential homes. That's the kind of small-scale solar power that gets the most press. However, the real workhorse of solar powered electricity are the utility-scale solar power arrays, larger than five megawatts. These plants can consist of mirrored panels similar to those familiar rooftop models but that focus the sun's rays on a turbine that is used to generate a turbine. This is called photovoltaic energy and it's outcompeting all other solar energy segments currently.
Here in New Zealand, solar power accounts for only 0.1 percent of electricity production. There are currently three utility-scale solar power plants in the country, but indicators are that this industry is headed for steep growth. Corporations are turning to solar energy to establish sustainability. South Auckland Forging Engineering Ltd, installed a solar power array in 2012 that meets 70% of its energy needs. It has already paid for itself.
In a push for more solar powered energy, the Sustainable Energy Association of New Zealand's board recently approved the development of the Grid-Assisted Solar PV Working Group. The term grid-assisted describes a photovoltaic energy system that is designed for energy independence. The team is figuring out ways for New Zealanders to go off the grid, generating, and storing their own energy in batteries.
In the US, the firm First Solar, recently said predicted that by 2017, the cost of fully installed solar systems could cost under $1.00 per watt. It's these falling costs associated with solar panel array components that make this type of energy independence not only possible but well within reach for many.
Until utility-scale solar power becomes more commonplace there are other actions we can take to make our households and businesses more energy efficient.
Whether, in the future through solar energy or today — simply by making better choices, energy savings, improved efficiency, and greater sustainability is something that each of us can enjoy.
In the classic 90's sitcom, Home Improvement, the family patriarch, Tim 'The Toolman' Taylor, would duke it out with the neighbours every Christmas with more and more elaborate decorations each year. As can happen in family sitcoms, shenanigans often ensued as his one-upping often ended up in injury, electrocution, and all sorts of other mishaps.
Though your Christmas decorating may not get quite as outlandish as Tim's, you might still run into some of the same problems when setting up your decorations. Specifically, you might not have enough power for all of your lights, and you could even face some safety issues when trying to make everything work together.
Make sure that you keep safety in mind as your first priority when installing your lighting, especially outdoors. Always use a ladder, and make sure to secure your wiring with insulated holders (never using tacks or nails, as the metal is a strong conductor that will carry a high risk of electrocuting you or causing serious damage). Make sure not to install lights on trees that come into contact with power lines, and to plug in your lights before installing them to make sure all the bulbs are working (if even one is out, the whole line won't work). Though it might be tempting to leave your lights blazing all night, you should turn them off when you go to sleep or to work, both in order to save electricity and for safety reasons.
If you have electrical problems, difficulty setting up your wiring, or issues getting LED lightbulbs to work, call an Auckland electrician to help you out. It is better to have peace of mind knowing that everything is safely taken care of, especially if you have a large and extravagant display in mind!
We look forward to hearing how your Christmas decorations turn out and, from everyone here at Lloyd Electrical, we hope you have a fantastic holiday!
As the year comes to a close and most of you get a well-earned summer break, at Lloyd Electrical, we're staying on call. We don't want a blown fuse, faulty lighting, or any other electrical problem to get in the way of you having a relaxing, enjoyable summer.
If you find the bach is in need of a bit of electrical repair or have an emergency of any kind, give us a call and we’ll arrange a solution. If you want to use the time this summer to book us in and get a few 'to-dos' off the list, we're more than happy to oblige.
From the team here at Lloyd Electrical, we hope you have a fantastic break and we look forward to providing all your electrical service needs in 2017.
In an age where everyone is looking to be more environmentally conscious, more and more people are switching out their old exterior lightbulbs and replacing them with outdoor LED lights. But what are outdoor LED lights, how are they a greener alternative, and how can they help your home?
LED lightbulbs are known for being productive, dependable, and brilliant. They don't require much vitality to function well, and they are especially useful in solar-powered lighting. They can be utilized on a deck, in the pool, or in the greenhouse, and they also work well with security lights. Along with being a greener choice than regular lightbulbs, LED lights are also more economically efficient. They’re popular with many people for being easy on the electrical bills without reducing the dazzling effect they can have on their yards.
One especially popular type of outdoor LED lighting that is both environmentally and economically efficient, while still being great for lighting up the lawn, is solar-powered LED lights. Another popular and excellent type is security LED lights. LED knobs are often added to existing security lights to add endurance and splendor. A common feature in security LED lights is a movement sensor, which turns on the lights when somebody approaches.
All these different types of outdoor LED lights can be utilized in many different ways to liven up a home for special occasions, to reduce the costs of monthly electrical bills, and reduce one’s carbon footprint. They can be streamlined along walkways or along the deck and other features of the home, and even be installed in a pool for evening swims and a dazzling, watery effect. Many outdoor LED lights for homes come in an assortment of hues—for example, red and green for Christmas—as well as the standard white.
For more information on how Lloyd Electrical can help you find an outdoor LED solution, contact us today!