If your power goes out on a sunny day, you may be confused. Where’s the storm? The fallen trees? Why did my power go out? Determining the cause of a power outage when it’s least expected can be a surprising…
Hot Tub Wiring 101: What You Need To Know
Updated August 2019 There are few things more pleasurable than a long soak in a hot tub. After a long day of working in the office or in the yard, it’s truly a treat to immerse your tired body into…
Stay Cool This Summer
It’s finally here! 80-degrees of gorgeous, non-stop sunshine. Time for beach, bar-b-cues, and all the street fairs and parades you can handle! How to best enjoy the festivities while keeping your home cool and sparing your electricity bill? The following…
Intelligent Utility and Your Smart Meter
You’re intelligent, so why shouldn’t your utility reader be the same? Smart meters, now becoming popular worldwide as well as in California, Maryland, Texas, and Florida, are electronic devices that monitor and record your home’s electrical use. These models are…
Create a Comfortable Home Atmosphere
Your home is where you lay your head. It’s your zone, your happy place, the space in which you can truly be yourself and share beautiful times with your family and friends. Honoring that space and all that it means…
Power and Water Do Not Mix
You know this: never mix water and electricity. Blow drying your hair in the bathtub? Bad idea. Swimming during a lightning storm? Worse. But why? While most of us learned in childhood not to mix water and electricity, the reasons…
Your Best Commercial Lighting Options
(Updated Feb. 20, 2021) Think choosing a lighting type for your business means big spending? Think again. Today’s lighting options include technologies that allow you to light your building for less. High-efficiency fluorescents, nLIGHT technology, and LED systems are three…
New Construction Wiring
Blog post updated on February 3, 2019 Building a new home is an exciting but hectic time. There are so many choices to make: colors, textures, layout, and design. The more prepared you are before actual construction starts, the better…
Household Electric Car Chargers: What You Need To Know
As you may already know, Portland is a major market for electric vehicles. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, for every 1,000 households in Portland, there are 8.8 EVs. That’s more than any other metropolitan area in the nation….
Power Outage Prep: How To Handle a Widespread Loss of Power
UPDATED: July 6, 2020 What follows are some tips on how to handle a widespread power outage. At the bottom of this piece, you’ll find some easy methods of power outage prep. But first, let’s review some relatively recent examples…