Hey! Matt & Pat here.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and in case we haven’t told you recently, we love you! To prove it, we’re giving a Valentine’s Day chocolate hamper to the first 5 customers who book us for work this month.
There are more details below plus some tips to help you stay cool while avoiding those scary air conditioning power bills. Haven’t we had some scorchers this summer?
Remember, Ku-ring-gai Electrical Service is committed to you and your family’s safety and comfort. Call us on 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au to arrange your appointment.
Cheers,
Matt Cox & Pat Dobbs
Sharing the love
We seldom have a chance to thank our customers for their ongoing loyalty to the Ku-ring-gai Electrical team. But the trust you place in our skills means the world to us.
With Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching, we’d like to share the love by giving the first 5 customers a deliciously decadent chocolate hamper when they make a February booking with us.
Just be one of the first 5 to mention the chocolate hamper when you make your February booking by calling 0418 442 578 or emailing info@kuring.com.au
Don’t forget, you need to mention the chocolate hamper at the time of making your February booking.
Feeling hot under the collar about your summer power bill?
We’ve had some record breaking temperatures this summer. On the hottest days, if you’re lucky enough to have air conditioning, you won’t care how much it costs to run … until you get your summer power bill.
So here are our top 5 tips to help you manage the heat and your power bills.
Tip 1: Understand your thermostat
Don’t set and forget your air conditioning thermostat at the beginning of summer.
Why?
The effectiveness of your air conditioning system is limited by the outside ambient air temperature. As a result, if it’s 40°C outside, you will never achieve an indoor temperature in the low 20s. At best, your air conditioner can only reduce the indoor temperature by 8°C less than the outdoor temperature.
The greater the difference between the outdoor temperature and your thermostat setting, the harder your air conditioner will need to work. That will turbo-charge your power bill without providing more relief from the heat. It will also wear out your air conditioning unit faster.
Instead: Keep an eye on the outside temperatures and set your thermostat to fit within the 8° difference. On any day, just setting your thermostat 1° higher in summer will reduce your energy usage by 5-10%.
Tip 2: Use your solar power – even when no-one’s at home
While it might seem wasteful, if you have solar power, turn your air conditioning on during the day – even if no-one is at home.
Why?
You’ll return to a refreshingly cool home using free, solar power during the heat of the day. Once it’s dark and there’s no more solar power, turn off your air conditioner. Your home should remain cool for several hours.
Tip 3 – Look at your options
Don’t automatically turn to your air conditioner for cooling. There are many things you can do before the heat builds up. They include:
Tip 4 – Cooling apartments
Depending on your apartment complex, you may have restrictions regarding the installation of air conditioners.
Why?
Many buildings are unable to cope with the energy load of multiple air conditioning units. In this situation, the main switchboard would need rewiring. But, providing you obey any by-laws regarding noise etc., you may be able to install a small air conditioning system to cool a single room like a main living area or a bedroom.
Tip 5 – Servicing is important
You may not realise it, but it’s important to regularly clean your air conditioner’s filters. The manufacturer’s manual will provide this information. In addition, it’s important to keep your air con unit in tip top operating condition with an annual service by a qualified technician.
At Ku-ring-gai Electrical Service, we use and recommend Nathan from Compair AC. He’s also a first class installer of new air conditioning systems. Contact Nathan on 0412 211 622 and tell him we sent you.
For all your home or office wiring needs, contact Ku-ring-gai Electrical on 0418 442 578 or info@kuring.com.au
Hey, Matt and Pat here.
With all the COVID-19 changes happening at the moment, we want to reassure you that we are considered an essential service. So it’s business as usual (with a few changes) for us. Read on to find out how we have modified the way we work.
Plus, with so many people now working from home, we’ve got a few tips to help you set up an efficient workspace.
Remember, at Ku-ring-gai Electrical Service, your health and safety have always been important to us. For all your home, office and ‘working from home’ wiring needs, call us on 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au.
Cheers,
Matt Cox & Pat Dobbs
Is your home office working efficiently?
Many people have an area of their home that’s set up as a ‘home office’. However, if you are now required to spend your days working from home, you may need a better and more efficient workspace. Here’s how we can help you:
Wi-Fi is great but it can suffer from drop-outs that will impact your worktime efficiency. You might even find that with more family members requiring access at the same time, your whole home internet system could be sluggish.
Then there’s the issue of location. If your wireless access point (which includes your modem) is some distance from your desk, your Wi-Fi signal could struggle to get around your walls. This will vary depending on the construction materials of your walls and number of walls between your computer and the access point.
You can get plug-in boosters, but their abilities vary by brand and again by the walls between your computer and the modem.
Wireless Access Points (also known as WAPs or APs) look similar to broadband routers. They enable all of your Wi-Fi devices to connect without a cable and allow you to create your own local area network (LAN) – just like you probably have at work. We can install data access points so you can set up your own LAN system.
Get in touch if you would like to investigate your options or to ask us to install data points exactly where you need them.
Laptops are great but their battery life may not be up to a full day’s work. Or perhaps you need to use a printer and you simply don’t have enough powerpoints to plug everything in.
We can install double or 4-gang powerpoints so you can have everything plugged in and recharging wherever you (and any other family members) need to work.
Good lighting helps to prevent eyestrain and improve efficiency at work so if your home office has been lacking a bit of light, we can help.
Your options include downlights above your desk. Or, if you have overhead cupboards, we can install strip lighting beneath the overhead cupboards so the light will shine directly onto your work area.
For advice, simply email a photo of your desk situation with your best contact details (phone or email). Our email address is info@kuring.com.au
You don’t need to contact the phone companies. Contact us instead.
Working from home might be your new normal
For the foreseeable future, working from home could be your new normal. That’s why we’re suggesting you investigate your options and look for ways to create an efficient workplace at home.
We have a new process for quoting due to the new COID-19 restrictions, so please read on to see how we are helping to protect the health of you and your family.
Keeping you safe is our priority
The comfort and safety of all our wonderful customers has always been our priority so we need to make a few minor changes to ensure we are adhering to the new Government guidelines.
For help with any of your electrical requirements, call us on 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au to arrange your appointment.
Hey! Matt and Pat here.
Automation is more than cool. It can prevent problems and save you heaps of money. In this month’s newsletter, we talk about easy to retrofit automation solutions for work and home. Read on to learn more.
At Ku-ring-gai Electrical Service, we’re committed to your safety and comfort. Call us on 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au to arrange your appointment.
Cheers,
Matt Cox & Pat Dobbs
Business automation for essential operations
For some businesses, equipment breakdown or a power outage can cause significant financial and operational problems. Examples include:
In these situations, organisations need to be proactive about the condition of their strategic assets. Now, there’s an easy to retrofit solution that monitors energy and power in real time.
PowerTag® from Schneider Electric is a compact and easy-to-install energy sensor. While it’s suitable for residential use, we currently believe it’s most effective for commercial applications. (For home automation solutions, read the next article.)
How it works
PowerTag® is compact and plugs into your circuit breaker or other protection device. It’s completely wireless so there’s no need for additional communications cabling to make it work.
Once installed, PowerTag® will send real time alarms direct to your smartphone or by email if it senses:
It also assists in monitoring energy usage.
To discover if PowerTag® will be right for your business, contact the team at Ku-ring-gai Electrical Service on 0418 442 578 or info@kuring.com.au
Home automation made simple and cost effective
At this stage, a fully automated home is still a luxury for many, but locally designed Powermesh is providing cost effective solutions that you can scale to your own requirements. Best of all, it works off your smart phone.
The Powermesh system allows you to determine which powerpoints and/or light fittings you’d like to automate – just one, several or your entire home.
It could be your fridge and freezer powerpoints if you travel a lot or have a holiday home. Afterall, for food safety reasons, it’s important to know if there’s been a power outage while you’ve been away.
Some families have curious toddlers they want to keep safe. The Powermesh system can ‘lock’ easy to access powerpoints to prevent nasty shocks. Then, when you wish to use the powerpoint, you simply ‘unlock’ it and plug in your appliance.
Powermesh also allows you to monitor each powerpoint so you can identify your biggest energy guzzlers.
The Powermesh range currently includes a double powerpoint and a single light switch. Additional products are in the pipeline.
To chat about how the Powermesh system could assist you to automate your home and make your life easier, call the team at Ku-ring-gai Electrical on 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au
For all your home and office wiring needs, contact Ku-ring-gai Electrical Service on 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au.
Service Promise
We have 4 key service promises. Here’s one of them – We value your time.
Life’s busy and we understand how difficult it can be to wait around for a tradie, so this is what we promise you:
For all your home or office wiring needs, contact Ku-ring-gai Electrical on 0418 442 578 or info@kuring.com.au
Hey! Happy new year.
We’re back at work and happy to help you with any of your electrical requirements. But in case you’re still in holiday mode, we’d like to entertain you with a few fun electricity facts, how to charge your electric car at home (if you have one) and a simple explanation on the difference between AC and DC power.
Enjoy.
Ku-ring-gai Electrical Service is committed to you and your family’s safety and comfort. Call us on 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au to arrange your appointment.
Cheers,
Matt Cox & Pat Dobbs
Thinking of buying an electric car?
We can help you charge it at home.
Electric cars aren’t a common sight around Sydney yet, but their popularity is growing. Two of the challenges of owning an electric vehicle is the lack of public charging stations and the time they take to recharge.
We are solving these problems for our clients with electric cars by installing car chargers in their homes. To reduce the costs of recharging your electric car, pre-set the charger for off-peak rates if your electricity provider offers time-of-use tariffs.
If you have solar panels, we suggest you install a battery back-up so you are always charging your electric car for free.
Just one thing to note with solar panels – they generate DC (or direct current) power so you need to ensure you install a DC to AC inverter. But don’t worry. We can take care of everything for you.
What’s the difference between DC and AC power?
Electricity is the movement of electrons across a wire or other conductor.
DC = Direct Current. It means the electrons move in one direction only. Batteries all use DC power (including your mobile phone battery) but your power supply is AC. In the case of your phone recharger, it converts the AC power coming out of your powerpoint into DC power.
AC = Alternating Current. It means the electrons move backwards and forwards. In Australia, they change direction every 50 seconds. AC power is better for long-range transmission than DC power because it can be sent through wires at enormous voltages with a minimal loss of power. That’s why it’s used in our cities.
So now you know the difference between AC and DC power and why you need more than a simple powerpoint to charge your electric car.
For all your home or office wiring needs – including electric car chargers - contact Ku-ring-gai Electrical Service on 0418 442 578 or info@kuring.com.au
Return to work with 5 electrifying facts to spark workplace conversations
While we’re explaining the nuts and bolts of electricity, here are 5 more electric facts to spark conversation at work.
Fun Electricity Fact 1 – Electricity wasn’t invented. It was discovered. Ugh? An invention is something humans produce that doesn’t exist in nature. Electricity is a naturally occurring form of energy. That makes it a discovery.
Fun Electricity Fact 2 – The Ancient Greeks discovered static electricity by observing what happened when they rubbed amber and fur together. In case you’re wondering what happens, they attract each other.
Fun Electricity Fact 3 – The Ancient Romans and Persians both developed primitive batteries by wrapping pots with copper sheets. Scientists believe these early batteries were used for electroplating. Electroplated artefacts from antient times can be found in museums across the world.
Fun Electricity Fact 4 – In 1800 an Italian scientist named Alessandro Volta built the first electric battery that could produce a steady stream of electrical charge (or voltage).
Fun Electricity Fact 5 – In 1831, Michael Faraday worked out how to generate electrical current steadily and practically by using a copper wire coil and a magnet.
We found these fun facts at Facts Legend
Service Promise
We have 4 key service promises. Here’s one of them - We’re problem solvers.
We will happily do the electrical work for new builds and renovations. But when it comes to adding or changing light fittings, powerpoints or switches to existing homes, it can get a little tricky. But we love the challenge of finding innovative ways to achieve what you want and make it look great.
So next time a friend or family member is talking about getting some electrical work done, please tell them about us.
For all your home or office wiring needs, contact Ku-ring-gai Electrical Service on 0418 442 578 or info@kuring.com.au
Hey! Matt & Pat here.
Well, there’s only a few weeks to go until Christmas. Can you feel the panic in the air as everyone rushes to get their presents and holiday plans organised?
We only have a couple of spots left before Christmas but if your project can wait until January, we have a special offer for you. Read on for details.
Ku-ring-gai Electrical Service is committed to you and your family’s safety and comfort. Call us on 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au to arrange your appointment.
Cheers,
Matt Cox & Pat Dobbs
Stay safe this Christmas
There is something magical about a home decorated with Christmas lights. It brings neighbourhoods together and gives joy to everyone who passes.
But those warm, fuzzy feelings can quickly fade if things go wrong. We can install outdoor powerpoints for your Christmas lights. But if you choose to use a powerboard, make sure you protect it from rain, sprinklers and dirt by housing it in a weatherproof safety box. They’re not expensive and will help to keep you and your family safe.
Powerboard safety boxes are available at hardware stores like Bunnings.
Christmas wishes
This seems like the best time to thank you for the privilege of allowing us into your home. Please be reassured, we never take your trust in us for granted.
As the year draws to a close, we hope you have a wonderful and very safe Christmas.
Our last day at work is Wednesday 18 December.
But we’ll be back to help you on Tuesday 7 January. We’re taking January bookings now and we have a Super January Special so keep reading.
While we’re closed, if you experience loss of supply, fallen wires or any other electrical emergency, call Ausgrid on 13 13 88 or visit their website www.ausgrid.com.au This is their 24-hour emergency helpline.
Super January Special
It can get hectic for everyone before Christmas and as much as we try, we can’t always fit everyone in. So if your electrical project can wait until January, we’d love to offer you a very special deal.
If you book your January project before we close for Christmas on Wednesday 18 December, we’ll give you a 10% discount on any electrical work completed in January.
This is the first time we’ve offer a discount like this so we encourage you to take advantage of our Super January Special and book your project in before 18 December. It’s valid for any electrical work completed in January.
Service Promise
We have 4 key service promises. Here’s one of them – We’re perfectionists.
Whatever work we do for you, we guarantee it will always:
And we will stay at your home or office until it meets our exacting standards.
So next time a friend or family member is talking about getting some electrical work done, please tell them about us.
For all your home or office wiring needs, contact Ku-ring-gai Electrical on 0418 442 578 or info@kuring.com.au
