Reasons To Have an Electrician Install Electrical Submeters

6/15/2023

This is the right time for property managers and owners to take steps towards ensuring their properties are energy efficient. If this ever-increasing damage to the globe hasn’t caught your attention yet, maybe prospects of lowering your power costs will. Multiplexes, apartment houses, townhouses, and condos might all benefit from an electrician installing a submetering energy system. Installing individual energy sub-meters in your rental apartments or home has many benefits. Below are the benefits of installing submeters in your rental apartments

Understanding what Electrical Submetering is and Its Difference From Electrical Metering

Electrical metering refers to the process of tracking the energy or power consumption in a property with the help of a utility meter— commonly called a primary or master meter. The master meter tracks your rental apartment’s overall power usage. The utility company installs the meter in homes, buildings, or flats. They read them, compute the charges based on power units used and bill you accordingly. For single-family units, this may be enough. However, the case is different for multi-unit or multi-tenant buildings. So, how can a property manager or landlord determine the total number of units every tenant uses?

Electrical submetering is the best way of resolving this problem. Installing electrical sub-meters allows property managers and owners to track the power in specific units below the master meter. The primary meter reveals the total energy consumed in the entire building, while the sub-meters will detail the use in individual rooms. Below are the main benefits of electrical sub-metering on multi-unit properties.

Affordability for Both Tenants and Landlords

Installing submeters is a welcome asset for property managers in many properties. It allows them to bill the tenants accurately. Power use and expected consequences no longer depend on the best guesses by the property manager or unfair cost distribution. Submetering systems take precise power use measurements, allowing for in-moment data processing. As a result, the property management can charge all tenants fairly for their monthly consumption while at the same time sharing the real-time power consumption information per tenant.

Minimized Running Expenses

The ongoing pressure to maximize profits is a huge challenge for property owners and managers. Most companies within the property management sector are struggling to keep up with the ever-increasing operating costs. However, most management companies can’t afford to carry out major construction projects to accommodate the increasing number of renters. Fortunately, they are leveraging technology-based energy systems to better control the operating expenses in older buildings without requiring huge financial commitments. Hiring electricians to install electrical submeters greatly reduces operating costs as you don’t have to hire many property managers to read the meters and bill the tenants. Today, there are prepaid submeters where the tenant pays for electrical power before using it. This eliminates the need for the property owner to hire someone to read the meters and bill the tenants.

Quick ROI (Return On Investment)

These things are costly, especially with the hardware, rollout, setup, or even the submeter’s software. Hence, understanding actual costs and potential benefits can guide you as to when you can expect a profit. However, the profits come in the form of convenience. Today, most renters want houses where they have individual meters. Unless your multi-tenant house is sub-metered, you might have difficulty convincing tenants to rent.

With constant access to data, you can perform instant tweaks. Most energy conservation strategies don’t require much time to implement. Thus, you might see savings from your efforts a lot sooner than you’d expected. The ROI on submetering often takes less than a year. However, some property owners see the returns within a few months.

Additionally, you save cash on paperwork as you can host the metering information in a cloud, a welcome benefit, especially if you’re using an automatic submetering system. If you previously included the electricity costs in monthly rent based on some distribution, you can now bill the tenants separately, increasing your net profits sooner.

Increased Energy Consumption Awareness

Using sophisticated programs, the submetering networks can monitor and evaluate power usage in your multi-tenant building. When an electrician installs a submetering system in your apartments, you can give your tenants real-time updates or information on their energy consumption. This will help them better manage their electrical uses. Consequently, the tenants can reduce energy consumption and save money. If the submetering system is prepaid, the tenants can know the number of units remaining and adjust accordingly.

It Is Great For The Environment

Electrical submetering has many benefits, and most involve streamlining your property management strategies. However, there also is an environmental benefit many property managers and owners overlook. To better promote environmental sustainability, people must make data-driven decisions, resulting in less pollution. Although a single apartment’s energy might not seem much, monitoring and controlling energy consumption will become increasingly necessary in the broader scheme.

But submetering also has significant advantages for renewable energy projects like solar energy. Any extra energy produced by solar power systems is put back into the electrical grid after it is connected. But let’s say you rely on a submeter that can measure both the energy entering and leaving the solar farm—a bidirectional submeter. Determining how much the power company should reimburse the property is possible.

Easier Routine Maintenance

The other benefit of having an electrician install a submetering system in your multi-tenant apartments is more straightforward maintenance. With access to real-time information on electrical power use across your multi-tenant properties, you can anticipate and prevent any problems. You can identify and establish the cause of low rate swings if the consumption rates rise gradually with no changes in tenant power use. Submeters can also help you detect and fix electrical problems before they worsen.

Are you wowed by the benefits of installing a submetering system? Contact us at Mister Sparky of Myrtle Beach. Our technicians will help install sub-meters in your multi-tenant apartments to ensure you also enjoy the benefits.

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Why Should You Enlist an Electrician to Change Power Supply to Your Home To Subterranean?

Electrical safety should be at the top of your priority list, and this doesn’t only mean things or precautions you can take after electrical wiring. Instead, it starts with how electrical power enters your home. This could be through overhead cables attached to a pole or underground buried cabling. There are advantages to each depending on location, and in South Carolina, where hurricanes and storms are prevalent, underground electrical cabling might be a better option. It is reliable, safe, and even cost-effective. However, you should discuss the benefits of using underground electrical cabling with your electrician. This is because it also has its demerits; nothing is perfect. Whenever a repair is needed, entering a bucket truck and fixing the transmission lines is much easier. However, underground transmissions are less likely to be repaired as they are buried beneath. Still, it means digging up your yard, a particularly labor-intensive undertaking.

What’s a Subterranean Power Supply System

These are alternatives to having your home get power connections through the overhead cabling. Rather than having your electrical power supply company erect a private pole in your yard connecting power from their cables to the meter box at your home, subterranean power eliminates this. The cabling is done underground, where invisible.

Importance Of Electrical Safety Inspections

Whether overhead or underground, you should regularly have electrical safety tests and inspections done by an electrician. This ensures your electrical system doesn’t have faults and other problems that could expose your home to risks like shocks or electrical fires. You should use the electrical systems without any harm. Inspecting the cabling, appliances, electrical systems, and networks allows the professional to diagnose existing or potential faults. They will deal with these issues before they worsen and put your entire home at risk. So, inspecting your electrical systems and components regularly will ensure that your home is safe and appliances are working properly.

Benefits of Subterranean Power Supply

Many benefits come with having power connected to your home through underground cables rather than overhead service lines.

Safety

Underground electrical cables are usually insulated, out of the way, and electrically shielded. With the power cables and poles not over your property or road, the dangers caused by fallen power lines and poles are eliminated. Additionally, there are fewer sagging lines or collisions with poles. Unless cable accessories such as terminations are in your yard, there is virtually no exposed cabling until they enter your home. This means less possibility for people, objects, or even animals to make contact. The hurricanes in South Carolina can result in the ground near the electrical poles weakening, making them fall.

They also might weaken the trees, making them fall on the wiring. As such, overhead electrical transmission in this state is highly likely to cause electrocutions for wildlife and people. This is a risk eliminated with an underground electrical supply. Do you feel like you want to change how power enters your home? Liaise with an electrical technician and involve your power distributor on the possibility of using the underground option.

Reliable and Secure

Except for the end locations where cables or terminations are likely exposed on poles, substations, and compounds, cable networks-built underground is relatively impervious to atmospheric conditions. Subterranean transmission is a reliable option at a time when most utilities are concerned about system reliability. Extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes common in South Carolina, typhoons, tornadoes, windstorms, ice storms, and human activities like burglary, do not destroy underground wires.

This means that you’ll be less likely to experience power outages. Unfortunately, this is too common after a hurricane or storm when an overhead electrical distribution is used. In 2016, hurricane Matthew caused temporary electrical outages for many households and businesses in South Carolina. Landslides, floods, and, in some situations, earthquake activity are examples of natural disasters.

Easier to Maintain

Installing an underground cabling system requires fewer materials overall compared to overhead systems. Subterranean power supply systems don’t need poles, posts, or even digging for the posts. All the electrician uses to lay the power systems are ducts and pipes. Therefore, installing underground systems is cheaper compared to overhead power. Maintaining the subterranean power supply systems is easier than the overhead cables as fewer issues exist.

Aesthetic Value

With an underground power supply, your home or yard will look more organized and aesthetically pleasing, increasing its value. The absence of poles and sagging wires make it appear cleaner and safer. Combined with the underground power supply’s reliability, it will look far more aesthetic than saggy wires and electrical poles.

Who Can Install Subterranean Power Supply Systems?

An Electrical contractor is the only professional qualified to lay the underground power lines. The professionals know the electrical code and safety requirements for underground installations. They also will use professional methods. The electrical technician will bring the power safely into your home by laying the cabling underground and testing the installation to ensure they are properly installed.

How Much Will Subterranean Power Supply Installation Cost You?

There are many factors that affect the cost of such, including the electrician’s experience, additional labor costs of trenching, and time. However, the previous power supply network is probably the biggest deciding factor. If your home or property is new, then it won’t cost you as much. However, the costs might be considerably higher if your building is older or has a previous installation. This is because the professional has to remove the poles and overhead cabling in your home before reconnecting the power to your new underground system.

As seen from the foregoing, it is reliable, suitable, and economical to shift to underground electrical cabling from the conventional overhead systems. Do you want to change from an overhead to a subterranean power supply system in your home? Contact us at Mister Sparky of Myrtle Beach today to book an appointment.

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What to Look for in a Contractor for Electrical Services

Your home or business’s electrical system is one of the most important components of its overall structural security and stability. When it comes to updates, repairs, or new installations, you simply need to have a trusted professional to provide electrical services to you. The key is knowing who to call. With so many factors playing a role in the results you get, chances are very good that you will find that these professionals can offer you the best level of service possible only if you know what to look for in them. Before you hire anyone for electrical work, there are a few key things you need to keep in mind.

Know the Company

One of the first and most important steps you can take as a customer is to know as much as possible about the company you plan to work with before you dive into any service from them. What do you know about the people who own and run the company? After all, you will be allowing these individuals to come into your home or business to make critical decisions about your electrical needs. You want to know they are trusted and respected professionals with ample experience.

The best companies recognize the need to work closely with their clients to provide superior service and outstanding workmanship. They consistently work to address the unique needs of their clients, but they are also proven. That is, they have worked with a variety of clients in the area and have built a reputation for offering excellent service. If the company you are hiring does not do that – then it may be time to look for another provider.

Do They Offer a Guarantee on Their Services?

Electrical services are some of the most critical for maintaining your home, and yet it is very common for property owners not to realize that the companies they hire for this type of work need to be able to guarantee their workmanship. For example, some companies will provide a service to you and outline exactly what they guarantee. That does not mean that you will never have a problem again, but you know that the work they did is done well, and the company stands behind it.

Why does this matter? You are hiring a company to provide some very important work for you. For that reason, you want to be sure you can have peace of mind knowing they are well-qualified for the job. If they offer a guarantee, you know they are doing to do all they can to ensure the work is done properly the first time.

Who Are the Technicians?

Another valuable bit of information to have about the company is who is actually doing the work. Most likely, you are not going to have the owner of the company handling your project. However, you want to know as much as you can about the company’s employees. Here are some questions to ask.

• What type of training do they have? You want to know that they have proper training that ensures that they can provide quality workmanship to you.
• What level of experience do they have? You want to be sure that if you have a tricky problem, the company you are calling on has truly professional technicians who can help you.
• Do the technicians have specific knowledge of your specific need or problem area? This can be important if you have a specialized type of service that you need help with.

The more you know about the company and the people working for them, the better. Often, you can just ask, and they are sure to tell you.

What About Emergency Services?

When you need electrical services, you do not always have a lot of time to wait for a company to be available to meet your needs. For example, if you lose power to your business and you cannot run your equipment or keep your refrigerators operational, that is going to cost your company a lot of money. You need a team that can be there right away.

You may not always need service immediately. For example, if you want to run new electrical lines or add new fixtures to your living room, you may have some time to wait. If that is the case, you are likely to spend a bit less since most electrical emergency calls will charge a fee for that immediate service.

Reviews Can Make a Break a Company

Another important aspect of choosing a company for your needs is what others are saying about them. Today it is easier than ever to find a company you can trust because you can read the reviews others leave for those individuals. This is one of the best ways for you to gather insight into an organization and how well it works to meet its client’s needs.

Not everyone will be happy, but when you can see how they worked with the client to resolve a problem or how they meet their needs on a consistent basis, that can help you to know the company is truly worth working with for your specific needs.

Take the time to get to know the company in terms of how they respond to people. Also, look at the content of their website. Is it up-to-date and designed to educate you? Does the company offer insight into how to resolve your problems effectively? You want a team you can trust.

Find the Right Provider for Your Needs

When you need electrical services, put your trust in Mister Sparky of Myrtle Beach. With years of experience serving the local community and a solid reputation for providing outstanding services, you can be sure you will have your problem addressed quickly and within your budget. For residential and commercial electrical work, give us a call to learn more about how we can help you.

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What Electrical Outlet Upgrades Can Your Electrician Do?

The most important thing to homeowners is that their home is operational and meets all their needs. Therefore, as long as their home has a constant power supply and every electrical part from appliances to systems, such as their HVAC system, is operating effectively, they rarely notice when the electrical components wear out. Although electrical parts will have telltale signs once a problem starts to fester, a homeowner will only notice when it is too late, and an electrician has to go the extra mile to rectify the damage. For instance, once the electrical outlet is not in top condition, it might fail to meet the electrical needs of your appliances and, thus, your home. Therefore, you should upgrade your system to eliminate the safety risks a damaged outlet poses to your family. Below are some of the outlet upgrades to consider;

AFCI (Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupters)

One of the most critical electrical upgrades to consider for your home is the arc-fault circuit interrupters. Even with a reliable maintenance service from a reliable maintenance electrician, an electrical malfunction can occur, which causes your electrical wiring to overheat. When an electrical malfunction occurs in your system, the arc-fault circuit interrupter will notice it and respond by shutting down the electrical outlet. This prevents excess heat from flowing to an appliance or system in your home and causes damage. Therefore, you rest assured that all your devices are safe. However, it is essential that a professional install this electrical upgrade for you to enjoy the safety that comes from it.

LED Outlets

The other beneficial electrical upgrade for the safety of your home is LED outlets. These night lights make it convenient for those in your home to move around and operate at night. Additionally, if you want to enjoy some time with your family, the LED lights come in handy to help you set the mood. LED lights are built-in other lights on the wall plate. Therefore, they provide low intense lighting when turned off. They make it possible to walk in the dark and eliminate children’s fear of darkness without consuming too much energy. They are energy efficient and do not burn out frequently, contributing to their efficiency. Their efficiency and energy efficiency make them a worthy investment for your home.

GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters)

Although electricity is common in most homes, it is the leading hazardous element in domestic use. For starters, electricity carries the potential of electrocution, leading to paralysis and even loss of life. Moreover, electricity is one of the major causes of fires in most homes, which has dire consequences such as equipment damage, property damage, and loss of life. Therefore, it is essential to put the necessary measures in place to ensure that the electricity in your home is safe to avoid impactful eventualities. One such step is installing Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter outlets.

A GFCI outlet is a device that protects your home against possible electrical hazards. This device monitors the electricity flow in your home and cuts power flow if it notices an interruption. Therefore, in case of an electric arc or power surge, a GFCI isolates your home, eliminating the possibility of fires or appliance damage. A GFCI outlet is cost-effective and easy for an electrician to install. In addition, a technician can assure your home of a safe electrical outlet replacement.

Recessed Outlet

Does your home have outlets that leave your electrical plugs hanging? Then it is advisable to have an electrical outlet upgrade. A recessed outlet differs from conventional outlets and does not leave your plugs hanging. This outlet type is installed deeper into the wall surface, thus having a sunken feeling. Consequently, the plugs do not extend past the wall surface, which makes them seem hidden away from normal eyes view. The recessed outlets reduce the danger of children tripping and tugging on electrical cables. In addition, they give your home a well-kempt look by eliminating visible electrical plugs.

USB Outlets

USB outlets are one of the electrical outlet upgrades that have gained popularity among most homeowners. Since most current electrical devices have USB connectors, these electrical outlet upgrades eliminate the need for charging heads and adapters. Therefore, with this electrical outlet upgrade, your home will be neater and more organized. In addition, a USB outlet makes it possible to connect many devices directly to the electricity, which makes room for other devices without a USB allocation to use the conventional outlets.

However, before purchasing these outlets, it is advisable to have an electrician access your electrical system. The technician will determine if it is safe to use the USB outlet in your home and advice you on the best brands and types for your home, depending on your needs. Additionally, the technician will handle the installation in a safe and skilled manner to ensure your family is safe and your home’s needs are taken care of. The USB outlet is an ideal upgrade due to its cost-effectiveness and convenience.

TRR (Tamper Resistant Receptacles)

The primary purpose of an electrical upgrade for most homeowners is to enhance the safety of their homes and families. As the name indicates, a tamper-resistant receptacle caters to your safety by preventing access to or tampering with the electrical circuit by objects such as pens. Consequently, it prevents children from inserting objects such as pencils and sticks in the electrical outlet and risking electrocution. Therefore, you will have more confidence that your children are safe since they cannot tamper with the electrical outlets.

Although electricity is a fundamental aspect of the efficient operation and comfort of your home, ensuring that your electrical circuit is safe for your family is vital. You can achieve the safety and comfort that you need by upgrading your electrical outlet and using professionals to install these outlets. Contact us at Mister Sparky of Myrtle Beach today to make an appointment for any electrical installation services.

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Factors Affecting How Much an Electrician Will Charge To Upgrade an Electrical Panel

Have you ever wondered about your electrical circuit and how it works? Unfortunately, most homeowners lack insider knowledge about their electrical systems. As everything is operating, and the parts of the house have an electrical provision, the electrical circuit and any electrical upgrades their home may need are not frequent thoughts. However, you can avoid most household power outages, mostly caused by avoidable wiring problems and malfunctioning electrical panels. With the help of a reliable electrician, most of the causes of power outages are avoidable. The technician will always ensure that your electrical circuit is operating efficiently and that all worn-out parts are replaced promptly to avoid total failures that affect your home’s connectivity to power. However, when most homeowners hear about replacing or upgrading their electrical panel, they instantly ask themselves, will that cost me much? Can I do without these panel upgrades? Continue reading to learn about factors that affect the cost of upgrading the panel.

What is an Electrical Panel

The first step in understanding whether electrical panel upgrades are needed is to know how it helps your home’s electrical system. An electrical panel is a part of your electrical circuit that controls and regulates power flow to your home’s entire circuit. Therefore, this is where all the power connections and cables originate from after an electrician connects electricity to your home. An electrical panel is also referred to as a fuse box.

An electrical panel should be replaced every 25-40 years for your home’s safety. Therefore, if you live in an old house, ensure it hasn’t surpassed such a period. You can start by having a professional inspect its operation to note any differences. In case you notice any change in operation, immediately contact a professional to get the underlying issues fixed or replace the entire system.

The Cost of Upgrading an Electrical Panel

Once you have decided that your home requires an electrical panel upgrade, the next step is outlining what it costs and which panel your home needs. However, it is best to know the factors that affect the price of an electrical panel upgrade. This is because electrical panel upgrades can vary depending on these factors.

Whether you are searching for a significant improvement of your home’s panel or only a basic upgrade, several factors will affect the cost of getting a new electrical panel. However, a professional electrical technician can give you an estimate of the price over the phone, which serves as a starting price to consider.

The Size of Your Fuse Box

The most vital factor that affects the cost of upgrading your electrical panel is its size. Like most electrical components, the size of your home and your electrical need dictate the size of your panel. Therefore, it is vital to outline the amperes your home requires since it is a core factor that dictates the panel size. Notably, although your home’s size in terms of square meters is important, your daily consumption is essential in deciding on the ideal system. For example, a large house with many appliances and electronics needs a large panel to handle your home’s electrical load.

Therefore, upgrading from a lower ampere electrical panel to a higher one is vital as your electrical consumption increases. On the other hand, consider getting a higher electrical panel than your consumption rate since there are times that you will use your appliances simultaneously. A higher-rated electrical panel will provide additional provisions to add more appliances to the circuit. A skilled electrician will help you choose the best panel size for your home.

The Type of Electrical panel

Breaker panels are the ideal type of panel for most residential settings since they protect against electrical fires. However, they are more expensive than fuse panels and require a professional installation. Notably, their cost can vary depending on the condition of your home’s electrical panel and location. However, in both types, two major types of electrical panels are available in the market and are classified by their volts. They are the 208/120 volts (ICE) and 240 volts (NEMA). The higher the voltage, the more the installation cost since they require heavier installation components such as wiring and studs. Conversely, the older the service panel in your home, the higher the installation cost due to the possibility of missing ground connectors and short circuits that need replacements.

The Panels Distance from the Electrical Box

The distance to the electrical box is another factor influencing the cost of upgrading your electrical panel. The distance between an electrical box to a service panel is at least seven feet for safety reasons. Therefore, the longer the distance between the two, the higher the overall upgrade installation price. The electrician will have to use longer wires to connect the two components.

Upgrading Existing Panel Wires

If you are upgrading an electrical panel that is over 15 years old, it might be costly. This is because the panel might not be up to code, which occasionally changes, thus needing an entire system upgrade, including the wires. Therefore, to be sure of what changing the panel will cost, it is better to consult a professional. The technician will know if your electrical panel’s wires need an upgrade or can still be used with the new panel. Additionally, the technician will outline if you need additional circuit breakers since a larger panel requires more breakers to protect your home efficiently. Purchasing new electrical wires and other components will increase the overall price for your upgrade.

Upgrading your electrical panel is crucial to the safety of your home, especially if you live in an old home. A professional team to walk the journey with you will help you pick the ideal electrical panel for your home. Call us at Mister Sparky of Myrtle Beach today and schedule an electrical panel installation and upgrade services.

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