You aren’t paranoid, you just want to protect what is most important to you: your loved ones and the home you’ve built together. Home insurance will cover theft and fire, but there is no insurance to repair the traumatic effects of a home invasion or other tragic event. The simple installation of a home security system will bring you peace of mind and save you up to 20 percent on your homeowner’s insurance.

There are multiple companies that will install a security system, and for a monthly fee, provide 24-hour monitoring service. As the dramatic commercials demonstrate, services such as the following will call both you and the authorities in the event of an emergency.

…continue reading Home Security Systems: Brands and Benefits

In seven years, probably much sooner, not a single conventional bulb will remain in your home. The “normal” incandescent bulb invented by Edison 125 years ago was a groundbreaking step up from candlelight, but is inefficient for today’s higher energy standards. Already phased out of production in Australia and Ireland, incandescents don’t meet new U.S. standards imposed by the recent energy bill, which requires light to use 25 to 30 percent less energy by 2012.

But what is an incandescent bulb, and how does it work in comparison to the two big alternatives: CFLs and LEDs? …continue reading Shedding Light on the Incandescent Bulb

The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that approximately 300 people in the U.S. die each year due to electrical shocks. Electricity flows naturally to the ground through anything that conducts electricity, including our bodies.

Since light-strung trees are already flashing across millions of homes around the country, we figure it’s a good time to talk about electrical safety. Here’s some sound advice from the NSC to keep Christmas trees worthy of your attention for the right reason, that is: because they’re seasonal and symbolic and not because they make your arm buzz uncomfortably when you touch them. …continue reading Beware: Bright Lights Can Shock You