Find an Electrician you can trust in Richmond upon Thames.

Asides from the fact that solar energy can be converted into electricity with the help of solar panels, there’s also another pretty cool way the sun’s power can be harnessed - solar thermal technologies. These technologies are able to convert sunlight into heat rather than power and these are in fact the very first solar energy products that were commercialized in the United Kingdom. Solar thermal panels, in a similar way to solar PVs, can help in minimizing your carbon footprint while also assisting you to save good money on your energy bills by providing the much needed coverage for your heating needs with the help of a renewable energy source that’s totally free.

Solar thermal panels provides some great benefits which is capable of making all homeowners in the UK consider installing one in their respective homes. Let’s take a closer look at these benefits.

✓ When compared to solar PV panels, they’re a more affordable heating option and also have a shorter payback period.

✓ Solar thermal panels are more efficient than PV panels due to the fact that the heat waves are able to hold more energy than sunlight and also because there’s no electricity transformation process.

✓ Solar thermal panels are able to operate in cold climates, strong wind as well as overcast weather, and make use of an energy storage system.

✓ They can help you save about 600kg of carbon dioxide emissions on an annual basis.

✓ Although most of the solar thermal panel systems come with a warranty usually within the range of 5 to 10 years, they’re able to last up to 25 years. What’s more? The require just a little maintenance, meaning the main cost you’d have to worry about is the cost of installation.

An electrical safety inspection is basically the act of carrying out a thorough assessment of all electrical systems within a property, be it residential, commercial or industrial premises. The main goal of conducting this survey is to see to the fact that all the electrical systems and installations forming part of a property are correctly fitted, well maintained and ultimately, safe. This is required to be carried out by an electrician who’s an approved contractor and accredited by ECA, NICEIC or STROMA. To get contractors who can carry out the electrical safety inspection and meet with the government criteria, you simply have to search on the Electrical Component Person database. They’ll assess the current condition of the electrical systems and evaluate if they are working efficiently while also paying special attention to any defects or faults.

Generally, the best way to get an electrical safety certificate ( an EICR) is to shop around. In the event whereby you need the inspector to examine a part of your property you’d have to raise his/her awareness to this. This will be referred to as an “agreed limitation in the report.

Failure to comply with electrical safety regulations bring about serious penalties for such landlords. Upon the introduction of the new regulations in June 2020, local authorities can fine the electrical safety regulations-breaching landlords up to £30,000. Asides this fact, it’s also in your interest to keep your property as well as its appliances in a good condition at all times. If everyone including your tenants feel safe and your property is in great shape, everyone is happy!

The cost of an Electrical Certificate varies depending on the size of your home as well as the number of electrical installations and appliances that needs to be checked. The price can start anywhere from £120 and above.

If you’re thinking of adding a solar battery to your home, you might be wondering whether or not it’s going to work in a power cut. If yes, then you’re not alone as this is one of the most common questions asked when it comes to solar batteries. In this post, we aim to provide you with a detailed answer to solve this concern once and for all.

The answer to this question is, it depends. The main reason why your solar batteries will usually not work or provide your home with the much-needed back up power is as a result of the several threats it poses. You should be aware that both your solar panels and battery are connected to the main grid. When a power cut occurs, your engineers will have to operate on the grid. If the solar panels or batteries are in operation at the period there’s a high chance the engineers would be electrocuted by the electricity that’s being produced. As a result of this, solar inverters are usually designed to automatically switch off once a power cut occurs. However, it should also be noted that if your solar battery possesses backup functionality, you’ll be able to make use of your solar energy in the event of a power cut. In other words, what determines if your home battery would work in a power cut is the availability or otherwise of a backup functionality.

Furthermore, you might also wish to know if your solar panels will continue to charge the battery in a power cut. Well, this depends on the type of backup system you possess. There are some more affordable batteries that are designed to automatically release their stored energy upon the detection of a power cut. And this is mostly because the battery inverter is usually smaller than the solar inverter which allows the energy from the solar inverter to the transmitted to the battery - risking an overload. However, if otherwise, then energy can continue to be transmitted to the battery until its fully charged.

When the wiring on your property becomes dated, dangerous or non functional, then rewiring of your house becomes a necessity. If you’re thinking about rewiring your house, one of the first few things you’d have to put into consideration is the cost of completing the project in order to help you set a budget and start to plan. In this post, we seek to provide you with the most accurate cost possible for your project to help you get started as soon as possible.

In general, the average cost to rewire a house can vary from £2000 to about £10,000, which includes the prices for both material and labour. Factors that can have a great influence on the final price includes the type of your property, the quality of the existing wiring as well as the complexity of the installation needed. The most important determinants are probably the type of rewiring task you go for (whether for the whole house or some specific parts ) as well as the size of the house. The qualification of the electrician hired and the labour costs will also influence the final budget required to a great extent. Overall, the average cost of rewiring a house stands at £4000 and it will usually take up to 7 days for a complete rewire to be done. For older properties, you may need completely rewire the property in order to enhance the energy efficiency. However, this may not be required the your home was just recently built.

Being a messy and disruptive task which can also be very dangerous especially when handled by a inexperienced individual, we’d strongly recommend that house rewiring is carried out by a qualified and registered electrician who is well trained to perform this task to perfection.

What Are The Best Electric Radiators?

Being afforded options in life is what we all seek. However, when the options are obviously too much, it can have a negative impact - exactly the case with electric radiators. With so many electric radiators in the market today, identifying the best and most suitable one for your home can be less helpful and extremely confusing, and even more so when you don’t know what you want. In a world filled with a huge selection of electric radiators, some designed for general heating while others are designed for more specific purposes, where would you get started? Here we’ve put together some of best electric radiators which you can put into consideration when making a decision. Let’s have a look!

• The Rointe D Series

The D series is one of the most popular electric radiators you’ll in the market today and deservedly so.with an advanced controllability via the Rointe Connect App and TFT control panel, these series have been rightly marked out as the most sophisticated electric radiator till date. What’s more? It’s suitable for both small, medium and large rooms, as it heats from 3m2 to about 16m2. The installation and programming of the Rointe D Series is very easy as it also enables a full access to every functions included as well as consumption costs.

• The Dimplex Q-Rad

As a high end heater, the Dimplex Q-Rad is one of the most popular brands. It is designed for a large room as it can heat up an area of about 20m2. The electric radiator features simple controls, sleek and good looks and works automatically all day.

• The Haverland RCTTi

This is conveniently one of the most efficient and reliable electric radiators you’ll find around. It stands out with the possession of its Dry Stone technology which works to ensure the room is kept at the right temperature.

• The Stiebel Eltron CND

Featuring a combined radiant and convection heating, this dual heat source is a very good option for homeowners with a tight budget. It works excellently to store heat which it later releases. The electric radiator also sense when the windows are open and react intelligently to the environment.

Can You Replace A Gas Boiler With An Electric Boiler?

In the UK, there are about 22 million households that are heated with the use of a gas boiler. However, do not assume that they’re the best type of boiler to install. The fact is, if your house isn’t connected to the main gas supply, the best option is for you to install an electric boiler rather than a gas boiler. So is it possible to replace a gas boiler with an electric boiler? The simple answer is yes. Both heating system options work in varying ways and also with a different impact on the environment.

The gas boiler is able to generate heat with the help of a gas burner. A heat exchanger is linked to the burner and heats the water available in its chamber. The hot water is then supplied to the heating circuit.

However, the thing is that natural gas can actually be more affordable when compared to using electricity to operate your boiler, but they have a negative impact on the environment. This is because gas boilers make use of an odourless, colourless and poisonous gas - carbon monoxide.

Meanwhile electric boilers are powered by electrical energy, hence, no carbon monoxide leak risks. Instead of using gas to heat up water, electric boilers distribute energy to heating elements which, in turn, heats up the water. So thinking about what’s best for the environment, you’d go for electric boilers. However, they’re more costly and are not as efficient as oil boilers.

If you reside in a smaller house that’s not connected to the main gas supply, then you might want to consider installing an electric boiler. However, if you live in a larger house, an electric boiler may not be the best option as they’re mostly designed to generate little quantity of hot water.

If your fuse box keeps tripping or blowing fuses, it may need replacing. Other signs that your fuse box is not working properly include humming, sparking and lack of power. Contact an electrician and ask for a safety report, this will diagnose the problem and lead to a quick fix.

You can find out roughly how old your wiring is by simply looking at it. If the wiring around your fuse box is covered in old-fashioned casing, or is damaged or fraid, it may be over 25 years old and need replacing. This is more common in older properties or houses that have been empty for long periods of time.