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Most people just aren’t all that curious. They don’t care how electricity gets from the power plant all the way to their light bulb. They only care about results. But you: you read these blogs, so you must have the kind of curiosity that leads you to ask questions. We’re betting you’re so curious, you’re […]

Many of us make a lot of assumptions.  For example, we think tomatoes are vegetables but in reality, they’re a fruit. We might also assume electric cars are a relatively new invention. It only makes sense, right? Electric cars were designed to end our dependence on oil by providing a clean, sustainable, environmentally-friendly alternative. Believe […]

The aluminum wiring installed in homes during the 1960s and 1970s is considered a serious fire hazard. Problems with installation, outlet connections, and the metal itself resulted in wiring that degrades and loosens over time. If your home has aluminum wiring, you should repair or replace it right away. Here’s everything you need to know […]

If your electrical outlets are old, warped, damaged, or malfunctioning, it may be time to replace them. Old outlets wear out over time, diminishing their effectiveness or even putting you in danger. Upgraded outlets prevent that danger and make your home’s electricity more effective at the same time. For something we use every day, most […]

Electrical devices are “grounded” when they connect to grounding devices for safety reasons. Grounding provides a safe “path of least resistance” for stray voltage to follow. Grounding systems direct stray voltage into the ground where it discharges safely instead of building up in places where it will be dangerous. Without grounding, power surges or equipment […]

Electrical panels become fire hazards when they can’t longer handle the voltage flowing through them. Age, damage, corrosion, or faulty installation can compromise the effectiveness of electrical panels and turn them into fire hazards. If your circuit breakers trip constantly or you smell burning near wires, call an electrician immediately! Your electrical panel is like […]

There’s a mass of several electrical wires stretching from nearby electrical poles to the roofs of almost every home in St. Paul and Minneapolis. They enter a small plastic cover and then descend down the side of the building until they reach the electrical meter. Those wires are called the service mast.  Every home that […]

We understand why you haven’t thought much about how winter could affect your electricity bill. Most homes in the Twin Cities use gas heating, not electric heating, so you won’t have to worry about how heating could drive up your electricity bill. Nevertheless, most homeowners will notice their electricity bill rise during cold seasons.  Twin […]

If you’ve lived through winter in Minnesota, you already know that cold weather can hurt nearly everything. In fact, you’ve probably been spending the last several weeks preparing for that weather. Winter is just as hard on our utility infrastructures and homes as it can be on us. Unfortunately, even your electrical system is no […]

If you live in the Twin Cities, you’re probably already good at preparing for our intense winters. You have snow tires, windshield scrapers, shovels, sidewalk salt, insulated gloves, canned food, extra water–the works. What you may not have, however, is a plan for what to do if your power goes out this winter.  Unfortunately, power […]