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More Americans Making the Switch to Electric Vehicles in 2023

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 08:13:20 GMT

More Americans Making the Switch to Electric Vehicles in 2023

A 2023 survey conducted revealed a growing affinity for electric vehicles amongst U.S. homeowners.

The reason for the shift toward electric vehicles (or EVs) may not come as a big shock for commuters and frequent drivers who are accustomed to cars that run on gas.

After all, gasoline-powered cars bring with them certain perils that can’t be ignored such as:

Climbing gas prices
Offensive exhaust fumes
Extensive car maintenance

Electric vehicles offer a new alternative. Instead of being fueled by gasoline, EVs are charged via an EV charger that can be located in a place of business, or more conveniently, at home.

In fact, the idea of having a convenient home EV charger may explain our survey results.

What Our Survey Says about EVs in 2023

We conducted a recent survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults in order to measure sentiment around a variety of electric services.

What the survey captured, in particular, was the growing popularity of EVs among U.S. homeowners. According to the results, 20% are likely to upgrade or purchase electric vehicles in 2023. Unfortunately, only 15% of all who were surveyed reported that their workplace has EV charging stations.

Businesses are slowly ramping up the number of available EV chargers. But until these chargers are more widespread, many would prefer to take matters in their own hands by having one installed in their home.

Approximately 80% of those surveyed did not feel comfortable installing a home EV charger themselves — and for good reason. Electric cars haven’t been around for long, and many consumers are unfamiliar with the nuances that come with installing a charging station for one.

In addition, many people are wary of handling electrical projects on their own. And installing an EV charging station comes with the responsibility of assessing an entire electrical system to ensure correct installation.

We can simplify this process by providing safe and efficient EV charger installation for your home.

How to Prepare Your Home for an EV

Before you hop on the money-saving train by buying an EV, follow these tips to get your home ready:

Know your electrical panel: Some older electrical panels will need an upgrade to support your EV charger. A licensed electrician can assess the need for a new panel and provide an upgrade if needed.
Hire an electrician to install a separate circuit for your charger: You will need to have a dedicated circuit installed for your EV charger in order to avoid the risk of a fire.
Research types of EV chargers: There are levels to charging your electric vehicle … literally. EV chargers come in Level 1 and Level 2. The type you choose depends largely on how often and how far you drive.
Clean out your garage: The last thing you need is for your new vehicle to be surrounded by clutter and chaos. The phrase, “Out with the old, and in with the new,” truly applies here!

Other Ways You Can Amp Up Your Home in 2023

In addition to carefully preparing for your home EV charger installation, our survey revealed four other ways to make sure that you’re practicing safe and energy-efficient habits to save you risk, time, and money.

1. Invest in Whole-Home Protection

Only 13% of respondents had whole-home protection when surveyed.

Did you know that without whole-home protection, one power surge has the potential to ruin everything plugged into the outlets of your home? Whole-home protection helps preserve your expensive, plugged-in devices and appliances. Simply buying a multi-outlet surge protector isn’t always sufficient. You might save yourself thousands of dollars and headaches by scheduling an appointment online with a licensed electrician for whole-home protection.

2. Upgrade Your Electrical Panels

In our survey, 44% said that increased energy efficiency/cost savings was the most appealing advantage to having updated electrical panels.

Upgrading does save you money in the long run by reducing energy costs. What’s more, the more efficient upgraded panels also provide greater safety for your home.

3. Get a Backup Generator

Just 23% of surveyed U.S. homeowners said they own a backup generator.

Backup generators help you maintain safety and comfort in the event of a power outage. Yet we found that 77% of respondents didn’t have one — leaving them with nonoperational appliances and devices in the event of a power outage.

4. Install a Carbon Monoxide Detector

Thankfully, 80% of those who were surveyed agreed on the importance of carbon monoxide detectors for homes.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can be deadly. Installing a carbon monoxide detector is the safest way to make sure that you and your family are not exposed.

Source: More Americans Making the Switch to Electric Vehicles in 2023 | Mr. Electric

The Cost of Energy in Every State

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 08:07:26 GMT

The Cost of Energy in Every State

Your monthly electric bill reveal can be, well, shocking. Have you ever found yourself staring at your power bill, wondering what you could have done to keep your energy costs down? We’ve all been there, and while there are many ways to conserve electricity, it’s important to note that the cost of energy can vary significantly depending on your location.

Today, we’re shining a light (pun intended) on the differences between U.S. energy costs by state. To bring you the goods, we used data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) to explore the peaks and valleys of electric expenses in every U.S. state.

So if you’ve ever wondered how your state’s energy costs stack up against the rest, read on for the electrifying truth!

Beautiful Hawaii, the land of breathtaking beaches and jaw-dropping electric bills! As our graphic demonstrates, The Aloha State kicked off and ended the decade with the highest cost of energy of any U.S. state, making it the reigning king of kilowatt costs!

Meanwhile, New Hampshire managed to avoid the ranks of top-10 most expensive electric bill states for years, only to shoot up to 10th place in 2020. Unfortunately, New Hampshire ultimately ended the decade rising even higher on the list, finishing in the 7th place spot for 2021.

Any discussion of energy cost by state should give Delaware (the comeback kid of energy expenses) its due. The First State began the decade at #5 on our list but managed to escape the top 10 entirely by 2017. Now that’s a powerful success story!

It was an epic decade-long fight between Utah, New Mexico, Illinois, and Colorado to claim the top spot on our list of states with the lowest electric bills over time. When the dust settled, Utah emerged victorious, closely followed by New Mexico, each boasting an average monthly electric bill of $69.09 and $69.34, respectively.

In an unexpected twist, The District of Columbia began the decade at #7 on the list, only to vanish from the top 10 by 2015. Then, just when we thought D.C. was out of the game, it made a spectacular comeback in 2017, finishing the decade strong at #6 for the lowest monthly electric bills.

Next, let’s dive into a decade of transformation as we explore America’s home electric spending state by state. Some of the results are a bit of a jolt!

First up, Rhode Island takes the stage with the largest percent increase in monthly electric bills at an eye-popping +38.71%. The state began the decade with an average monthly electric bill cost of $79.97, only to skyrocket to $109.32 by the end.

On the flip side, Hawaii – the national leader in high electric bills – proved there’s always a way to defuse high costs! With the best change for the better in monthly electric bills, Hawaii saw a 16% cost decrease. The state began the decade with an average monthly electric bill cost of about $173.34 and managed to get it down to $145.60 by the end.

Your Friendly Neighborhood IT Professional

Wed, 31 May 2023 08:04:04 GMT

Your Friendly Neighborhood IT Professional

Let me introduce myself. I’m Darrell, the IT professional at Cassy Electric. I oversee the website, and the software facilitating communication with our customers and troubleshooting any issues that may arise with our systems. If you’ve previously employed our services, it’s possible that my father Drako, one of our leading technicians, has assisted you.

Daily, I handle all inquiries received through our website. The most enjoyable part of my job is when I get to implement or inspect new systems or software. I gladly confront troubleshooting challenges head-on, and whenever possible, I prefer utilizing Python. Additionally, I’m working on expanding my knowledge and have become comfortable with using SQL. I am grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given to improve myself and advance in my career.

Working at Cassy Electric has taught me how to strike a balance between my passions and contributing to something larger than myself. I’m aware that there’s still much for me to learn, which is why I eagerly anticipate each day as an opportunity for personal growth and self-improvement.

A Day in the Life of an Intern

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 07:39:25 GMT

A Day in the Life of an Intern

Hello everyone! My name is Summer Spicer, and I am one of the part-time employees here at Cassy Electric. I figured I would tell you guys a little bit about myself and what I do in a day.

For a bit of background information, before working here, I was a part of the construction class at our local career center. The career center is an area that allows students to take classes that are focused on teaching students the basic skills needed for different jobs. Students might learn how to weld, work on cars, take care of plants, etc. As a senior in high school, the career center offered me the opportunity to become a work-based learning student. This meant I could go get a construction-based job and get both the credit for the class, and the opportunity to test out my skills in real life. This is how I came to work for Cassy Electric.

When I first started this job, I worked out in the field but it became apparent that this wasn’t a great position for me. I didn’t know a lot about electrical work, other than the basics, and I don’t enjoy being anywhere where spiders might be lurking. Thankfully, on days when I couldn’t get to jobs in the field, I would work in the office. Originally I just helped out with blueprints and testing out software. I would tally up what we needed and send that information out or test out different software to see if it might work better than what we were currently using. This slowly translated to me becoming a permanent office worker.

Nowadays I come to work around noon, I have class before that, and get started trying to find possible leads. My job is to essentially take a little bit of work off each person’s plate and help them out where I can. For instance, this week I was asked to import contacts into our emailing list, find and fill out vendor information, keep an eye on any possible leads, and upload a few different posts to our social media pages. It isn’t anything too difficult, but the tasks are often time-consuming and would be otherwise pushed aside in favor of bigger projects. I handle all of that until 4:00 pm and then I head home to spend the rest of my evening playing video games and hanging out with my family.

That’s what I do in a day, if you enjoyed this little blurb then please reach out and maybe I’ll show you a little bit more of what I do. See you next time!!

June is for Safety

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 07:29:28 GMT

June is for Safety

Jhylin Farr

June 1, 2022

Many things are acknowledged in the month of June, including safety. Here at Cassy Electric, we take pride in completing outstanding electrical services on time, dependably and you guessed it, SAFELY!

Here are a few tips to keep your family and home safe this summer;

Do not overload your electrical sockets- overloading a socket is a common issue within residential service. Be sure to check that your outlets are cool to the touch, have protective face plates and are working properly to avoid any home hazards.
Replace or repair any damaged electrical cords- damaged cords can lead to home fires and electrocution. You should check any cords used regularly for any cracks or splits to be repaired or replaced. You should also be careful with cords that may be covered by rugs, mats, doors etc. These run the risk of overheating and could potentially cause a fire or a trip hazard.
Give your appliances a break- If you aren’t using your appliances unplug them. This will not only save you money on your electrical bill but it will also decrease your risk of power surges. Also be sure to give your appliances enough space to circulate air properly, this will lower the chances of overheating.
To prevent fire hazards, clean out exhaust fans, and not just in your bathroom. Check those appliances as well. They all collect dust.
Consider changing to LED bulbs- LED bulbs consume less power and reduce the risk of your fixtures overheating.
If you aren’t sure what wattage bulbs your fixtures require the best rule of thumb is to use 60- watt bulbs or less. If it’s a ceiling fixture, choose 25-watt bulbs.
Have your home inspected for electrical safety.
Consider having a generator installed- we are heading into tornado season. Keep your power on throughout the storm with a professionally installed generator.

I hope you find these residential electrical safety tips helpful. Many of your home hazards can be resolved simply by adding additional outlets to a room or checking the lifespan of your home appliances and gadgets. For a FREE Cassy Electric quote be sure to contact us TODAY.

OOPS!!…no dimmer

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 07:27:01 GMT

OOPS!!…no dimmer

Drako Sullivan

April 1, 2022

In case you didn’t know, April is national poetry month. Poetry is defined as a literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm. Or some may say its a quality of beauty and intensity of emotion regarded as characteristic of poems.

Yes, you are on the right site. Why is poetry being talked about on a web site for an electrical contractor? Well, I’ll tell you. It’s the correlation between the two. Whether it is realized or not poetry and electricity have a lot in common. HMM.. WHAT?? No, how is that? Just think about it for a second. Do you see it now? No…. Well, please allow me to explain.

Being a writer and an electrician I have had the opportunity to see the beauty in both electricity and poetry. Both have the ability to evoke feelings and to change moods.

Words are pulled together to create a poem. Wires are pulled together to control electricity. By controlling electricity we’re able to choose what type of lighting we want to be luminated by. Just like poetry when words are pulled together, feelings are evoked. When you want to change the mood in a room, what do you do? You dim the lights. In dimming the lights feelings are evoked. Now, can you see my comparison?

Ok, try this? You have all types of poems, from haikus to english sonnets. Each one has their own styles and their own expressions. Now, look around your home, you see all those different types of fixtures you have. Each has their own style and expressions, right?

Now here is your chance to enjoy the beauty of electricity and poetry. My suggestion is one of my favorites, Maya Angelou. Any collection of her work will do. If you like me, a cup of hot tea will do but if wine is your choice that is fine too. Now, you just need to dim the lights and enjoy.

OOPS…. No dimmer….. Call CASSY ELECTRIC!!!!

Second Generation Family Business

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 07:24:34 GMT

Second Generation Family Business

Ebony Sullivan

Mar 14, 2022

If someone had told me that I would be running my mother’s electrical business, I would have laughed so hard that I may have peed my pants a little. Truth is, I had failed so many times that I didn’t believe that I was ever going to be that person. You know, successful! In my own right, sure, I was successful, but a successful business woman, nah, not me. Working hard was certainly something that I knew how to do. Showing up, raising my hand and taking on new challenges. Raising four children, working full time, PTA, basketball, track and field, you name it, I am that mom and I lived for the daily challenges that life was throwing at me. I never considered that one day I would be taking all the skills that I learned along this marathon of life and running my family business.

My mother started this business out the trunk of her Ford Escort. Ladder on the roof, tool bag in the backseat and supplies in the trunk. A hardworking woman looking for an additional stream of income, she started this business as a hobby. Twenty-five years later, Cassy Electric is a full service electrical contracting company with employees… Yes, employees! My mom and I marvel often over just how far she has come and what this business has grown into over the years. When she and I started talking about retirement, she hadn’t even considered the fact that she was a business owner who needed to plan for not only her future but for the future of her business. I asked her, mom, “what are you going to do about your team when you retire?” At the time she had two men working with her and she had not even considered what the future could look like. I leaned into my community, you know the folks that really know what to do because they have done this before and I asked for help.

Two years later, I’m sitting here writing this blog in hopes that someone is going to read this and say, WOW, this is truly one heck of a story. Nearly fifty percent growth year over year, eight full time employees, five vans on the road, y’all, we even moved out of my mom’s basement! I’m still struggling with believing that yes, we are really doing this! WE ARE REALLY DOING THIS. I think back to the time when I finally decided that I would choose me. When I said, you know what, I’m going to do what makes Ebony happy. For YEARS, I made choices that were best for my children, took jobs that I was overqualified for and usually under paid so I could be there with my children. Now, they were older and I could make different choices. I decided to take all the talent and treasures that I had collected along the way and bring it to my family business. I know some of my friends right now will laugh when they read this because I talked about for years how my children would all work in our family business and contribute back to the business that paid the way for them. Shoot, US! I didn’t consider myself in that equation. I had no clue that I would be the person running it all. What a blessing just writing that. Brings tears to my eyes just thinking about how truly blessed we are to be able to grow this business to support our family, build generational wealth and a legacy for our family.

Standing on the shoulders of my mother, grandmother and all the other strong women that paved the way fills me with gratitude. Positioning to be our lady liberty until the next generation is truly an honor. Trailblazing in spaces where you were once told to “go get the coffee” and now walking into the board room and negotiating deals seems unreal. Yet I constantly remind myself that this is what hard-work and dedication looks like. Having read stories and beard witness to all the women who have shattered glass ceilings in all sectors and industries is happening daily and I’m honored, ready, and willing to be amongst them.

Amber’s Day in the Field

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 08:21:35 GMT

Amber’s Day in the Field

February 4th, 2022

By Amber Galea

Answering customer calls is part of my job at Cassy Electric. So when a new customer called requesting a ceiling fan installation, I thought it would be a routine job. We replace ceiling fans all the time. Then the customer elaborated. She needed a new fan in her guest room because the old one had dropped out of the ceiling. Yes, you heard that right. The customer pulled the cord and then the fan dropped straight down. It dropped straight down from an eighteen-foot peak of a cathedral ceiling. It dropped straight down, out of the eighteen-foot ceiling, and onto her head. She then pushed the falling fan away to keep it from landing on a grandchild who was laying in the bed below. This grandparent-hero, thankfully, was safe and not injured. But she needed a new fan.

Welp. I scheduled the installation for a day when one of Cassy’s electricians, who happens to be my husband, was available. Then I volunteered to be his helper on the job. The day we arrived, we felt super-prepared with one of our biggest ladders. The customer greeted us as their dog woofed “hello” from another room. We entered the guest room, and saw the sad hole in the peak of the ceiling where the fan had once hung. As soon as we folded the big ladder into the room, we climbed up and discovered a bracket that held up the fan had broken. This is unusual. A solid, metal bracket doesn’t break under normal circumstances. We concluded that the break must have been caused by a bracket manufacturing error.

Then we got to work. We installed new brackets, a new down rod (the pole that places the fan at the right height for use in a cathedral ceiling,) and the new ceiling fan provided by the customer. The installation was uneventful, the new brackets were strong, and the new fan was remote controlled. Nobody in that room will ever again be pulling a cord on a ceiling fan. In the end, I’m not sure that I helped that much. I spotted my spouse on the ladder, delivered up a few screws for the fixture, and cleaned. But if exciting electrical problems happen in your home, please call us. If the story is exciting enough, I might show up myself to help with the repair.

Amber Galea is Cassy Electric’s Chief of Staff. She has 10 years experience in information management and customer service, and like 2 days of experience in electrical work. She is an advocate for respect, fairness and transparency in business.

Stay safe out there, and don’t get mauled by rouge electrical devices.

6fad1344

More Americans Making the Switch to Electric Vehicles in 2023

More Americans Making the Switch to Electric Vehicles in 2023

What Our Survey Says about EVs in 2023

How to Prepare Your Home for an EV

Other Ways You Can Amp Up Your Home in 2023

1. Invest in Whole-Home Protection

2. Upgrade Your Electrical Panels

3. Get a Backup Generator

4. Install a Carbon Monoxide Detector

The Cost of Energy in Every State

The Cost of Energy in Every State

Your Friendly Neighborhood IT Professional

Your Friendly Neighborhood IT Professional

A Day in the Life of an Intern

A Day in the Life of an Intern

June is for Safety

June is for Safety ﻿

OOPS!!…no dimmer

OOPS!!…no dimmer ﻿

Second Generation Family Business

Second Generation Family Business ﻿

Amber’s Day in the Field

Amber’s Day in the Field

June is for Safety

OOPS!!…no dimmer

Second Generation Family Business