Experts sound off on protection against lightning's effects

What to look for in a surge protector

The best protection against power surges and spikes during a lightning storm is to unplug electronics or at least turn them off. If you do lose power, turn off some of the high-demand equipment in the home, such as the air conditioner, big screen televisions and pool heaters, so they won’t create a surge when power resumes that could damage more sensitive electronics. If you opt to buy a surge protector, keep these tips in mind:

-- Make sure it says “transient voltage surge suppressor — meets
UL 1449.” That means it meets the minimum performance for
surge suppressors.

-- The suppressor should have an indicator light that tells you it is
working.

-- Make sure it has a high number of Joules, or the amount of en­
ergy the protector can dissipate. They measure typically from 200
up to several thousand. The higher the number, the better.

-- Its clamping voltage — the voltage at which the protector will conduct electricity to ground — should be no higher than 400 volts.

-- Response time should be less than one nanosecond. That’s
the amount of time the suppressor is delayed before it’s acti­vated.

-- If you’re connecting to an entertainment system that includes a television, the suppressor should have has a connection for the incoming cable line.

Source: Joseph King, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety

So Florida Power & Light customers recently found an offer in their mailboxes: Blunt the sticker shock of having major appliances zapped by lightning with a special surge protector installed at the base of their meter. It would detect electrical surges almost instantly, grounding them before they enter the house and damage anything.

The offer from FPL Energy Services Inc. — a subsidiary of FPL parent company NextEra Energy Inc. — asks customers for an extra $9.95 a month for the meter surge protector, or about $120 annually.

But is it worth it?

“The answer is, it depends,” said Richard Kithil, president and CEO of National Lightning Safety Institute, an independent lightning safety advocacy group based in Denver.

FPL’s SurgeShield is probably not worth it if you have a $100 deductible on your homeowner’s insurance, Kithil explained. “But if you have a $500 deductible, you have a different equation. So you roll the dice in how much you want to do and how much you want to spend. It basically comes down to the consumer’s fear factors.

Why You Should Install An Energy Saving Device To Your Home ...

With ever increasing electricity bills and CO2 emissions, energy saving is gaining importance. It is becoming very important for all of us to reduce our energy consumption. At the same time you cannot stop energy usage completely. By following some energy saving techniques and using energy saving devices you can reduce your consumption.

5 Simple Ways to Save Energy:

1. Replace old light bulbs with energy saving bulbs.

2. Turn off all electronic devices that are not in use.

3. Purchase appliances with the highest Energy Star rating.

4. Consider solar lighting for your backyard.

5. Insulate the ceiling, walls and floors of your home.

5 Top Home Energy Saving Devices:

1. Enersonic Power Saver

The Enersonic Power Saver helps to stabilize voltages and reduce currents in your power supplies. It improves the power factor by reducing the amount of electricity that is used from the utility company. Therefore, the amount of electricity purchased from the utility company has been greatly reduced and resulting in power savings for our home or office.

2. Multifunction Energy Meter

This intelligent power meter simply plugs into a normal power point and turns into a real-time power monitoring outlet. You can enter the price of your electricity and the meter will tell you exactly how much the appliance is costing to run. In addition, the power meter tracks the power used and can display the instantaneous voltage or current being drawn as well as the peak levels that have been drawn.

3. Micro-Plug PS2B 10 Amp Power Saver

The Micro Plug is a true Power Saver and the first type of Power Saver using “MOTOR CONTROLLER” technology called MPMT (Motor Power Management Technology). The new patented Micro-Processor will reduce electricity consumption of any appliance with an AC motor inside. 70% of the worlds electricity is consumed by motors and the majority of these motors are AC running appliances such as, air conditioning, fridge/freezers, pool pumps and washing machines to name a few. As a result installing a Micro-Plug power saver, onto an appliance, can reduce electricity up to 30%. Generally the older or larger appliances the more you will save.

4.