Epping Electrical : Call 1300232796 for electrical, data, trenching work in Melbourne

Epping Electrical - Major Partner of the 2011 Northern Health Charity Fun Run

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:15:00 +0000

October 2011

Epping Electrical is again the Major Partner for the 2011 Northern Health Charity Fun Run. We will have a Marquee setup on the day with a number of displays on show. We also have a promotion on the day, anyone booking a Switchboard Upgrade will receive a $100 discount. See us there from 9am. Click here for more details.

Geoff
Director
0431232796

Underground Electrical Cable

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:01:00 +0000

August 2011

Epping Electrical is now undertaking larger underground cable installations. Our Vermeer TX400 Trencher allows us to undertake large underground cable installations at a competitive price. Our most recent undertaking in Upper Plenty required a new Meter Box and Main Switchboard at the front gate and approx 100 meters of underground cable with a bridge crossing in between. For greater mechanical protection, metal conduit was used in the bridge section. We also coordinated with a Telstra contractor to install required Telephone infrastructure for the property.

If you have a need for underground cable to be installed, give us a call on 1300 232 796.

Geoff
Director
0431232796

High Electricity Bills - Epping Electrical comes to the rescue

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 07:06:00 +0000

June 2011

Epping Electrical was called to a home in a northern suburb of Melbourne March this year to investigate high electricity bills. The owner told us they were receiving bills of over $1000 per month, they had been in discussions with their electricity retailer for over two years who concluded that the situation was simply due to the high use of electricity by the owner. A suggestion was made to the owner to have the home electrical system checked as another possible cause. We did check the installation and found the two-bedroom unit had floor heating install in all the rooms. The floor heating was controlled by a timer within the main switchboard. We did identify the timer had been incorrectly set, this was adjusted to ensure the floor heating elements only came on during the off peak hours.

Whilst the owner was pleased that something was identified at last, the owner was sure something else must be wrong as the electricity bills continued on average to be over $1000 per month even over the summer period. Our attention now focused on the bills and the electricity meter.

The owner explained that the meter had been checked before and was told it was operating correctly. We decided anyway to confirm the meter readings and check these against the electricity bills. What we uncovered would explain everything. We had found that the electricity meter has three registers that tally kilowatt hours. One counts the kilowatt hours used during the peek period, another counts the off-peek period and the third is the total of the two or in other words, total usage over the 24hour period. We found that instead of the first two registers finding their way to the bill, we confirmed that the total kilowatt register was being added to the bill in the peek section. This means that all off peak usage was being correctly billed at off peek rate but it was also being billed at peek rate.

Unfortunately, this was not the end of the story. We thought this would be a simple matter of contacting the electricity retailer and explaining the situation. When we called the electricity retailer they would not accept our findings. Instead they would send out their own expert to investigate. Weeks would pass before a report was issued. It explained that the high energy usage was due to the fact that the floor heating requires a timer and the owner should have an electrician install one to resolve the problem!! The electricity retailer now was satisfied everything was correct and it was the owners issue. They demanded the electricity bill now more than $20,000 be paid.

We attempted to contact the retailer a number of times, they refused to listen and said this is now out of their hands and could do nothing. We decided to contact the electricity distributer in the area. We spoke to at least three people who simply did not know enough about metering, after a few days we got put through to someone that had worked with electricity metering equipment for over 20 years. We explained the situation to him, he agreed to look into this. After an hour he called back to confirm we were right and the billing team would be calculating the correct electricity costs over many years. This would result in a significant refund to the owner.

I personally had the pleasure to inform the owner of the great news.

This experience for me was often frustrating but ultimately rewarding. At Epping Electrical we are driven by doing what is right and assisting our customers however we can. Its our hope that electricity companies will see this as a lesson to improve the service they provide to their customers.

Names of involved parties have been intentionally withheld.

Geoff Connor
Director
0431232796

Why does my Safety Switch keep blowing?

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 01:47:00 +0000

Does your Safety Switch keep blowing? The most common reason is a faulty appliance. Give us a call, and we will guide you step-by-step on the phone to help you fix the fault yourself. At no cost to you.

Review on Truelocal

Builders Power Pole

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 10:45:00 +0000

Most Builder Temporary Supplies these days are done via underground supply to the permanent position. This is called Temp/Perm in the industry because initially the meter box and switchboard is used during construction and then the same equipment is used as the permanent meter and switchboard for the building. For Builders developing a block of land in an older area, they normally find overhead supply within the older street. Whilst a new Underground Service pit is ultimately used to supply underground power for multiple units, the electrician and the builder may prefer to quickly establish a Builders Temporary Supply to allow construction to commence. This method allows the new pit to be installed later and does not interfere with the installation of new underground services.

Epping Electrical now provides this service for Builders in the northern suburbs.

The cost for Epping Electrical customers to establish an overhead supplied Builders Temporary Pole is $700 inc GST for 14 weeks from the date power is connected. The rate beyond the initial 14 week period is $10 per week. These prices do not include the one-time Electricity Connection Fee (approx $120) and Electricity usage.

If you are planning to build a house or units in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, call EPPING ELECTRICAL to provide a free quote.

I hope you found this information informative, if you have any questions, please drop me a line or call me on 0431 232 796. Geoff

Meadowglen & YMCA Fun Run & Walk 2010 - What a day!

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 07:42:00 +0000

Sunday October 17 finally arrived last Sunday with the running of the first ever sponsored event for Epping Electrical. The Meadowglen & YMCA Fun Run & Walk was a great event raising funds for Northern Health. Whilst the weather was a concern for all of us leading up to the event, we somehow escaped the rain. More than 500 participants braved the weather to join in the event.

As the events Major Sponsor, Epping Electrical received a plaque of appreciation from the City of Whittleseas' Mayor - Councillor Mary Lalios. It is hoped that Epping Electrical will continue to support the local community in future charity and community events.

The event provided the opportunity for Epping Electrical to showcase a range of topics including Illegal Wiring, Home Safety & Switchboards.

A Switchboard Upgrade discount of $100 was available on the day for customers who made a booking, this offer has now been extended until the end of October 2010. Contact Geoff at Epping Electrical on 1300 232 796 or via email to Geoff@EppingElectrical.com.

Contact Epping Electrical on 1300 232 796 for All Domestic and Commercial Work, New Homes, Renovations, Home Re-Wires, Switchboard Upgrades, Safety Switches, Voice and Data.

First pieces of the national broadband network in Brunswick

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 13:35:00 +0000

At last we are seeing some initial work towards the National Broadband Network in Melbourne's north.

See http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/brunswick-gets-some-fibre-20100928-15vvp.html for the full story.

Buying a house? Check this out first

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:58:00 +0000

Most people buy a house without knowing the condition and safety of Electrical Wiring. If the previous owner/s have installed illegal Electrical Wiring, an Electrical fault or Safety hazard may develop that could result in the loss of life and/or property.

Nearly every house over 2 years old we visit is found to have some illegal wiring! This week we were called to a house in Epping because of power constantly failing. What we discovered was one of the worst examples of illegal Electrical Wiring we have ever seen. As Electrical professionals, its normally easy for us to spot illegal and dangerous wiring.

But what can home owners do themselves to try and determine if their own home has any obvious illegal wiring?

Here are a few hints for the home owner -

(1) If you find any exposed (normally white) wiring, it is likely to be illegal.
(2) If you find any Electrical fittings that are not secured, it is likely to be illegal.
(3) If any wiring looks untidy, twisted, hanging or loose, it is likely to be illegal.
(4) If you find a join in Electrical Wiring not within a junction box, it is likely to be illegal.
(5) If you find extension lead installed in a permanent position, it is likely to be illegal.
(6) If you could reach bare Electrical Wiring while standing on the ground, it is likely to be illegal.
(7) If your switchboard is loose, missing parts or has exposed Electrical contacts, it is likely to be illegal and unsafe.

Remember - This list is only intended for home owners to identify 'obvious' illegal or un-safe Electrical Wiring. As most of the Electrical Wiring is located within walls, under floor and in roof spaces, only a trained professional will be able to carry out a complete visual inspection and complete the required electrical tests to ensure the Electrical Wiring is in good order.

If you suspect you have illegal or un-safe Electrical Wiring, call in a Licensed Electrician. Under no circumstances should you attempt to rectify the situation yourself. If you are unsure, send a good photo to me via geoff@eppingelectrical.com, I will have a look and provide my advise to you free of charge.

When we work at a home, we get a sense of the extent of the illegal wiring we may encounter. Normally early visual inspections will indicate to us that illegal wiring may be present.

Here is a photo I took from the house we visited this week. We found this home had several illegal joins in Electrical Wiring, as you can see, the join is substandard and dangerous. Lucky for the home owner this fault did not cause a fire.

If you are planning to buy a house in the northern suburbs of Melbourne or simply want to be sure your home is safe, call EPPING ELECTRICAL to provide an Electrical Inspection.

I hope you found this information informative, if you have any questions, please drop me a line or call me on 0431 232 796. Geoff

2010 Meadowglen and YMCA Fun Run and Walk

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 04:35:00 +0000

Interested in supporting the local community while keeping fit?

This year, Epping Electrical will be the major sponsor of the Meadowglen and YMCA Fun Run and Walk.
If you are interested, you can register now via the Fun Run Web Site. Once you have registered, drop an email to geoff@eppingelectrical.com for your chance to win one of 30 Epping Electrical Fun Run T-Shirts. Up to six Epping Electrical Teams will be running on the day, if you are interested to join one of our teams, let us know. On the day, come and have a chat with the team in the Epping Electrical Marquee.

More about the Fun Run...............

The Fun Run will be held on Sunday 17 October and will be the 10th time the event has been held at the Meadowglen Athletics Stadium in Epping.

This is a great event promoting health and fitness in our community, particularly for local youth and families.

All money raised from the 2010 Fun Run will help purchase Allied Health equipment for Northern Health's campuses: The Northern Hospital, Bundoora Extended Care Centre, Broadmeadows health Service, Panch Health Service and Craigieburn Health Service.

Australia's NBN - More Than Faster Internet

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 23:09:00 +0000

So, what is Australia's National Broadband Network? Why is it so important and what will it mean for every Australian?

Source: Youtube, TheNBN2009

Epping Electrical is a registered communications service provider and provides services for PABX, telephone points and extensions, ADSL, CAT5, network cable, patch panel, switch, hub, router for both residential and commercial properties

Consumers the winner in the NBN game?

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 06:04:00 +0000

The all new superfast National Broadband Network (NBN) that is laying cable across 7.7 million sq kms of Oz will soon allow 90-93% of us Aussies to access speeds of up to 100 Mbps on the FTTH (Fibre To The Home) infrastructure. [For a bit of perspectivem right now about 0.1% of us are connected to fibre optic]. And all that at a price cheaper than the existing ADSL. Sounds too good to be true? Welcome to the future!!

Some Tasmanians can already order this exciting new broadband service, with installations being expected to start in July. "Internode" is one of the first retail service providers, and has released 15 FTTH plans at aggressively cheap prices. Its $29.95 entry-level plan, with a 15 Gigabyte (GB) data quota, has a 25 Mbps downstream speed and 2 Mbps upstream. The 50 Mbps plans cost from $39.95 while 100 Mbps plans start at just $59.95. There are no long term contracts or early termination charges on any of the plans.

Check out the other Internode plans here, and get ready to bid adieu to your old TV, telephone and internet networks and say hello to a super-fast broadband coming soon to your neighbourhood.

Epping Electrical is a registered communications service provider and provides services for PABX, telephone points and extensions, ADSL, CAT5, network cable, patch panel, switch, hub, router for both residential and commercial properties

“Sparkies” most in demand in mining

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Sun, 02 May 2010 02:40:00 +0000

Here's some great news for aspiring Australian electricians. The mines in WA will pay really big money for you according to this article in Businessweek.

"Electricians—the Aussies call them "sparkies"—are the blue-collar workers most in demand in the mines. According to the Hays Resources & Mining Salary Guide and mysalary.com, electricians in the Western Australia mines made between $83,000 and $120,000 (U.S.) in 2009. In contrast, mining electricians in the U.S. made $49,000 to $59,000 in 2008, the latest figures available"

So what are you waiting for? Finish that apprenticeship and get going… the world is waiting for you!

World Skills Australia: National Competition for Trades

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 11:41:00 +0000

Are you a young Australian under 23 years of age, and want to showcase your trade and skill talent at a regional, national and even international level? Here's a chance for you to compete on the International Stage in the Skill Olympics.

World Skills Australia's National Competition will run over three days from Friday 7^th May to Sunday 9^th May at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Over 500 competitors from over 30 regions will compete in up to 50 trade and skill categories including electrical installations.

Government dumps home insulation rebate scheme

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 04:21:00 +0000

So there's not gonna be any more of the insulation rebate scheme, not even in any kind of modified form as it was initially expected.

Energy Efficiency Minister Greg Combet made the announcement today: "The government has determined not to proceed with the proposed insulation rebate."

Quoting from the same article in The Age:

"Cabinet is understood to have decided the government's top priority should be assuring the safety of homes which had already had insulation installed rather than installing more.

The government had promised to install safety switches into about 50,000 homes which had foil insulation installed and to carry out safety inspections on at least another 150,000 homes which had batts and other non-foil insulation installed"

Three men treated for electric shocks today

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 22:51:00 +0000

Browsing through the news today, this article caught my eyes

PARAMEDICS treated three men for electric shocks in separate cases across Melbourne today. Two of the men were taken to hospital

Electrical burn on fingers

Dislocated shoulders and electrical burns. Ouch! But thankfully all three men are safe. Electrical accidents may in many cases, tragically, be fatal. For your own safety, if you need electrical work done, please call a licensed electrician to have a look.

Electricity Theft - Illegal and Dangerous

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 09:13:00 +0000

During a routine switchboard upgrade the other day, I discovered this house had an illegal and potentially dangerous electrical connection directly to the main electricity supply cable bypassing the meter. In the picture below, the black cable is the main supply from the street, the white cable is illegally connected. To check if your house has an illegal connection, turn off all main switches in your switchboard and then ensure that all electrical outlets, appliances and lights are no longer operating. If anything is still operating, contact us immediately for a professional inspection.

Call Epping electrical on 0431 232 796 for a FREE quote

Insulation scheme finally abandoned

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:20:00 +0000

Last week the government's billion dollar insulation scheme was finally abandoned. After being linked to four deaths, 93 house fires, and 250,000 houses potentially having unsafe or poor quality insulation, it was a largely expected decision by the time it happened. The government has promised a new improved scheme by June 1. We have to wait and see the details of that.

Inspectors are now being arranged to make sure the work on at least 48,000 properties has been done properly. I don't even want to imagine what they will find. Just the other day Geoff went to quote on a job that needed some roof work and discovered that the insulation batts have been put only in one single row just around the manhole!! That's it! The rest of the roof is empty, uninsulated. It's gonna need some serious remedial work to eventually sort out the mess.

If you have had your roof insulated under this scheme, especially by a person that walked off the street, made you sign a form, went up in your roof for an hour or so and walked away - get it inspected. It's highly likely the job has not been done properly. At best, it is only that your home is just as uninsulated as before. At worst, you run the risk of a roof fire or electrocution. Get it checked to be safe!

Have you had your roof insulated recently? What has your experience been?

"Am I insured if DIY electrical work causes a problem"

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 01:36:00 +0000

This is an interesting question I found in the list of keywords used in Google searches that led to this site. Let me give the short answer to the question. No :)

Here is what NECA (National Electrical and Communications Association) says:

... home owners with illegal wiring may find that they are not covered by the Home Building insurance policy in the event of a fire which can be traced to the illegal wiring as the cause of the fire

And a standard policy document from AAMI says:

You must at all times, and at your expense, take all reasonable precautions:
......
to ensure compliance with all statutory obligations, by-laws or regulations imposed by any public authority, relating to the safety of persons or property.

If you do not, we may reduce or refuse to pay any claim you may make.

As per the Electricity Safety Act 1998 it is illegal for an unlicensed person to undertake electrical installation work in Victoria.Persons who do undertake such work can be prosecuted in the courts and subject to substantial financial penalties.

Registered electrical contractor card

Electrician's license card

Stay safe. Always use a registered electrical contractor and a licensed and qualified electrician to do the work to the required standards. Ask to see their license – it is your guarantee that you are working with someone who knows that they are doing and gives you avenues for recourse if something goes wrong. Also make sure that you get a certificate of electrical safety once the work is complete.

Building a new home? Involve your electrician early

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 10:28:00 +0000

Most people, when building a new home will spend enormous amounts of time planning exact size and colour of rooms, appliances, woodwork and furnishings – but fail to seek the assistance of a qualified electrician early enough in the process to get the best possible outcome. Given that the electrical work in the home will provide light, warmth, entertainment, technology and probably even cooked food – you would want the service and outlets and wiring and every detail to accommodate your lifestyle and incorporate flexibility for future changes.

Engage an electrician right after you get the building plans

Know what to ask in your initial meeting

Understand the electrical design process for your new home

For the best outcome and to save time and money, engage an electrician as soon as plans are available. An initial meeting with your electrician should typically take between 60-90 minutes depending on the size and complexity of your home.

Top 10 things to ask your electrician before building a new home

Electricity Supply arrangements, ie. underground or overhead etc
Availability and location of Electricity Service Pit or Service Pole, distance to house
Preferred Electricity Meter location
Occupancy – Single or Multiple (units)
Power Outlets – Type, Colour, Number and approximate location within each room, also include weatherproof outlets for external locations and outlets in ceiling for ducted heating and cooling
Lighting – Type of light fittings, number and approximate location within each room, also review external lighting requirements
Electrical Appliance Review - Oven, hotplates, hot water, air conditioning, heating, garage door openers, spa bath, sauna, bathroom 3in1’s, exhaust fans, workshop equipment etc. For all appliances required, power consumption in KW, single or thee phase connection is required in order to confirm electricity supply capacity is sufficient
Telecommunications - TV Points, Telephone Points, Local Area Networking
Smoke Detectors – Number and Locations
Home Automation, ie. C-Bus

Once this is complete, your electrician should be able to prepare the initial quotation that will detail all reviewed requirements. It is advisable to obtain two or three quotes before deciding on your electrician. Do not base your decision solely upon price. Consider how all prospective electricians assisted you to understand the design and implementation phases, how clear each one was when reviewing your requirements, are they all available to undertake the work within your timelines? Remember, no matter how well you planned, changes will occur so you need to be able to easily communicate with your chosen electrician.

What’s the process of the electrical design and wiring for a new home?

Most home electrical installations go something like this: -

Confirm Electrician
Prior to concrete pour, install underground service and builders post, extend Telephone conduits to home, normally buried within same trench. Some electricians, including EPPING ELECTRICAL own trenching machines and will do the trenching themselves making the scheduling and costing easier for you
Once concrete slab is complete, install Builders Temporary Supply, normally located in final position. Your electrician will organise the required inspection and paper work for supply to be connected. You will be required to nominate the electricity retailer of your choice and open an account with them.
Once the frame is constructed and windows, brickwork and roof installation is complete, the electrician can commence the “Rough-in” stage. This stage allows the electrician to run all required cables within the house frame. Normally the location of outlets and light switches are either confirmed on a final plan or ‘walked’ thru with the owner on-site. Note: Electrical Rough-in stage is normally done with plumbing Rough-in.
Once the plaster is complete, the electrician would cut out all power outlets and light switch locations, down-light holes are also cut. This will allow tiling to be complete where required and will confirm all locations are found ‘BEFORE’ painting is complete.
Once kitchen and bathrooms are fitted out, painting is complete, the electrical “Fit-off” stage can commence. All Power outlets are installed, Light Switches and Light Fittings are installed, Smoke detectors fitted, all appliances and finally switchboard fit out with safety switches and circuit breakers.
Test and energise the installation.

Simple as that. Of course there is more to it than that, but that’s a good start in your understanding. Remember to start early with your electrician, think about all your requirement in the early stages. If you do this, you will save both time and money.

If you are planning to build a new home in the northern suburbs of Melbourne and require a qualified electrician for your project, EPPING ELECTRICAL would be more than happy to provide the initial review and detailed quotation for you and no cost.

I hope you found this information informative, if you have any questions, please drop me a line or call me on 0431 232 796.

Get paid by your customer: Top 5 tips

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:03:00 +0000

You get a call from someone wanting the services you provide, you listen carefully and prepare a quote for the job, you get the job beating all your competitors (yaaayy!!), you fix a date for the job and shop around for best materials, you accomodate the customer's changing and additional requirements that come up as he understands the product better, you finish the job a few days later and are happy about having provided a great service, you come back and prepare an invoice based on the earlier quote and added tasks, you send it in the mail, and... nothing!! You call the customer another few days later to ask for payment and...

"Oh my God!! That is definitely not what I expected"
"I nearly fell off the chair looking at the amount"
"How did it become this expensive??!!"
"I am really struggling for cash right now, can we negotiate this?"
"Can I pay in installments?"
"Can I pay next month?"

Have you ever faced difficulties getting payments from customers? Have you found yourself struggling to pay your suppliers since you simply dont get paid by your customers on time? Do you find yourself spending a lot of time trying to follow up with slow or non-paying customers, calling them, sending reminders and sometimes totally spoiling the good relationship you have so far developed with them? Here are our top tips to help you avoid this nightmare:

1. Set expectations right

Start even before your relationship starts. What are your call-out charges? Do you charge for a written quote? What is your definition of a quote, is this the same as your customers definition. Make sure you make your initial charging policy clear the first time a prospective customer calls you. Do not assume that it is simple "common sense" that a particular service is or is not free. Just be honest, transparent and perfectly clear. Do not let anyone accuse you of "hidden charges".

2. Provide a written estimate before you start

It is tempting to immediately start the work the customer asked for. But STOP! Always provide your estimated cost to complete the works. Think of what obstacles you might find on the way, and put in provisions for them. At the same time put in your terms for payment. Do you want a deposit? If it is a large job, do you want milestone payments along the way? How many days after the job do you want final payment by? Do you give a discount for early payment? What happens if the customer does not pay? Put it all down there, and make this your standard quoting practice.

Tip: Much of your spending on a job will be at the start, to buy materials required. Remember that cash flow is king in the business, and ask the customer to pay enough payment upfront to cover this. It also helps to make the final payment relatively small, so that if unfortunately you do have to chase up later, you are chasing up for a smaller amount.

3. Expect the unexpected

This is one of the greatest truths of any business. The customer wants something that you quote for, but as he sees his thoughts taking shape, he might think better of something, change one thing, add many more. And of course, with the focus on customer service that you have you will do that. But keep note of every change and addition.

Also take note of unexpected difficulties or setbacks at the job. We have had underground cables stolen overnight, hit illegal wiring that absolutely had to be fixed, found customers who had bought large appliances such as a spa without thinking of telling their electrician, had another tradesperson at a new house cut through our wires and.. you get the picture. Some of them we have absorbed into our own cost of doing business, some we have not. But what is important is to note every single one of them, and make sure the customer knows how that affects both schedule and cost. Inform the customer immediately, if possible. And better still, send him a daily running statement of work completed along with cost. This makes sure there are no surprises at the end of the job.

4. Send invoices promptly

Do not wait for the end of the week or month to send out invoices. Do this as soon as the job is done. If you have been sending running statements of work and have been in touch with the customer at all times, he will already be expecting this and will also have an idea of the total cost.

5. Keep track and follow up

Have a system in place that tells you of which customers owe you money. We use MYOB for our accounting and tracking and find it extremely easy-to-use and user-friendly. Even if you are not currently using an accounting software, track payments on Excel. If you have not received payment, you can call the customer the day before the due date to confirm that he has received your invoice. If you are not paid by the due date, do not be afraid to follow up, both on the phone and through written reminders. Sometimes customers do simply forget to pay in time, and a simple reminder is all it takes. If not follow up at least weekly, and try to get a promised date to get the payment by. Be polite, but firm!

Are the 5 tips enough?

Following up, calling, sending repeated overdue reminders. All these do eat up a lot of your time and energy. Sometimes, you will come across some customers who do not pay up despite all these measures. Know when to give up and accept that you are simply not going to get 100% payment from these people. There are still some things you CAN do after this stage - you can call in a debt collection agency (they are expensive, and remember to read their terms carefully too, do not pay fees before they collect), you can try "factoring ", you can even try negotiating payments in installments or at least some percentage of the total. You can also insure the accounts receivable from the very start if you just want to sleep in peace. Hopefully, if you have followed the 5 tips carefully, you will rarely reach this stage of non-payment

Electrical hazards from roof installation

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:22:00 +0000

Earlier this month, a young roof insulation installer was killed when a a staple used to fix aluminium reflective insulation pierced an electrical cable . Another person helping with the work suffered burns and electrical shock. At another installation site in Brisbane, the homeowner got zapped when he leaned against a metal awning on the back deck of his house after a foil reflective insulation was installed . An electrician detected a 240-volt charge running through the insulation to sarking in the roof and walls and the roof gutters, awnings and poles, all because the foil insulation was stapled into a power cable that was switched off at the time.

The federal government's Home Insulation Program ~~offers ceiling insulation worth up to $1,600 to owner-occupiers, landlords and tenants. [~~~~Update~~: ~~The home insulation rebate has now been slashed to $1,200~~]

[Update: This scheme has now been abandoned effective 19 February 2010] If you have had your roof insulated under this scheme, it is best to get it inspected to stay safe.

The subsidies have boosted the amount of roof insulation installed and Australia is moving towards the government's vision of having Energy Efficient Homes. However, the high demand has also attracted a number of inexperience installers to the industry, and their shoddy work is putting homes and lives at risk. Inadvertently, the program seems to be contributing to an alarming spike in roof space fires and electrical risks. Homeowners should be aware of potential electrical hazards that may be caused by unsafe roof insulation and know the ways to protect yourself from these dangers.

Fire Risk from roof insulation

Insulation should never be too close to downlights and their transformers, electrical cables or exhaust fans. Though most insulation is heat-resistant to some extent it can still ignite if it directly covers electrical cables or devices and is exposed to the heat generated for long periods of time
Minimum clearance required is 50mm around incandescent lamps or 100mm if located next to structural timber, and 200mm for halogen lamps
Downlight guards or other physical fire-resistant barriers should be installed before the insulation is put in [Update: Covers on downlights are now mandatory]
Blow-in or loose-fill insulation should be secured properly (usually by spraying an adhesive solution) to prevent movement. Else this can jam blades of an exhaust fan, for e.g., and cause overheating
A roof fire is not usually detected by a smoke alarm since the smoke is above the alarm. Homeowners are often unaware of the fire until the damage has been done, and embers fall through air-conditioning ducts or the roof collapses. This makes prevention of any potential fire risk even more important

Electrical shock risk from roof insulation

This specifically applies to conductive type of roof insulation such as aluminium foil reflective insulation [Update: Government's new safety guidelines include a ban on the use of metal fasteners on foil insulation]
Check that the insulator takes adequate care when installing near electrical equipment including cables, light fittings and ceiling fans, etc

Choose a registered roof insulation installer and licensed electrician

Select your installer only from the government provided Installer Provider Register
If in doubt or worried about your roof insulation installation, arrange for an inspection by a licensed electrical contractor

Geoff is a registered electrician with over 20 years experience in the industry. He is also licensed to provide data and voice services. Baishakhi is an MBA and looks after the "business" side of Epping Electrical. Read about Epping Electrical here.

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Burglar proof paint

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:51:00 +0000

Burglar proof paint. What it is, how to use it, where can you use it, where in Australia can you get it. Get all your answers here...

What is burglar proof paint or anti burglar paint?

Put quite simply, it is non-drying paint. Also called anti-climb paint, or anti-vandal paint, or anti-intruder paint - it remains sticky and greasy throughout its lifetime. When put on walls, poles or downpipes, an intruder is unable to get a grip enough to climb it. If a persistent burglar still tries to climb, God help him get the stuff off his hands and clothes!! That helps in detection.

Applied in a thick coat, it is also an anti-graffiti measure. You can simply "mix" in the graffiti with the paint with a brush or trowel!

How is anti burglar proof paint used?

~~It is easily applied with a brush or roller like normal paint, and covers in one coat~~. Edited: Simon Messenger from Non-Drying Paint Pty Ltd emailed to say that using a roller is probably not a good idea and it would splatter the paint where you don’t want it to go. A renderer’s mitt (obtained from Bunnings ) is a very good method of getting it onto large areas and on the tops of mesh fencing. Other things you should keep in mind are:

It is almost impossible to get this off your clothes and shoes, so while painting wear overalls and old clothes you dont mind throwing away afterwards. The brush will probably need to be thrown away too
Do not use anti burglar paint below a minimum recommended height of about 2.5 metres. You do not want to accidentally brush against this, and the local council might not like it either
Use a clear warning sign to tell people that anti burglar paint has been used

Can I use burglar proof paint on any surface? What about weather proofing?

Yes, it can be used on any surface including brick, concrete, stone, wood, metal, asbestos sheets and roof tiles.

It is unaffected by extremes of temperatures and is water repellent. So it will work in hot or cold conditions or through rain. If using on untreated wooden surfaces, apply a suitable oil-based primer first.

Where in Australia can I find anti burglar paint?

It is marketed as StopClimb in Australia. You can get it from either one of the following:

ProtectAll Security Products (Queensland)
Non Drying Paint Pty Ltd (distributors for all States and Territories except Queensland)

For other security and survellaince measures you can use, check this out!

Geoff is a registered electrician with over 20 years experience in the industry. He is also an avid DIY enthusiast. Baishakhi is an MBA and looks after the "business" side of Epping Electrical. Read our story here.

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Stay healthy on the job

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:14:00 +0000

Fun run at Meadowglen International Athletic Stadium

You don’t stand in front of a mirror before a run wondering what the road will think of your outfit,

You don’t have to listen to its jokes and pretend they’re funny in order to run on it.
It would not be easier to run if you dressed sexier.
The road doesn’t notice if you’re not wearing lipstick.
Does not care how old you are.
You do not feel uncomfortable because you make more money than the road.
And you can call on the road whenever you feel like it.
Whether it’s been a day or even a couple of hours since your last date.
The only thing the road cares about, is that you pay it a visit once in a while.
Nike. No games…just sports…
from the movie “What Women Want”

Today we went for a 5km "Fun Run" at the Meadowglen International Athletic Stadium. The morning dawned wonderfully bright and clear and we woke up quite early for a Sunday to be in time for the registration and the fabulous pre-run aerobics workout conducted by the YMCA aerobics team. There were smiling volunteers cheering us on along the way and a professional timing company that recorded finish times electronically via an ankle band. At the end of the race there were free fruits, water and even a showbag for everyone. All in all, it was a fantastic way to stay healthy while having fun doing it.

Update: A year on, we have signed on to become the major sponsors of the 10th anniversary of the Meadowglen and YMCA fun run!! :) We at Epping Electrical are immensely proud to be able to take this giant step forward in supporting our local community

As entrepreneurs and small business owners, time is money for us and any time taken off for sickness or injury loses money. So, in quite an important way, health and fitness affects the bottomline of our business. And we do all we can to integrate a reasonably healthy way of living into our lifestyle. In simple terms this boils down to two things:

Eat right
Exercise

And here's how we do it.

Eat right

Do not skip meals.

Cut down on junk food and sugary fizzy drinks as much as possible. What we do is have an esky or portable fridge in the van and fill that with sandwiches, fruits and drinks we can have any time on the way.

And yes, do pack your lunch. Just some sandwiches with last night's roast or some deli in rolls not just saves time in driving to a McD but saves a lot of money as well!!

Exercise

General fitness and exercise is important for everyone but more so for electricians who are likely to undertake a lot of activities on the job that might lead to stress related injury. Electricians may spend long hours cramped in roof spaces or otherwise stooped over at ground or floor level, work with vibrating heavy power tools, lift and pull heavy cables, copper wires and electrical appliances - putting them at a much higher risk than general public for traumatic joint/muscle injury.

An electrician's needs to attain a high fitness level to prevent these kinds of injuries.

Do some basic stretching exercises at the start and end of each day to avoid injury to muscles, ligaments and other soft tissues
Join a team sport, go mountain biking, swimming with family and friends or join a dance class. There are various fun ways to stay fit depending on what you like to do, and doing it with a partner, family or friends makes it so much more interesting
Look out for fun events in the neighbourhood, like the "Fun Run" in Epping we went to today. The summer athletics season has just started and such events should be more frequent the next few months

To find the perfect accessory to support your quest for fitness, check these reviews of fitness accessories
To find fitness centres and options in Victoria, check these Fitness VIC reviews

Geoff is a registered electrician with over 20 years experience in the industry. He is also licensed to provide data and voice services. Baishakhi is an MBA and looks after the "business" side of Epping Electrical. Read our story here.

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Top 10 safety tips for christmas lights

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:21:00 +0000

Houses decorated with Diwali lights - India

In three days from now, we will celebrate Diwali - the festival of lights. Soon it will be time for Halloween and then before we know it, Christmas will be upon us. One of the major activities for all of these festivals is decorating our houses and streets with lights. Unfortunately, thousands of people around the country spend the holiday season in hospital - admitted for a decorating related injury including falls, cuts, electrical shocks and burns.

To stay safe and worry-free this Diwali and Christmas, follow these simple tips and avoid decorating hazards

1Make sure you use "outdoor" (weatherproof) lights for outdoors. The packaging should clearly state whether the lights can be used indoors, outdoors or both. Also use only certified, quality products

2When you unpack that box of lights from last year, first check it for defects - frayed wires, burned out bulbs, loose connections. Replace dead bulbs with bulbs of same wattage as original strand

3Use only plastic clips or hooks to hang the lights. NEVER staple or nail the light strings

4Do not place the lights near sources of heat such as heaters, fireplace, candles or even electronic items that are likely to become hot on use. Make sure none of the bulbs rest on the light string either

5Do not cover the light bulbs with inflammable material such as cloth or paper

6Check the recommended amount of light sets allowed on one string and the rating of the extension cord and power point to see that they are not overloaded. Also use a portable safety switch or connect to a circuit protected by your main safety switch. If in doubt, call a qualified electrician for proper outdoor lights installation

7Do not expose the extension cord to the weather or use it near water. Cover it if it is on a walkway and never place it across a driveway. Always unwind it completely to avoid overheating.

8Do not touch a festival-light display. Turn it off and unplug before you do anything

9Have a sturdy ladder for hanging the lights at heights. Move it as you work instead of leaning out. Check the balance each time you move

10Switch the lights off when you are not home, or are asleep

Have a happy festive season and holiday this year. Stay safe!

Geoff is a registered electrician with over 20 years experience in the industry. He is also licensed to provide data and voice services. Baishakhi is an MBA and looks after the "business" side of Epping Electrical. Read our story here.

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Nepal through an electrician's lens

noreply@blogger.com (Baishakhi) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:34:00 +0000

Just back from a fantastic trip through Nepal, we are yet to get over the absolutely heavenly natural beauty and amazing history of this tiny Himalayan country. [Check pictures here] Good infrastructure, though, is something the nation is still struggling to achieve. It is a much more difficult goal here than in other places, being prone to all sorts of natural disasters from floods and earthquakes to landslides and of course because of its treachorously mountainous geography. Hundreds of small villages are totally isolated - being accessible only by foot or sometimes on mule. Considerable improvement have been made in the past few years, including innovative simple solutions such as the gravity ropeway by Practical Action, and we do wish them the best in their journey as a new democratic republic.

Here is what we saw through our electrician eyes as we travelled from Pokhara to Kathmandu.

An illegal hookup to the powerline to siphon power

Power theft is a major cause of concern in Nepal and other countries in South Asia. Australia has also seen rising cases of power theft in the past few years as electricity costs have skyrocketed. In Queensland alone, customers siphoning electricity through dangerous illegal homemade hook-ups was estimated to cost about $30 million in 2008. The practice is unsafe and also burdens honest customers with rising prices.

How NOT to connect wires: Dangerous open wiring against the backdrop of a Himalayan mountain

While there, we read stories in the local newspapers of injury/deaths by electrocution through coming in contact with naked live wires or short circuit in a home water pump and so on. Such injuries and fatalities are even more sad being preventable.

Good luck to the electrician who tries to figure out the correct wire in this chaos!!

On the last day of our trip, while we were making the final payment to our travel agent, we suddenly saw some men running past saying something and our agent rushed to the switchboard and turned everything off!! Seeing a lot of people running somewhere, we ran - without understanding anything of course - with them to survive whatever it was they were fleeing from. Then there was a very loud hissing, sparking kind of sound and the crowd ran backwards!! Finally after a minute of running back and forth, the sound died down and we gingerly craned our necks to find the cause. An overhead power wire had just molten and was hanging down. All this while it had been arcing and jumping around from side to side!! Boy are we glad to get back to safer shores!! :)

Geoff is a registered electrician with over 20 years experience in the industry. He is also licensed to provide data and voice services. Baishakhi is an MBA and looks after the "business" side of Epping Electrical. Read our story here.

Looking for electrical supplies? Check out these bestsellers...