10
Dec 2011

High-voltage Cable Testing

Sat, 2011-12-10 09:33 — admin
Author: David

High-voltage cable testing, sometimes known as HiPot (High Potential), is a method of testing used to ensure adequate insulation in a myriad of applications ranging from electric motors and printed circuit boards to transformers and industrial cables.
Users of this system may select dual-polarity DC and cable jacket or sheath output modes. Testing the insulation is vital in determining the safety of cables, reducing the chance of electrocution. Meggar testing equipment is therefore a valuable investment for any business in the power services industry.

These testing devices maximize the dependability of motors, generators, and transformers by utilizing variable frequency (VLF) output, enabling technicians to locate weak cables. Locating problems in an electrical problem before it becomes out-of-control can minimize maintenance costs and extend the life of the equipment being tested. Like any system, an electrical system needs the TLC that HiPot testing affords.

A HiPot tester generally consists of three parts: a high-voltage source, a switching matrix used to connect all points in a circuit, and an amp meter (that measures the current in a circuit). When the high-voltage is applied, an ideally insulated device leaks only a minimal amount of current, keeping the device safe. When there is a breakdown in the dielectric, a material very resistant to electric flow, however, a dangerous amount of current escapes through the insulating material and presents a potentially fatal situation for a service technician.

This process is equally important in regulating quality control in the factory. When applied to brand-new cables, this test provides important information on how much voltage can be delivered without damaging the product and causing dielectric breakdown, as well as the resistance of the cable insulation.

Ensuring safety and increasing the dependability and lifetime of electrical devices is vital to any power services company's success. With the many benefits of using high-voltage cable testing and the need to ensure safety, many would argue that using a HiPot testing system is just as important as seeing their doctor for a check-up.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/industrial-articles/high-voltage-cable-testing-4327040.html

About the Author

David Manney is the Marketing Communications Coordinator for L&S Electric.

David has over 20 years of professional writing, graphic design, and marketing experience. He also spent several years as a general assignment reporter.

24
Sep 2011

Compare gas and electricity prices in a way that you will get a viable difference

Sat, 2011-09-24 07:16 — admin
Author: David A Khan

If more than ten percent of your monthly income in your home goes towards settling the energy bills you have, then you are energy poor. This is a major problem in the UK presently, and people are being made aware of their energy consumption patterns by being encouraged to compare gas and electricity prices.

When you want to compare gas and electricity prices, the best tool you can use is the internet. There are many sites you can use to do this, and in these sites you will find all the suppliers who have better quotations for electricity and gas supplies. Compare gas and electricity prices of all the companies in your locality so that you will make a more informed decision. Choose the best supplier that will be of great help to you as you save on your bills, and you will spend less cash every month on utility bills at home.

Moist of the times, you will need to separately compare gas and electricity prices, because you do not consume the two in the same way. They usually also range in prices at different times of the year. Most people do a switch when one of the two energy forms is cheaper. If you have never done this before when you compare gas and electricity prices, then it might be expensive for you. Switching from electricity to gas may mean that you buy equipment that uses gas instead of electricity. Therefore, you may have to spend a lot of money refurnishing your kitchen with gas stoves and gas ovens during the season when gas supplies are cheap. Therefore, such a switch is usually not worth it. it is better, when you compare gas and electricity prices, to have in mind the energy form you use the most.

In order to reduce the cost of getting the supplies, compare gas and electricity prices from one supplier. This is a cheaper option when you compare gas and electricity prices as compared to when you get the supplies from different suppliers. Go through what customers have to say about a specific supplier before you actually transfer to the supplier. Once you have finished it to compare gas and electricity prices and you have settled on one supplier, fill in the necessary details needed on their site, as most applications are usually done online. After a day or two, you will get your quotation back. After you compare gas and electricity prices and the deal is sealed and you have given them your necessary bank and debit card details, they will take on from that point. Once you compare gas and electricity prices, the supplier will transfer your account from your previous supplier to their account so that there will be no confusion in payment.

 

After you compare gas and electricity prices, remember to change your consumption habits. It is useless to compare gas and electricity prices and even to switch to a different energy supplier if the way you consume electricity and gas does not change.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/compare-gas-and-electricity-prices-in-a-way-that-you-will-get-a-viable-difference-4466953.html

About the Author

First Utility provide the best prices on gas and electricity.  If you are looking to compare gas and electricity prices please feel free to contact us.

10
Sep 2011

How Are My Electricity and Gas Bills Calculated?

Sat, 2011-09-10 17:15 — admin
Author: Isla Campbell

Many British people don't really think about their gas and electricity bills beyond how much they've been charged and when they're going to pay it. And that's fine, but if you've ever looked closely at your gas and electricity bills and wondered just how the sum owed is calculated, you're not alone. Sometimes the figure seems reasonable enough and you can recall using a certain amount of power in the home that makes sense with what you've been charged. Sometimes, though, it seems as if the bills is arbitrary.. So wouldn't it be good to know exactly how gas and electricity bills are calculated?

Many companies use different schemes to charge their customers. It's by understanding these schemes, and your own usage, that you can end up saving money. By working out which programme would best complement the way you use electricity, you might find that you can actually end up saving a lot of cash.

If you've got a bill handy, simply taking the time to examine it can reveal a lot about how you've been charged. You may find that you're charged a flat rate for every unit of power you've used, or it could be the case that you get charged a high rate for a certain volume, then a far lower rate for anything you use after that volume has been used. This is where you can save money. If you use a lot of power, it could be the case that the second option is best for you – after being charged for the initial high rate, you can then enjoy a far lower rate on the energy you use, which adds up to savings in the end. Alternatively, if you don't use that much power, or if you know how much you use and it's around the same each month, the chances are that going with the flat rate may be beneficial.

If you're still uncertain, one of the ways to work out which plan is best for you is simply to call up your energy provider and ask. A trained salesperson will be more than happy to outline the costs and explain how your bill works, and advise you on how best to arrange your pricing plan so you'll save money. So why not give them a call today and enjoy making great savings on your electricity and gas? It's as simple as understanding your bill!

Isla Campbell writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/how-are-my-electricity-and-gas-bills-calculated-4735857.html

About the Author

Isla is a part of the digital blogging team at cashzilla.co.uk who work with brands like npower. For more information about me, or to keep up to date with the latest in finance news, check out my posts at cashzilla.co.uk or visit my Twitter account, @cashzilla.

9
Sep 2011

Compare Gas Electricity Suppliers

Fri, 2011-09-09 13:11 — admin
Author: David Parry

Compare Cheap Gas & Electricity

The UK has long been in a position to allow domestic consumers to choose who supplies their gas and electricity bills. I say bills, because that is the only change a customer has a choice over. The actual gas and electricity itself is the same, no matter who provides the bill. This has been created by changes introduced by the government of Margaret Thatcher.

In the late 1990's the energy market regulators and the UK government decided to stop the monopoly that British Gas and the regional electricity companies had in the UK. They "deregulated" the energy markets meaning other companies could supply gas and electricity to regions that were previously unavailable.

The gas market was the first to deregulate and new gas companies or electricity companies could start to supply gas to what were British Gas customers in the UK.

The electricity market was opened up 2 years later. There were originally 14 supply areas in the UK, with regional supply companies. (Now there are 23). Each of these companies could only supply the customers in their respective regions.

The electricity market opened in two stages. First companies were allowed to offer products in other supply regions but the regional supplier had to have their pricing agreed by Ofgem before they could change prices.

This ensured that companies coming in to new areas provided cheaper products than those of the regional “host” supplier.

In UK people are paying huge amount to get gas and electricity. However one can save a lot of cash by searching for cheaper gas and electricity suppliers in their locality. These can be found easily, one should go online to view the miriad of deals.

One cannot imagine living without use of energy. Energy in the form of Electricity has made our life easier by providing us many amenities while Gas has made cooking easier than ever before. With suppliers offering many plans having less rentals and many benefits more people are opting to buy energy from these providers. Getting low cost electricity and gas is always a welcoming step. Money saved on gas and electricity could be used for broadband or telephone for example. Often it may not be sensible to simply go to the cheapest supplier of each utility, but take a package of utilities (Gas, Electricity, Broadband, Phone, TV, Mobile) from one supplier. For example their gas price might be high but their phone price may be low, or even FREE, thus achieving an overall lower cost

Energy providers have come up with many plans so one should select a particular plan depending on various points. That includes how much energy one uses, what is the budget, where one lives and who are the gas and electricity providers in that particular locality, what kind of services one wants from energy suppliers and how is the bill payment to be made. Customer service ratings should always be one of the important criteria as without this feature users will face a lot of problems in getting proper energy supply. Thus if a decision is made on the basis of these aspects one will end up in making good choice of getting cheap electricity and gas suppliers and selecting a proper company. This will offer one hassle free services for a specific provider. Changing from one supplier to another is a simple process, but it is amazing how many horror stories abound. Most of these seem to come from the largest companies, but that maybe simply because they have the most customers, even though they are historically the most expensive.


There are numerous online sites available for making these comparisons. With the help of these sites one can take right decision about which provider should be selected to buy these services. But beware that some sites do not compare the prices of ALL the companies because not all companies agree to pay a commission to the comparison site.The site can offer its own incentive also. One simply needs to enter post code of locality or provide desired information about comparison that has to be made and then the website will come up with many suppliers offering lowest energy prices there. Hence, the providers are giving users affordability with many benefits making their deals worth to go for.

Care also needs to be taken when wholesale prices are changing, because not all the companies alter their prices at exactly the same time. What appears in the table to be the company which is cheapest today, may be the most expensive tomorrow if all the other companies change their price in the morning.

But by all means, go to these comparison sites. Have a look, do some research. You will find some companies have offers to tempt you to sign up, (eg. £30 cash back / a  Box of Wine / M&S Vouchers / a charity donation). But here arises another question to consider.

If their prices were REALLY the best, why would they need to have to tempt new customers with special offers?

As a customer, have you ever thought about how much money the BIG SIX companies spend of YOUR money on adverts and sponsorship deals. Do you really want to constantly pay for adverts and sponsorship deals as well as for your energy. Or would you rather just pay ONLY for the energy you actually use. Often the smallest companies are only small because they do not spend huge amounts on advertising, their gas and electricity is the same, their customer service is often better and their average price is better because they do not fluctuate their prices as often

Most companies also offer different tariffs, (Fixed price/Capped price/Green price/No Standing Charge price/Standing Charge price/Dual Fuel price/Cash Bill price/Quarterly Bill price/Direct Debit price/Quantum Meter price). But which is right for YOU?  Confusing isn't it?

The adage “You pay your money and take your choice” is very apt n this market place.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/compare-gas-electricity-suppliers-1111311.html

About the Author

David Parry has written many articles. He has been involved in the utility business for over 20 years. More information can be found at http://www.gaselectricitybroadband.co.uk/ and http://www.david-parry.co.uk

27
Aug 2011

A Belkin Surge Protector Can Help You in Several Ways

Sat, 2011-08-27 23:45 — admin
Author: christopher

Many people now rely on their electronic gadgets and electric appliances.  Every home has at least one electric appliance, but many households have ten or more appliances and other devices that use electricity.  This means every home should use at least one Belkin surge protector.

A surge protector is an electrical device itself.  Its sole reason for existence is to protect other devices and appliances from potential damage due to voltage spikes.  In short, a surge protector regulates the voltage before it enters an electrical device.

Some people think voltage spikes occur infrequently, but they are actually very common.  Voltage spikes are quick, short, sudden increases in voltage that are caused by power outages, lightning strikes, short circuits, power company problems and a variety of other issues affecting the electrical current.

Every home uses electrical devices, so every home needs at least one Belkin surge protector.  Buying a Belkin surge protector is a wise decision for the following reasons.

Protection for Your Appliances and Electronic Devices

Of course, the primary reason for buying a surge protector is to provide protection for your expensive electrical devices and appliances.  A Belkin surge protector can prevent voltage spikes from damaging your TV, cell phones, computer, laptop and other electronic devices.

Physical damage is bad, but voltage spikes can also cause other problems with your notebook or computer.  Even if your computer or laptop still turns on after a voltage spike, these small surges of electricity can damage your hard drive just enough to result in lost or corrupted software files.

Most people buy a surge protector in order to prevent this type of damage to their laptop or computer.   Having a surge protector becomes even more essential if your electricity goes out frequently or if your home is located where thunderstorms and lightning are common occurrences.

Conserve Electricity and Lower Your Electric Bills

In addition to protecting your equipment from damaging voltage spikes, many surge protectors are able to help you conserve electricity.  Even appliances that are turned off will use electricity if they're kept plugged in, consuming what's known as "standby power."  However, it can get aggravating to unplug your TV and other devices every time you're finished using them.  Fortunately, you can buy a surge protector that features a switch that stops your devices from using this standby power.  This single switch will let you conserve electricity and lower your electric bill without needing to unplug your devices.

Good for the Environment

Conserving electricity will reduce your impact on the environment because you'll be using less energy.  People who are environmentally-aware know that every little bit helps!

USB Connectivity and Charger

Some of the newer models, such as one particular Belkin surge protector, feature a built in USB charger.  It's common for busy people to own more than one cell phone, an iPod, a PDA and an assortment of other small electronic devices.  You can charge many of these devices by plugging them into a USB outlet.  You might own more of these gadgets than your computer or laptop can accommodate.  A surge protector that incorporates a USB charger will let you charge every device you own at the same time.

Article Source: http://christopher.articlesbase.com/data-recovery-articles/a-belkin-surge-protector-can-help-you-in-several-ways-2633524.html

About the Author

My sites are updated every couple of days. Please visit Here