Everyone is looking for ways to cut down on their energy bills as the price of electricity and costs of living grow. One approach people are increasingly looking at are

In this article, we’ll look at how you can save money through renewable energy options, as well as other ways you can cut down on your heating bills.

Solar Panels

Solar panels are probably the most common and obvious option if you’re looking into renewable power. Solar panels have become an incredibly popular choice when it comes to home renewable energy.  

Solar panels will reduce your dependency on the grid, as you are generating your own power. This is most effective during the day, and how much you’ll generate.

Solar panels are not just able to reduce your existing energy bills – they can also make you money as well. Through the smart export guarantee (SEG) scheme a household can get payments for electricity they generate but don’t use themselves. This is an excellent way to make money and can provide an invaluable source of additional income.

Solar panels tend to break even within 11 years. A typical solar panel system costs around £6,500. It is estimated that it would take the average person between 11 and 15 years to recoup the costs. Solar panels however are getting cheaper all the time, and there’s an increasing number of grants and government financial assistance available to make purchasing solar panels easier.

Getting the most out of solar panels

There’s several things you can do to maximise the benefits of your solar panels.

• Focus electricity use during the day, as this will be when you are reliant on the solar panels. Using washing machines, dryers, and other demanding appliances during this time is best.
• Make sure to turn off lights when not in use
• Unplug any appliances not in use during the day

Solar panels are a great option when it comes to renewable energy and a fantastic way for reducing your energy bills.

Solar Battery

Also called an energy storage system, solar batteries allow you to capture electricity so it can be used another time.

Solar panels are most effective at saving money during the middle of the day. This means if you are out of the house (i.e., at a 9 till 5 job), you may not be getting the most out of the solar panel system. This is obviously something of a problem and can undercut the value of the investment. By using a solar battery, you can make use of the electricity you’ve captured throughout the day.

This means that you can use electricity captured during the day at night – further reducing your reliance on the grid. This will further reduce your energy bills, while ensuring you get the most out of your solar panels.

Other renewable options

Solar panels are only one of many renewable options available to homes. Another option for rural based properties are wind turbines.

Wind Turbines.

Wind turbines are available in smaller forms which mean they can be installed on your property. Wind turbines size and the noise they generate can make them unpopular, but if these factors don’t bother you, they can be an incredible asset. They generate a huge amount of electricity and easily meet all your electricity needs.

How else can I save money?

Insulation

A well-insulated home will save on heating and cooling costs.

This is widely considered the most cost-effective way to make a change and save money, and furthermore there’s several government programs that can help with insulating your home.

You can either simply get more insulation, or you can invest in a higher quality of insulation.

Replacing old windows

Older single- and double-glazed windows are responsible for a huge amount of heat loss from homes. They are incredibly poor at insulating heat, either due to the quality of the frames or the limited insulating ability of the glass. This can result in significantly increased energy bills.

Energy efficient light bulbs

These can really cut down on your electric bills and often last far longer than standard lightbulbs – five times as long in many cases. Energy efficient light bulbs.

Turning off Appliances

Appliances and other large, energy using items should be turned off when not in use to avoid energy loss. If you keep on top of this, you can save 25% more energy. Avoid leaving items plugged in. You can save a huge amount of power.

Summary

There’s a range of things we can do to cut down on energy bills and to save money. This can be accomplished through both the use of renewable energy methods like solar panels installed by Solar Panel Installer Scotland, which offer the ability to generate your own power and not rely on the grid, to home improvements such as insulation, new windows, light efficient bulbs, and everyday measures like turning off appliances.

A training contract at the right law firm can set you up perfectly for a successful career in the law profession.

However, law is an incredibly varied profession and there is a huge difference between a placement at a major corporate firm in the centre of London and one at your local small town family run practice.

Deciding where to apply is an important decision and will play a major part in determining your career path from here on out so this is not something to take lightly.

Make sure that you do all the appropriate research before committing and ensure that any positions that you do apply for are a good fit for your ambitions, both now and in the future.

With so many law firms looking to secure the brightest and best new talent, it can be difficult to narrow down your applications to only those you are truly passionate about.

This guide will help you do just that with 10 great tips on acquiring your dream training contract as a newly qualified lawyer.

1) Contact lawyers

There is no better way to get a feeling for what life is like working at a certain law firm than speaking to the lawyers who already work there.

They will give you a much better idea of day-to-day activity, the culture at the firm, and what is expected from trainees then a brochure or website ever could.

Many of them will also have gone through the firm’s training programme already, and will be able to give you some insight into what that entails so you can judge if it is the route you wish to go down.

Being able to say that you have spoken to someone at the firm on your application and in any interview will also help you to impress the interviewers and shows your initiative.

Don’t be shy asking for advice, building a network of contacts is essential to a successful career as a lawyer and it is never too early to start.

Even if all the contact you have had was a chat at a careers day or law fair, get the name of the individual in question and follow up via email.

2) Be yourself

Trying to be the perfect interviewee is a bad idea and will often leave candidates appearing robotic during the recruitment process.

By all means, prepare well for interviews, but try not to over rehearse exact answers to repeat at the time.

Be yourself at all times. After all the interviewer is looking for someone to one day call their colleague, not a walking legal textbook.

3) Consider a vacation scheme

Vacation schemes are a great way for both you to get a feel for how a law firm works, and for the firm themselves to get an idea of what you are like as an individual.

This is also by far the most assured way of securing a training contract and many larger firms recruit solely from their existing talent pool.

A placement is a far better chance for you to show off your talents than any interview could be.

4) Consider area of practice

After a few application knock backs it can be easy to get desperate as a newly qualified lawyer and begin firing off applications to any law firm that is advertising in the hope of getting lucky.

However, the work you do as a lawyer at this stage will have a huge impact on your future, and working in a practice area you are not that interested in simply to get some experience could leave you dissatisfied and underqualified.

Make sure to apply to firms that specialise in the areas of law you are most interested in and during training itself make sure to carefully consider what specialisms you want to pursue.

5) Examine previous cases

Examining the previous cases that have been handled by the firm you are applying for can be helpful in a number of ways.

Firstly, it will give you an idea if this is the sort of work you want to be doing. Secondly, having a good background knowledge of the firm’s activity will make you look well informed and impress at the interview stage.

As well as the company’s website which will often show previous customer’s testimonies, watch and read the news for an insight into the deals, and disputes, the firm has previously, and is currently, involved in.

It will also give you an idea of any changed that may be occurring at the Glasgow law firm such as mergers that could effect how your role will change in the future.

As a business owner, you know just how important insurance is to protecting yourself from expensive damages.

Even so, business insurance isn’t cheap, and any possible discount that you can get is a positive.

One way that you can potentially save yourself some money on your premiums is to install a CCTV tower on site, reducing your liability and significantly lowering the chances that any criminal activity will occur on site.

Due to the major improvement in security that comes as a result of CCTV tower installation, most insurance firms will offer reduced premiums to those with such a system in place.

What can you save?

If you install a CCTV tower on your site, it is possible that you could see a drop in your business insurance premiums by as much as 15-20%.

This is not a set figure, however, and a number of different factors will go into deciding exactly how much you will save.

The precise premiums offered will be determined by a risk assessment, conducted on your site by an underwriter, with CCTV just one of the measures that will be deemed to lower the risk of crime on the premises.

Some of the things that will be looked at by an underwriter alongside any security measures installed include the location of the site (and the local crime statistics), the financial history of the company, and the sector that you operate within.

How to maximise savings

Installing a CCTV tower on your site will always improve your security in some way, but there are a few things that you can do to maximise its effectiveness and increase the potential savings you could make.

These include:

Choosing a monitored CCTV Tower

A CCTV tower fitted with A.I technology is a major deterrent to criminals.

Should an intruder be detected crossing the virtual tripwires that can be set on modern systems such as the ones we provide here at v360, an audio warning will be issued, causing many to turn and flee instantly.

If this deterrent doesn’t work, however, a more active security approach will be needed.

Choosing a monitored CCTV tower means that a highly trained team of security experts will be deployed to your site the moment that an intrusion is detected, with your system being monitored 24/7 at a central monitoring station.

Furthermore, security staff will access the live images from your site, analyse the situation, and alert the relevant emergency services if required.

This will guarantee a rapid response to emergencies, meaning that theft or vandalism can often be averted before any expensive damage is done or goods stolen.

Many insurance companies will require all CCTV cameras to be monitored by a professional security firm in order to secure a discount on their premiums.

Linking your security system

Many modern security measures can be linked together into one integrated system that will work as a cohesive unit to keep your property protected.

For example, connecting your CCTV to your intruder alarm system means that should either detect an intruder both can be used to track them and warm them off.

Location

Placing your CCTV tower in the best possible location is crucial to determining how effective it is as a deterrent.

Installing your tower close to vulnerable areas such as entry points or near valuable equipment, cash registers, or materials will help to keep your assets protected at all times.

Having your tower cover areas of high staff activity is also a good idea as this will provide all the evidence required if a workplace accident or confrontation occurs.

This will protect you in the case of any liability claims that can be incredibly expensive for both businesses and insurance firms.

Security Guards

Even with all the fantastic advancements in the security industry with regard to technology, nothing has yet replaced the effectiveness of highly-trained security officers.

Security guard presence alone is enough to secure lower premiums in many situations but when they are assisted by monitored CCTV systems and access control technology you will be able to secure the biggest possible discounts.

The Bottom Line

Whilst installing a CCTV tower could help you to reduce your insurance premiums, it is important to remember that your primary focus should always be the security of your site and the safety of your staff.

Luckily, this is what CCTV towers are built for, reducing the risk of theft, vandalism, and liability, all whilst maximising health and safety across the site.

To ensure maximum protection from harm, you should consult with a professional security firm before installing your new security system as well as having a talk with insurance companies to check that your plans meet the requirements needed to secure a discount on your premiums.

You work hard every day and fully deserve your long overdue break away from home.

However, if you, like many others, are constantly worried about how things are back at home whilst you are away, home security is vital to being able to relax and enjoy yourself when on holiday.

For this reason, we have put together some useful information on the best ways to ensure that your home is secure before you leave on holiday, letting you enjoy some well-earned rest.

How to protect your home when you are on holiday

There are many different factors which need to be combined to create an effective home security system and trying to manage them all in the days or weeks before you go away can be incredibly stressful.

You should, therefore, concentrate on developing a strong home security system that will protect your home all year round, meaning that after a while, securing your home every time you leave will become a stress free and seamless process.

Home security systems

The key to protecting your home whilst away on holiday is installing an effective home security system.

A security system will involve a number of different electronic security devices linked together to keep watch over your home and protect you against theft, vandalism, and any other form of criminal activity.

The joy of modern technology means that you will be able to keep an eye over a home security system whilst you are on holiday via a mobile device as the status of your security devices can easily be linked via mobile app.

Prevention is far better than a cure when it comes to dealing with property crime and there is no better prevention method than a security system.

What is included in a security system?

The devices that will make up your security system will vary depending on the requirements and nature of your property.

In general, however, some of the most effective devices that can make up such a system include:

Lighting

The thief’s worst nightmare. Criminals thrive in the cover of darkness, using the shadows to approach a property without detection.

Motion detection outdoor security lighting can make this impossible, illuminating those approaching in the dark and startling any potential wrongdoers into a swift retreat.

This is not to say you should have big spotlights placed outside your home switched on 24/7 and it is important to take your neighbours into consideration, but motion detection lights on all entry points such as doors and windows is an easy and highly effective deterrent to burglars.

CCTV

CCTV cameras are one of the most effective possible anti-intruder systems you can install.

Whilst lights can deter criminals, cctv installation glasgow will actively act against them, not only acting as an incredibly effective deterrent but also recording exactly what is happening on your property.

Should a crime take place the police will be able to use CCTV footage to find and convict the culprit and hopefully recover any stolen goods that may have been taken.

Hopefully though, nothing like this will every happen, and many people install CCTV purely so they can access their home security app on their phone and check that all is as it should be whilst they are away.

If you do spot anything unusual on your home security cameras whilst on holiday, you will be able to either notify the police, or if it is something as simple as a light that you forgot to switch off, have a neighbour pop round for you.

Alarms

An intruder alarm system, activated by sensors placed carefully near your doors and windows will send you an alert the moment that activity is detected whilst you are on holiday.

It will also set off a loud audio alert warning any intruder on the site to leave immediately.

For maximum security, you could even consider opting for a monitored alarm system with a professional security firm alerted the moment that an incident is detected.

They will then immediately alert the police and attend the site to make sure that all is well before resetting your alarm system.

It is essential that you install a monitored burglar alarm of high quality as this instant police response will only occur a certain number of times should the activation prove to be a false alarm so it is crucial that you choose a system that has the latest smart AI learning technology and will not be set off by non-criminal activity.

How to decide upon your home security system components

With so much security technology on the market, it can be hard to decide what you do and do not need.

When narrowing down your decision it is important to account for:

• Price
• Installation
• Mobile features
• Monitoring options
• Customer service

Finding the perfect sofa for your home is no easy task, and the last thing you want after finally making the purchase is for stains or discoloration to ruin the aesthetic of your living space.

With so much life and activity happening on and around your sofa, however, accidents are inevitable, and being able to effectively clean the fabric is essential to long-term care.

Many people are unaware of the best way of fabric sofa cleaning Glasgow and despite their best intentions actually do more harm than good, using products and methods that cause damage and deterioration to occur.

Whether it is spot cleaning or a major deep clean that you are looking for following these tips and advice could be invaluable in extending the life of your sofa and keeping it looking brand new for many years.

Check the Label

The best indicator of the best way to clean your sofa will come directly from the manufacturer and is usually found in the form of a code on the manufacturer’s tag.

There are several different codes that are found on fabric sofas telling the user what products can be used on the surface.

These are:

W – Water-based products only

S – Solvent-based products only

W/S – Water and solvent-based products can be used

X – Only brushing and vacuuming – Deep cleans should only be conducted by a professional upholstery cleaning company.

Avoid Coloured cloths

If you have a light coloured fabric sofa, you should always use a white cloth when applying cleaning products or giving the surface a wipe.

Coloured cloths are more likely to cause discolouration and leave stains, whilst a white cloth will not only leave no residue itself but will also allow you to see if any colour comes away from the fabric when cleaning.

If you see marks on your white cloth whilst cleaning, stop immediately, as the product being applied is clearly damaging the fabric.

Be Practical

Before you have even purchased your sofa there are things that you can do to ensure it lasts as long as possible.

If you have pets, or small children, for example, it makes sense to opt for a darker coloured sofa, as even if there are stains that cannot be fully eradicated, they will be much less obvious than on a white a lighter coloured fabric.

If you do have your heart set on a lighter coloured fabric, putting a fabric protector and arm rests in place is a must.

Tackle Stains Quickly

The earlier that you notice and tackle stains, the better your chance of completely removing any visible marks.

The more a liquid becomes embedded deep within the fibres of your fabric sofa, the more difficult it will be to extract, and even professional upholstery cleaners who have the latest steam cleaning technology available, may be unable to prevent some discoloration occurring.

Pat Don’t Rub

Most marks on a fabric sofa can be removed if tackled early enough, with a mixture of just dish soap and warm water creating an effective spot cleaner.

It is crucial that you pat the spot in question rather than rubbing or scrubbing as this will only cause debris to be pushed further down into the fabric fibres.

Simply, dab the spot 3-4 times, using a dry white cloth to absorb the moisture, and in most situations all evidence of the stain will vanish.

Try Baking Soda

Many kitchen products have multiple uses and one of the most versatile is baking soda.

Sprinkling baking soda over your fabric sofa is one of the best ways to remove odours embed deep within the fibres.

Once the soda is in place, ensuring you cover all affected areas, chill out and relax for 20-30 minutes before using your vacuums brush attachment to remove it.

If you have a particularly musty sofa, leaving the baking soda overnight might be a good idea.

Spot Test

Even if you are confident that the product you are using is compatible with the information on the manufacturer’s tag, you should always conduct a spot test to ensure it will not damage the fabric of your sofa.

Apply a small amount of cleaning solution to an out of sight section of fabric, underneath your sofa or on the reverse of the skirt, allows you to see whether a product is safe to use without doing any visible lasting damage.

Hire a Professional

Whilst you should conduct light cleaning on a weekly basis, brushing and vacuuming, deep sofa cleans only need to be carried out every 6-12 months.

For this reason, many people opt to have the service carried out by a professional upholstery cleaning firm.

Not only will a professional company be able to clean all your furniture and even your carpets in one visit, but they will also use their years of experience to ensure no damage is done, and have the latest cleaning technology available to them.

Carpets are the heart of the home giving your living areas a warm and cosy feel, even on the bleakest of winter days.

Without proper cleaning, however, a carpet can become grimy, embedded with dirt, and accumulate any number of nasty pollutants and impurities.

Regular vacuuming alone is simply not enough to permanently keep your carpet clean and in order to avoid triggering health problems such as asthma through the accumulation of dust, professional carpet cleaning is essential.

If you are unsure if professional carpet cleaning is really a necessity, we have created this handy guide to the main benefits of giving your carpets the care and attention they need.

1. Improving Health

Household cleaners such as vacuums are useful tools to help maintain your carpet between professional cleans, they will only remove surface dirt and debris embedded deep within the carpet fibres can create a range of health concerns.

Firstly, bacteria and allergens hidden within your carpet can damage the air quality within your home, triggering asthma attacks and allergies amongst susceptible inhabitants.

Build up is faster during the winter months when more time is spent indoors and opening windows frequently is not always possible and even for those without underlying conditions breathing problems can occur if regular cleaning does not occur.

Dirty carpets are also an attractive target for pest species such as fleas, cockroaches, and carpet beetles, whose presence in your home causes their own numerous health concerns.

A professional deep clean will extract dust and dirt from deep within the carpet, maintaining a safe and healthy living environment for you to enjoy.

2. Removing Stains

Spilling liquid on your lovely clean carpet is a nightmare, with home remedies can be hit and miss and rarely remove stains entirely.

The most common and difficult to tackle stains found in UK homes include wine, coffee/tea, spilled food, and mud.

You may be left with a faint patch of discoloration that you just can’t stop looking at and failing to act quickly can lead to the stain permanently damaging your carpet and even needing to be replaced in some situations.

A trained professional carpet cleaner is your best hope of eliminating stains completely with extensive knowledge of different carpet fibres and common spillages.

They will know exactly what pre-treatment, can be combined with industrial steam cleaning, will give you the best chance of completely removing a stain, and if that is not possible they will do all they can to make the stain unnoticeable.

3. Removes Odours

Spillages and dirt build up not only leave annoying stains on your carpets they can also create nasty smells and mustiness.

Pet urine, perishable food remnants, and coffee stains can create particularly bad odours if left untreated for a significant period, and DIY cleaning involving liquid or steam products can actually reactivate the bacteria causing the aroma as opposed to eliminating it, only making the problem worse.

Professional carpet cleaners will use a range of odour eliminating sanitizer products when conducting their deep clean service to help remove odours completely and leave your home smelling fresh in no time at all.

4. Removes Signs of Wear

Carpets are designed to be walked on and high traffic areas will unavoidably begin to show signs of use over time.

Hallways, landings, and room entrances are particularly susceptible to having dirt and bacteria trampled into them on a regular basis, causing discoloration in comparison to the rest of your carpeted areas.

Professional carpet cleaners will help to restore the carpet in these high traffic areas to its original colour although if the carpet has been worn down too much, the only option may be to replace it completely.

5. Protect your warranty

Carpets can be extremely pricey and are a significant investment for any homeowner. Many retailers offer a warranty that will help to protect you if the carpet fibres deteriorate which can help reduce the risk associated with your purchase.

However, may such warranties are only valid if the purchaser has their carpet professionally cleaned on a regular basis (Usually once every 1-2 years).

If this is the case for your carpet it is essential that you secure the services of a respected and experienced carpet cleaning company and keep a record of the cleaning that took place.

Get in touch

To enjoy all the benefits of professional carpet cleaning, get in touch with Acorn Carpet Cleaning today on 0141 212 0212, info@acorncarpeting.co.uk, or via our Live Chat.

Acorn carpet cleaning is a family owned company based in Paisley and offers bespoke carpet cleaning services to customers across the West of Scotland.

We specialise in stain removal, upholstery maintenance, and general cleaning of carpets, rugs, and hard flooring, leaving your home looking, smelling, and feeling fresh and pleasant.

Our expert team puts our customers at the heart of all we do, providing a flexible, reliable, and friendly service and taking the utmost care of your property at all times.

Being a security guard is a far more complex role than many realise.

Each officer has a range of responsibilities included in their job description from personal protection to construction site patrols and hotel security.

If you are looking to hire a security guard for your business or are looking to become one yourself it is essential to understand exactly what a security guard does and what duties they are expected to carry out.

Patrols

Any security guard who is employed to protect property or area will conduct regular patrols to ensure that there have been no security breaches and that nothing is out of place.

In some situations, their patrol may be in a vehicle or with a canine unit, but in the main, these will be conducted by a single officer on foot.

There is a small possibility that they will actually catch an intruder during a patrol but more likely they will act as a visual deterrent to potential criminals who will usually choose another property to target if they know there is a manned patrol or CCTV.

Emergency Response

In the case of an emergency, the security guard is in charge of both detection and response.

Staff and members of the public will look to a security guard in times of danger, and they should take a leadership role at this time.

The security guard’s employer should have established procedures in place to deal with all types of emergencies which may occur. These could range from an intruder on the site or a physical confrontation to a fire or a terrorist attack, depending on the guard’s post at that time.

Given this wide range of different incidents which all require a unique response from the security guard, it is essential that they take time to become experts in every different procedure which is in place. 

Contacting Emergency Services

Security guards must also know exactly when and how to contact the authorities. They may be able to resolve minor disputes however they are not equipped to deal with incidents like property fire and more serious crimes such as armed robberies.

In these situations, a security guard will swiftly summon the police or fire service in order to limit damage and focus on protecting innocent bystanders.

If someone gets seriously injured security guards may be trained in basic first aid but their primary role will be to secure the scene until the paramedics arrive.

Customer Contact

When a customer or client enters a business, the security guard is often their first point of contact.

Security guards are sometimes asked to man the front desk for a company so they can check credentials and ensure that no unauthorised individuals gain access to the site.

This means they must be personable and helpful as they are the first impression a potential customer will get of the business.

Security officers must also have an excellent knowledge of the entire premises as they may be asked to direct visitors to the required area.

A visible security presence at the entrance to a premises can reassure customers that they are safe on site and can be key to securing business. Guards must stay professional and appear in charge at all times in order to create this sense of safety. 

Feedback

If an incident does occur, it is important that a security guard’s employer knows what went wrong.

This will allow them to change their security protocols or put in place new rules to makes sure a similar event never happens again.

The security guard’s role in this process is vital. Once they have dealt with an ongoing situation they will create a full report on what took place and deliver it to their employers.

As well as being able to help reduce risk in the future, these reports can be useful eyewitness evidence accounts should legal proceedings be required.

As well as incident reports, security guards should provide general observations on the effectiveness of the security systems in place and any weaknesses they have noticed during a patrol.

There may be a dead spot not covered by CCTV or an area that is not lit at all at night. By using their expertise to point out these high risk areas, security officers will help prevent crime from occurring at all and ensure their employer’s premises is as safe as possible for staff.

Prime Secure’s SIA accredited security guards undergo extensive training to ensure they are the best in the industry at delivering all these services and many more.

As a UK wide company, who has been providing professional security guards for over 25 years, we have a national reach backed by the local knowledge of our operatives who are always on hand to fulfil all your security needs.

Whichever type of security guard you are looking for, Prime Secure is ready for your call on 0345 88 88 333