Allconnect Home Utilities Blog

How Home Security Systems Save Money

Allconnect — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:17:31 +0000

Home security systems keep your family and home safe from would-be intruders. They provide peace of mind, and enhance the value of your home. And with burglaries ever more common, installing a security system is a responsible and intelligent choice. An added bonus: home security systems can save you money.

Insurance

Your home insurance policy cost will very likely be dramatically lowered when you install a home security system. Just by upgrading door locks and utilizing strong deadbolts, your insurance cost will go down. If you install a security monitoring system, rates will be lower still, as your insurance category will be lowered by at least several points.

Insurance companies reward consumers who’ve installed a number of simple items that help to guarantee home security. Insurers look for basic security devices that have been proven to keep homes safe and sound. And should it come time to sell your home, adding a security system will also improve you’re your re-sale cost, another strong saving for you, down the line.

Home security systems that will lower insurance costs and increase home value are not difficult to install and are simple to update if you have an existing system. Home security is a good investment to protect your family and lower costs at the same time. Insurers look for basics like deadbolt locks, secure garages and storage spaces, and systems that monitor not just potential intruders, but that can also monitor and protect homes from fire, carbon monoxide and other toxic leaks, flooding, and extreme temperature fluctuations. After all, each of these dangers can cause extensive and expensive damage to your home.

A full monitoring system should include a security camera, a control panel that links your system to a home monitoring service, and sensors that are activated should an intruder invade. Inexpensive driveway or exterior monitoring systems are also a good idea, both from the perspective of your family’s safety and lowering insurance costs. Insurers will also be pleased by the addition of motion triggered exterior lighting, which is another inexpensive deterrent to crime.

A system that includes the ability to detect fire, floods, and chemical toxicity can today be installed wirelessly, at low cost and small effort to the home owner. Naturally, protecting your home from damage from burst pipes due to temperature fluctuations, or alerting you to chemical exposure saves you money by preventing the actual damages as well as by lowering insurance costs.

Smart Home Green Savings

A new area in which home security systems are offering savings to consumers is through smart home technology. This is a growing market, and essentially such a system combines home security with the ability to control home functions such as lighting, thermostats, and security cameras, remotely.

This type of system will save you money on heating and lighting costs, but only turning on heating or air conditioning when you want it on – as you’re approaching your home, for example. By turning lights on and off remotely, you’ll increase home security and save on your lighting bill. And you can monitor home security video from remote locations too, saving you the time and energy required to check on your house in person if you’re leaving the office and on your way to a social engagement.

While high tech smart technology is the savings wave of the future, installing a security system today will save you money on insurance, prevent expensive potential damages, and get you started with a home that’s “smart” enough to save you money on your electrical bill, too.

Madison Parker is a home security expert whose passion for helping families develop better personal security standards has led to the creation of her blog – Pay a visit to her blog here!

Allconnect is a free online resource to review and compare the costs and choices for essential home services, including home utilities, high speed Internet, phone, cable TV, satellite TV, and home security systems.

Allconnect Employee Kudos: April 2012

Allconnect — Tue, 01 May 2012 12:00:48 +0000

Allconnect would like to thank all our employees for their hard work, determination and commitment. Over the years, we have assembled a talented team and we are grateful for all that they do every day to make our company successful! But don’t just take it from us. Hear what our customers have to say about our service.

April 1 – Mr. Trowell stated that Nicole Valmond did a fantastic job. Said he runs a customer service center, and if Nicole was on there, she would receive a raise. Said Nicole went above and beyond the Call of Duty.

April 10 – Ms. Sahnoun Gzara had this to say about Natalie Kreitzer: “This is the first time in my life that I have met a person who is so nice and pleasant to speak with. You need 10 people like her answering the calls. Thank you so much!”

April 23 – Mrs. O’Connor sent in this email about Ms. Ashley Wells. “I just took your survey and wanted to take a second to say thank you myself. The person who helped me was…in a word…AWESOME! She knew I was in a rush and worked with me to get it all done. It took about 10 minutes. I had already spent 30 minutes trying to navigate the Verizon website the night before and was just about done with them. And tonight, I was telling my husband how easy it was and that maybe he should call to get his service setup. (2 homes, Long story, but same as everyone else) I was truly impressed and if I have the option, I will use the service again.”

April 30 – Mr. Ronald Johnson stated that Ashanta Jones did a fantastic job. He was very patient, and explained everything correctly. He is an asset to the company. Please make sure you don’t lose him!!!

Flying The Coop? 19 Questions To Ask Your Mover

Allconnect — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 20:49:32 +0000

Moving Boxes

It’s moving season and nothing can make a good moving experience go bad faster than hiring a moving company that is not qualified. So who to hire? The best way to find qualified movers is to ask a lot of questions and in the end get everything in writing. You will find that whether you are moving across the country or just across town, that there are a lot of issues to consider and choosing the most qualified mover can make all the difference.

19 questions to ask your moving company:

1. How long has your moving company been in business?
2. Does your company do any repeat work for businesses in the area?
3. What payment methods are accepted for moving my belongings?
4. Is your company licensed for state and interstate transport?
5. Can I see proof of your local or interstate moving license and insurance?
6. What is your current Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating?
7. Are you a member of the American Moving & Storage Association (AMSA) or a local association?
8. What makes your moving company different?
9. How do you determine the weight of my shipment?
10. What kind of liability coverage and workers compensation does your company provide?
11. What supplies do you provide?
12. How much of the work can I do myself?
13. If I do the packing myself, are there restrictions on the types of boxes I can use?
14. How do you pack items such as fragile furniture, electronics, and musical instruments?
15. What will be considered extra services and how much do you charge for them?
16. Is there an extra charge for travel time to and from my home?
17. Do you guarantee pickup and delivery times/dates? What happens if one or both are missed?
18. What is your cancellation policy?
19. How do you handle disputes and complaints?

101 Fun Things For Families On A Budget

Allconnect — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:57:03 +0000

Looking for fun things to do that are within your family budget? Whether it’s having fun at home, in your neighborhood or around town, there’s sure to be something on this list that will keep the entire family from being bored. The best part is all activities on this list are free or nearly free. So leave the big wad of cash and credit cards in your purse and go have some fun!

1. Draw pictures with chalk on your sidewalk or driveway
2. Go to the local library
3. Go on a nature hike
4. Make Popsicles
5. Take fun pictures with your digital camera
6. Turn on a great movie and a cook up a big bowl of popcorn
7. Visit an elderly neighbor
8. Pick flowers and make a flower arrangement
9. Play Frisbee golf
10. Have a scavenger hunt
11. Tie-dye some t-shirts
12. Hide and Seek
13. Go on a picnic
14. Watch the planes land and take off near the airport
15. Go on a bike ride
16. Go to a flea market or street fair
17. Invent your own board game
18. Feed the ducks at a nearby pond
19. Take a dog for a walk
20. Have a pillow fight
21. Take a walk around your neighborhood
22. Sculpting with clay
23. Have an egg toss
24. Have a BBQ
25. Make an obstacle course in your back yard
26. Play cards
27. Build a time capsule
28. Make a box garden using a shoebox
29. Make sock puppets
30. Make a cake from scratch
31. Camp in the backyard
32. Watch old family videos
33. Do shadow puppets
34. Make a bird feeder
35. Play board games
36. Paint faces
37. Color eggs, even if it’s not Easter time
38. Bird watch
39. Make home made ice cream
40. Act out a play
41. Have a treasure hunt
42. Make a collage
43. Make hanging mobiles
44. Go thrifting
45. Make a video movie
46. Make a flip book
47. Catch tadpoles
48. Bake a loaf of homemade bread
49. Build with Legos
50. Color in coloring books
51. Review paper airplane designs on the internet. Have a distance flying contest.
52. Visit a flea market
53. Build a fort out of pillows, sheets and blankets
54. Make Playdough
55. Play family friendly internet games on the computer
56. Go fishing
57. Play kickball
58. Visit a working farm
59. Plant something
60. Blow bubbles
61. Catch bugs
62. Have a lemonade stand and donate the money to charity
63. Have a water balloon fight
64. Climb a tree
65. Have a fashion show
66. Ghost stories in the dark
67. Go to your local mall and people watch
68. Donate some of the toys and clothes you no longer use
69. Fly a kite
70. Rearrange the furniture
71. Make S’mores
72. Dig for fossils
73. Give each other a makeover
74. Try to break a World Record
75. Make a scrapbook
76. Bake some cookies
77. Go camping in the woods
78. Build a sand castle or sand sculpture in the sandbox
79. Wash the car
80. Write letters to soldiers
81. Play wiffleball
82. Build a fort in your backyard
83. Make your own banana splits with all kinds of toppings and sprinkles
84. Visit the zoo
85. Make something new out of something old
86. Decorate placemats on construction paper and cover with contact paper
87. Make a bird feeder
88. Volunteer at a soup kitchen or retirement home
89. Explore a part of town you haven’t been to before
90. Visit a toy store
91. Visit a farmer’s market
92. Go to an art gallery
93. Go to a minor league baseball game
94. Play soccer
95. Swing on swings at the playground
96. Try to make a house of cards
97. Put together a puzzle
98. Go to a car show
99. Buy model cars or airplanes and assemble them
100. Play family games on the Wii/Xbox/Playstation
101. Raft/tube down a local river

Tax returns are due April 17. Are you ready?

Allconnect — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:25:53 +0000

Waiting until the last minute to finish your 2012 tax return? Well luckily we all received a couple of extra days to get the math correct, stamped and posted marked by midnight Tues. April, 17^th. Why the extra two days? First, the traditional day to have your tax return postmarked is April 15^th, which fell on a Sunday, so the post offices were closed. Second, Monday, April 16^th, is Emancipation Day, a holiday in Washington, D.C. that recognizes the freeing of slaves
in the district.

Need help with your tax return? Did you know that the IRS offers free tax return preparation? “The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Programs offer free tax help for taxpayers who qualify. The VITA Program generally offers free tax help to people who make $50,000 or less and need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation to qualified individuals in local communities. The TCE Program offers free tax help for all with priority assistance to people who are 60 years of age and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement issues unique to seniors.” http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=107626,00.html.

Two extra days still not enough time to properly prepare your 2012 tax returns? If you are not able to file your federal individual income tax return by April 17th, you may be able to get an automatic 6-month tax extension. To receive an extension, you must file Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return by April 17th. Form 4868 is available for download from the IRS website or may be ordered by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676). You can also obtain the form at your local IRS office.

The Impact of Gas Prices on Your Plan to Move Yourself

Allconnect — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:37:05 +0000

Guest post provided by Kevin Hagan of Transit Systems.

If you have always thought it’s cheaper to make a long distance move yourself, think again. Two things get most consumers in trouble with renting a truck or trailer: One, they don’t pack or pad their furniture and belongings well enough, and end up with disastrous results. And two, they don’t account for gas charges in estimating their total move budget.
Concentrating on the latter of those, you’ll soon realize that you’re responsible for fueling a full truck during long distance moving trips. And that can be a costly adventure with gas prices across the country currently soaring.

The chart below projects the cost of a 2,000 mile, four-day move using four different-sized truck rentals. While there is a several hundred dollar difference in the fixed costs based on the size of the truck you select (the rental charge itself, mileage charges, ancillary equipment like a dolly, furniture pads and truck insurance) , you’ll see that the biggest cost increase is, in fact, fuel costs.

In this illustration the smallest truck gets 15 miles per gallon while the largest rental gets only 7 miles to a gallon. That is the difference between $533 and $1144 in your out-of-pocket fuel costs alone!

So, before you break your back loading and driving it yourself – only to find out you didn’t save any money – get a few estimates from long distance movers or shippers and compare your costs. You might be surprised by the amount you’re able to save just from the gas costs alone!

Author Bio: This guest post was provided by Kevin Hagan of Transit Systems, one of the nation’s leading residential and commercial freight companies. TSI specializes in small moves, and can provide you with quality and professional shipping services. For more information about TSI, visit their website or follow TSI on Twitter @TransitSystems.

Allconnect Guest Blogger Guidelines

Allconnect — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:21:23 +0000

Allconnect is the leading provider of home services for consumers who have recently moved or are simply wanting to ensure they have the best plan for their budget. As an additional service to our visitors, Allconnect invites you to write a guest article on our Home Utilities Blog. If you are considering writing guest articles for this blog, then please read the following guidelines before submitting your article.

Articles We Accept

Niche topics about our industry - i.e. saving money, saving energy, home services (cable/satellite tv, high speed internet, home phone, utilities) & green energy
Content must be original/unique - can not have been published on any other blog in original or any modified form or on your own blog.
Exclusivity – the same article cannot be modified and published elsewhere. You can link back to the article from your own blog if you have one to let your readers know about your article.
Articles can and should be promoted on social networks like Twitter, Facebook, Stubmleupon, Digg etc.

Articles We Don’t Accept / Common Rejection Reasons

Sponsored paid articles/links
Previously published by you in same/modified form on your/any other site
Fake author info (If you wish to remain anonymous then nicknames are OK)
Inappropriate / abusive language
Defamatory content / suggestion
Linking out to banned sites / adult sites / redirects
NSFW links or NSFW images
Self promotional articles for your product / service
Promoting individual products/services/companies
Containing affiliate links / Sponsored links/keyword links
Containing links for unrelated sites /deeplinks
Links solely for purpose of anchor text for keyword SEO
Hidden info /Misrepresentation of facts
Copyrighted content
Too short (less than 500 words)
Poor images
Not following guidelines

Guest Post Format

Introduction – Allconnect is pleased to give you credit as the author of your post. Your name or nickname should be in the first line as “Guest post by”. Name can be linked to your site. This may not be an affiliate link or point to an affiliate site.
Your byline will be displayed at the bottom of the page below your guest blog post. Be sure to inlcude with your article. 1 link to your site will be allowed. This may not be an affiliate link or point to an affiliate site.
Posts should be minimum 500 words long. A good post length averages about 600-2000 words. Posts greater than 2000 words should be divided into separate articles.
We don’t allow links to your site within the post content unless it is directly related to the topic.
You may include SEO’d anchor tags to sites that are relevant to your post. All links are do-follow
Excessive links or any links that appear spammy will be removed.
Images – Strongly recommended you add an image as it helps to get a better reader response. Include optimized fast loading images with maximum 500px wide.
Video links to YouTube, Vimeo etc. are also permissible and encouraged.

How to Submit Guest Article

Send your article by email to mlister@allconnect.com with the subject as “Guest Blogging”
Attach article in html format preferably (or MS-Word).
Attach images separately with email. Max size is 500px wide.

Allconnect reserves the right to refuse publication, remove blog content and change these guidelines as we see fit.

Allconnect Employee Kudos: March 2012

Allconnect — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:07:48 +0000

March 6 - Mr. Turner wanted to make sure that everyone here knows how fantastic Sakonda Irving’s customer service is. He feels that it’s important to recognize people that provide excellent customer service. He wasn’t sure what services he needed and Sakonda was able to paint a clear picture for him.

March 8 – Rebekah Devlugt’s customer stated she did a great job assisting her with her home services and she really enjoyed the great customer service she received from Rebekah!

March 23 – Ms. Victoria Vallarta had this to say about Judy Taafuli: “I just wanted to let you know she is a great and wonderful Comcast representative, she has ever had the pleasure of speaking with. She knows her products and goes out of her way to get me the best service”

March 30 – Ms. Seldor stated that Stephanie Lewis did a Wonderful job! She also stated that Stephanie was well informed, very caring, provided great service, and made the process very easy. Stephanie was a joy to work with and deserves a raise!!!

Fix a Leak Week, March 14-20, 2012

Allconnect — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:06:05 +0000

If you live in a home or apartment, you have probably had at least one leaky faucet or toilet that doesn’t stop running. Leaky faucets are a waste of money, water and can be annoying. A leaky faucet or toilet that continuously runs can add up to hundreds if not thousands of gallons of water every year literally down the drain. So, how much water does a leaking faucet waste? Calcuate just how much water is going down the drain.

Water has historically been a relatively inexpensive and easily obtained resource. But the future isn’t so bright. According to U.S. government estimates, at least 36 states are expected to face water shortages within the next five years. In fact, there are already some regions of the United States where water is the hot political issue, with some states actually battling in court over water rights and usage. But that isn’t the end of the story. We can still make a difference by decreasing the amount of water wasted by leaks and running toilets which will save you money and save water for future use.
So how can you save money and water at the same time? Get those leaky faucets and continuously running toilets fixed as part of Fix a Leak Week. There are plenty of opportunities to participate in this year’s Fix a Leak Week. Check out what’s going on in a city near you and find helpful tips on how to save money by fixing the leaky problem yourself.

No leaky faucet but moving soon and looking to have water service ready for our move-in date? In most cases, there really is only one water company in your local area and that company is usually part of the local municipality or government operations. You’d think that would make it easier to find contact information or connection instructions. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. That’s why Allconnect provides connection information for your local water utility company.

Natural Gas Safety Tips

Allconnect — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:47:15 +0000

Natural gas is an important component of the world’s supply of energy. In the US, the best known uses for natural gas around the home are heating and cooking. But how safe is it? Natural gas is a colorless and odorless gas in its pure form. But natural gas is also a combustible mixture of hydrocarbon gases. Have you ever smelled that “rotten egg” smell when around natural gas? That smell is actually an additive called mercaptan that is added to the gas to aid in detecting leaks.
If you smell a “rotten egg:”natural gas odor you need to act quickly:

Do not use any appliances or other devices that might create a spark, such as light switches, phones, flashlights, including computers.
Never try to find the leak yourself. Have everyone immediately leave the house.
Go to a nearby phone to contact your natural gas provider. If you don’t know that number, dial 911 to report the leak.
Keep everyone away from the building until given the “all clear” from a gas company employee.

Other Natural Gas Safety Tips

A gas flame should be a steady bright blue.
Keep flammable or combustible items away from gas appliances and equipment.
Always keep one or more fire extinguishers in your home.
Have all gas appliances, furnaces, vents, flues, and chimneys inspected every year or two by qualified professionals.
Do not let children play with or near natural gas appliances.
Do not use your stove or oven for anything other than cooking.
Do not install a gas appliance yourself, unless you are a a qualified contractor.

Want to make sure you’re getting the best price on natural gas utilities? Allconnect can help!