Electrical Gift Ideas for the Holidays

You know what’s coming: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday. OK, that last one is about making charitable donations, but it does get you in the mood for shopping, shopping, shopping.

When it comes time for a gift that will have practical and lasting value, consider an electronic gadget or device. Also make sure to contact Mister Sparky to make sure something new is installed correctly or that your electrical system is ready for additional use.

Here are a few ideas of electronic gifts for yourself or your loved ones this holiday season:

1. If the gift recipient lives somewhere that gets icy and snowy in winter, consider outdoor heat pads. When properly installed, these pads make shoveling, salting, and sanding outdoor walkways a thing of the past. Call Mister Sparky for installation assistance—whether this is temporary pads that require extension cords or a radiant system being put into concrete.
2. Splashing out on a new electric vehicle? Add in installation of an EV charger, which can be installed by an electrician. The car may come with a 110-volt charger, but top-of-the-line is 220-volt to get a longer charge. Having the ability to comfortably charge the car overnight in the garage might be a necessity, not a luxury.
3. Smart home devices can make someone’s life more comfortable and provide new layers of security, all from the touch of a device. Lights that can be controlled—turned off and on, dimmed, change colors—from any room in the house, can eliminate any stumbling around in the dark. A smart thermostat can regulate heating or air conditioning to minimize unnecessary costs. There are even smart window blinds that reduce the need to manually open and close window coverings, and possibly save energy. Go ahead and schedule Mister Sparky for proper installation so this gift can be ready to go.
4. A surge protector doesn’t sound like much of a gift, but you might want to add it to the list if you are spending big on TVs, computers, new phones, even appliances. These electronic devices can be rendered useless by a local power surge or lightning strike that can run a current through the electrical system and potentially fry the circuit boards.
5. Embrace AI this holiday season! Consider a “smart bird feeder” with an AI-powered camera that will collect images of the birds at the feeder and then email them to you (photos of those pesky squirrels also included at no extra charge!).

To make sure that the home electrical system can handle all of the new gadgets—and there are a lot of them!—contact Mister Sparky for a home inspection of the electrical panel, outlets (inside and outside), and more. Those new charging stations, headphones, coffee makers, self-watering and self-lit planter boxes, smart alarm clocks, smart sunglasses, gaming devices, Bluetooth speakers, digital cameras, power tools, robot vacuums, heated razors, and so much more will need to be fully charged on an on-going basis.