My home life is seriously hectic, and I try to hard to simplify it in every way possible. Combining the extracurricular activities of my all my children, the care of two large dogs, my job, and regular household upkeep, there is never time for anything extra. It’s a job try to find the time to do the laundry, take the animals to the vet or wash the cars. I don’t have the energy, cash or patience to deal with needless repairs. I need and expect all of the systems in my condo to operate reliably and efficiently. To ensure this, I found a local business who handles heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical maintenance services. I have enrolled in a scheduled maintenance service plan which includes the usual inspection of all of these essential systems. Twice a year, a business representative calls me up and reminds me to schedule an appointment. A qualified serviceman arrives at our home and completes a thorough maintenance inspection of the plumbing pipes and drains, electrical wires, ductwork, oil furnace and air conditioner. If they find any areas for concern, the serviceman performs the necessary repairs or upgrades worn parts so that I don’t deal with abrupt interruptions in service. I assured that the plumbing, wires, heating and cooling systems are operating at peak energy efficiency, which saves me cash on my yearly energy bills. During the last service, the serviceman suggested that I invest in a home automation system. This type of system automates and links essential appliances into a single control which I can then access through a Wi-Fi connection. I can use any device such as my smartphone or ipad to change the control component setting, get maintenance alerts for the oil furnace, keep an eye on the air conditioner settings or turn the lights on and off.