The Benefits of Smart Thermostats

In a world where pretty much any electrical appliance in your home can be controlled remotely from your mobile phone, a smart thermostat is one of the most beneficial piece of home technology it is possible to install.

Smart thermostats have completely revolutionised the way that we control our home heating, saving us a tremendous amount of time and money when used correctly.

In this blog we will examine some of the main benefits of smart thermostat installation.

heating system
floor heating system, the collector, the battery

Increased energy efficiency

One of the driving forces behind the development of smart thermostats was a desire to increase energy efficiency and you can use them to optimise your home energy usage.

Once your thermostat has learned your heating preferences they will automatically adjust accordingly, creating a schedule that will keep you comfortable all year long whilst minimising your energy bill spend.

It is estimated that smart thermostat installation can save you as much as 15% on your annual energy bills.

Come home to warmth

Coming home on a cold winters day should provide you with welcome rest-bite from the freezing temperatures outside. The last thing that you need is to be left shivering on the sofa whilst you wait for your heating to kick into action because you forgot to set your thermostat before you left.

With a smart thermostat this isn’t an issue, simply adjust the temperature of your home on the move using your start device and ensure that you or anyone else visiting your home arrives to a cosy and comfortable environment.

This technology is perfect for those who work unpredictable hours and never know when they might be coming or going.

Create Heating Zones

A smart thermostat will allow you to set different temperatures in different areas at different times of the day, ensuring that heat isn’t wasted on making a room toasty warm when no-one is using it.

You might want your home office warm in the day, your living room in the evening, and your bedroom at night. With a smart thermostat installed this is no problems. Comfort where you want it and when you want it all day long.

Reduced carbon footprint

As discussed, smart thermostat save you money by reducing energy expenditure. It is not only your wallet that will thank you for keeping wasted heat to a minimum, the planet will as well.

The less heat you use, the less money you spend and the lower your carbon footprint will be. Save money and the world at the same time with one simple piece of technology? Sign me up.

Identify heating issues

Another reason that a smart thermostat is so good is that many models allow you to check on the current status of your heating system from afar. If you find your heat not working when you check it on your phone you will be able to plan in advance for coming home to a potential boiler breakdown and arrange for a professional engineer to come and take a look.

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Top 5 biggest security threats to a business

No business is exempt from security threats. Big, small, retail, hospitality, its doesn’t matter, if you are to be successful, you need to take precautions against the threats you face or you risk complete disaster.

As a top Security Company Leeds, we work closely with businesses in almost every possible industry to create security systems that protect them from the as many different potential threats as possible based on a detailed risk evaluation of their business.

We have come across all sorts of weird and wacky security threats over the years but there are a few that arise time and time again that pretty much every business owner should be aware of.

security threats

Here are 5 of the biggest security threats to a business

Theft

We may as well start with the most obvious one. Theft of assets is a serious concern to business owners with documents, technology, tools, equipment, and much more besides stored on site and highly attractive to criminals.

Theft comes in all shapes and sizes, from carefully planned heists to opportunistic raids. Unfortunately, workplace theft is not as unusual as we would like to imagine either, and you also need to take steps to ensure your own staff do not become your biggest concern.

Vandalism

Usually less thought out and planned than theft, but no less dangerous to the future of your business. Destruction of materials, goods, and property can be extremely costly to repair, especially if arson is involved.

It is vital you identify any intruders approaching your property quickly and they are dealt with by a trained security professional.

Cyber Security

A growing concern for every modern business, cyber threats can be just as much of an issue as physical ones. If you store the personal information of your customers online, a security breach will open you up to all sorts of potential legal difficulties and building trust once again can become impossible. If you store physical copies of such documentation on your site, this must also be protected as thoroughly as cash or other major assets on the property.

Violence

Violence in the workplace if much more common that you would like to imagine. Violence between staff, violence against staff, both incredibly serious threats that you as an employer have a duty to tackle action to prevent.

Installing CCTV on your site will deter those considering an attack and reveal exactly what happened if the worst does occur. Failing to do so could land you in touch legal waters.

Unauthorised Visitors

All of the threats listed above are much greater when unauthorised visitors are able to gain access to your site. Sure, their intention may not be sinister, but the moment you allow unknown individuals to wander unattended around your premises your security is severely compromised.

CCTV, access control gates, and alarm systems are just some of the security measures that can be put in place to monitor comings and goings and protect your site from outsiders.

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How to build a career as a human rights lawyer

If you became a lawyer, or are considering becoming a lawyer, out of a desire to see justice served and protect those who need protecting most, a career as a human rights lawyer could be extremely fulfilling.

Human rights law firms use their extensive knowledge of international human rights law to protect their clients from threats to their safety and equality and the lawyers responsible for doing so take on a huge amount of responsibility every single day.

Understandably, it takes several years of hard work and dedication to become a fully fledged human rights lawyer and even those who are successful will continue to learn and hone their craft throughout their career.

If you do persevere, however, there are very few careers as rewarding as that of a human rights lawyer, making a genuinely positive impact in the lives of others throughout the course of your time in the practice.

Sound good? If so, read on to discover exactly what steps you need to take to become a human rights lawyer.

human rights

Step 1 – Get a degree

The first step for anyone looking to become a lawyer of any kind is to obtain an undergraduate degree in the law. In the US, undergraduate degrees are the bare minimum for admittance into a good law school, although your degree doesn’t necessarily have to be in human rights, or even law. It is your commitment to study and ability to learn that law schools are looking for through your undergraduate degree, so picking a subject you know well and expect to get a good grade in is just as important as the subject itself.

In the UK a degree in law is a pre-requisite for any training contracts or associate positions at any major, or minor, law firm. Again, you probably don’t need to focus heavily on human rights law at undergraduate stage, and most human rights lawyers get a general degree in law before specialising further down the line.

Whatever degree you choose, try to build the widest possible knowledge base of all forms of law, not only human rights law. This will not only impress future employers and keep your career options open but will also ensure that you are ready for whatever situation might crop up during one of your future cases.

Step 2 – Qualify as a solicitor or barrister

Once you have completed a postgraduate degree in a relevant law subject it is time to become either a qualified solicitor or a barrister. If you wish to become a solicitor you will need to follow an approved pathway laid out by the Solicitors Regulation Authority where as barristers in training will need to join an Inns of Court and pass the Bar Training Course, a process that usually takes around one year to complete. Once this has been completed you will need to spend time doing pupillage in chambers before entering the world of work as a full Barrister.

Step 3 – Get experience

We have put this at step three in your career path as this is the stage at which law firms are likely to consider you for work experience and training positions. However, there is never a time at which gaining experience of working in law is a negative during your training and anything that you can pick up along the way will put you at an advantage for the future.

It is unlikely that you will be able to obtain a training contract at a major firm until you have completed your degree and are a fully qualified lawyer but university students will often do work pro-bono in order to gain real-life experience alongside their studies.

Step 4 – Start Work

human rights law firms

Now you have all the qualifications you need it is time to start representing those who believe that they have had their Human Rights breached by either public authorities or private organisations.

The human rights acts covers subjects such as slavery, torture, restrictions on freedoms and other extremely serious topics so whilst success can be rewarding it takes a certain tyre of individual to manage human rights cases. In fact, many human rights lawyers change profession after a few years due to the stress and nature of the work. We don’t say this to put you off, but instead to make sure you are aware of exactly what you are getting yourself into before proceeding.

On a day-to-day basis, human rights lawyers will work on a variety of different cases including immigration appeals, discrimination claims, criminal cases, and more.

Human rights law does not tend to be extremely well paid and many lawyers actually work in a different area of the law such as criminal or corporate law in order to fund their pro-bono human rights work.

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