Great wall of electricity: Thunderwall Fences Enterprise manufactures user-friendly electric fences for homes. Rest-assured, the fences aren't friendly to unwanted guests.

It wasn’t a long time ago when electric fences were used only in prisons, military bases and the homes of crime lords. Well, the times are changing. The crime rate is going up while prices of electric fences are becoming more affordable, and some of them are even environment-friendly. Soon, the electric fence may yet be considered a vital household appliance.

Of course, every one of us would rather have a white picket fence.  It’s very pretty to look at but it’s not very effective when it comes to securing a house from intruders. More homeowners are becoming more security-conscious. Having the right kind of equipment helps them sleep better at night. Thus, the electric fence is no longer a luxury, but a necessity.

Gay Villa, manager of the aptly-named Thunderwall Fences Enterprise, says people get weary when they see the numerous crime stories being reported on the TV news. “It’s a matter of answering the question of how safe we really are even in our own home,” she says. “Even with security guards stationed at the subdivision gates, and roaming police mobiles, we still have that feeling of being unsafe. That’s why we believe the electric fence is the key to having peace of mind in your own house.”

Villa says Thunderwall Fences is the first and most experienced electric fence installer in the country, having been in the business since 1996. The products of Thunderwall, she points out, aren’t of the deadly kind we usually see in action movies. The fence still does its job in providing electric shock but they’re now designed to be safely used by families. “There are two kinds of electric fences,” she points out. “There is the ‘lethal’ and the ‘non-lethal.’ Thunderwall manufactures non-lethal fences.”

Yet Villa says her fences still promise to give a painful jolt to insistent intruders. “The current that passes through our fences is pulsating but it happens within a short duration. It’s not continuous. We only use components that have passed safety standards of Underwriters Laboratories, or U.L,” she explains.

The fences may not be friendly to thieves, but they can be friendly to the environment as some of the fences are actually solar-powered. Thus, residents are bound to feel safe even during power failures. Thunderwall’s electric fence is designed to operate for 60 days on reserve power alone.

They’re also resistant to cutting with pliers. In fact, Villa dared the public to find a find a bolt cutter that can cut through a Thunderwall system. “Demonstrate it, show us the receipt, and we will pay you thrice the amount you paid for the bolt cutter,” she declared.

No doubt, the electric fence is bad news for burglars, vagrants and unwanted suitors or stalkers.