Lighting
Although lighting only accounts for about 3.3% of the total energy used in your home, it can have a very big impact on your overall energy bill. Listed here are some energy saving lighting tips.
- Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL)
- Outdoor Solar Lighting
- Dimmer Switches
- Outdoor Motion Sensors
- Quick-Tips for Lighting
Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL)
One of the simplest yet most highly effective energy-saving initiatives a homeowner can take is replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents.
- ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs, and last up to 10 times longer.
- CFLs can save $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulbs lifetime.
- CFLs produce about 75 percent less heat, which can help you to save money in cooling your home.
- CFLs use less electricity, thereby reducing carbon emissions.
- CFLs are available in different sizes and shapes to fit in almost any fixture, for indoors and outdoors.
| Current Fixture/Bulb Type | Locations | CFL Suggestions | Yearly Savings | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outdoor Type A 40-60 W |  |
Porch Garage | 9-15 W CFL |  |
Up to $22 |
| Table and Floor Lamps Type A 40-100 W | |
Living room Family room Bedroom | 9-26 W CFL | |
Up to $33 |
| Pendants over tables, Type A 60-100 W | |
Kitchen Dining room Hallway | 15-26 W CFL |  |
Up to $22 |
| Potlights with PAR bulbs |  |
Kitchen Livingroom | 23W PAR shaped CFL |  |
Up to $20 |
| Globe fixtures over bathroom mirrors and on ceilings |  |
Bathroom | 8-15 W Globe shaped CFL |  |
Up to $7 |
| Chandelier Bulbs |  |
Dining room | 4-9 W chandelier type CFL |  |
Up to $ 4 |
| Ceiling Fan | Kitchen Dining Room Bedroom | 9-26W CFL | Up to $33 |
||
Outdoor Solar Lighting
- Uses no electricity at all.
- Once you've purchased the lights, year after year you can illuminate your yard for free!
Dimmer Switches
- Modern dimmers save almost as much energy as they are dimmed. Example: When dimmed 50%, the energy saving is about 40%. Old dimmer switches have no impact on conservation.
- Dimmers are very handy for converting a hall light into a night light.
Outdoor Motion Sensors
- Motion sensor fixtures are ideal where you only want light when you are in a certain area, such as outside a door or garage.
- They double as security lights.
- They can be programmed for sensitivity to light, amount of motion, and the length of time before they automatically turn off.
- You can insert a CFL into your motion sensor to save even more!
Quick-Tips for Lighting
- Always turn lights off when leaving a room
- Keep light fixtures clean, a cleaner light is a brighter bulb
- Decorator Tip: Place lamps in the corners of the room so that light reflects from the walls, making the room brighter.
- Consider light wall colors to minimize the need for artificial lighting.
- Task Lighting: You can lower your overall energy demand by concentrating bright light where you need it, as opposed to evenly lighting the entire room.
- Opening your blinds is a free way to brighten up a room.
- LED Christmas lights use much less energy than conventional Christmas lights.
