Electric customers might be surprised to learn how much their bills could be reduced by switching to energy efficient lighting.  Much of the focus of home energy conservation is spent on the large electric-hogging appliances like air conditioners and clothes dryers, but lighting should not be overlooked.  The fact that lights are often left on for long amounts of time and are frequently forgotten (that rogue light down in the basement that never gets turned off), coupled with inefficient design in overhead lights and lamps create quite an impact on your bill.So what can be done to reduce this impact? The solution to this problem can be broken down in two categories: energy efficient products and energy efficient personal habits.

Energy Efficient Lighting Products

So you’ve upgraded the rest of your house, plasma screen TV, cordless phones with caller ID, why then would you still rely on old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs?  Today’s incandescent bulb, derived from the original made by Edison in 1880, wastes 90% of the electricity used to power it on heat  (leading to many burnt fingers) with only 10% of the energy actually creating light.  The solution to singed digits and desires to conserve energy come in the form of compact fluorescent bulbs, which use 75% less electricity than an incandescent.  Even compared to halogen bulbs, compact fluorescents come out on top, producing more light and less heat at half the cost.  They also last much longer than a regular light bulb, most CFLs last anywhere from 3-5 years.  So you don’t have to climb that rickety ladder to change the hallway bulb every six months!

Compact Fluorescent (CFL) bulbs are very self-descriptive; imagine a fluorescent tube curled up and attached to an incandescent screw-end.  The fluorescent technology allows less wattage to be used to create the same amount of light (or “lumens”), which thereby reduces electric consumption.  CFLs are sold in the same wide array of types and wattages that incandescent bulbs are - including three-way, dimmable, high and low wattages.

Some people don’t like the idea of CFLs, saying that they are “funny looking” or “don’t light as well as normal bulbs.”  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but if the beholder could save money and conserve energy one would hope they would at least try out a CFL.  If you find that the bulb isn’t bright enough, try the next highest wattage and see if that works.  Replace all of your bulbs with CFLs (don’t forget about those outdoor lights!) and see a great difference in you electric bill.

Energy Efficient Lighting Habits

Okay, honestly, who hasn’t turned lights on in a room - only to leave several minutes later- without turning the lights off?  OR who hasn’t turned on a lamp when it is bright and sunny outside (if only you had opened those blinds)?  There will always be circumstances when we use lighting inefficiently, like turning on all the lights when home alone, or leaving a lamp on overnight for someone coming home late.  The point is to stay comfortable and feel safe while taking advantages of the times in which you can conserve.   The tips below provide suggestions for just such situations.

1. Use natural daylight.  Open curtains and blinds throughout your home and enjoy the brightness of a pleasant day, without having to pay for the benefit of the light.  Sunlight - when we can get it - is free.

2. Turn lights off.  When leaving one room and going to another, turn off the lights as you exit.  Some people have heard the rumor that if you think you are going to shortly reenter a room, that you should leave the light on, because it takes more electricity to turn a light on and off.  This is an ENERGY MYTH.  If you are not in a room, and don’t need the light to feel safe, turn it off.

3. Use task lighting.  Instead of lighting the whole room when you are working or relaxing just turn on a nearby lamp and save energy (as well as your eyesight).

4. Utilize technology like motion sensor outdoor lighting and LED nightlights.  These new improvements on old standards allow you to feel safe and prevents late night stumbles on the way to the bathroom.

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