If you’re looking for new ways to go eco-friendly at home and save some money on your energy bill, lighting is one of the easiest places to start. Lighting can account for about 30% of your energy bill, so changing your lights to more energy efficient options can save you quite a bit. Not to mention the positive impact on the environment. Here are some tips for more energy efficient lighting:
The first thing you should do is switch to compact fluorescent lighting (CFL). That’s those swirly lights that have a whiter glow to them than the incandescent lights. While these might cost a bit more than the regular incandescent lights, they use only about 25% of the electricity so they can have a big impact on your lighting bill. They last a lot longer than regular bulbs too so you won’t have to replace them as often.
LED light bulbs are a newcomer to the energy efficient lighting market and have a few advantages over CFL’s. They have a brighter light and don’t take time to “warm up” and reach their full lighting. LED lighting uses 75% less electricity than incandescent lighting. Just think of the savings on your electric bill. LED’s last an average of 20 years 50 times longer than incandescent light bulbs. You’d have to buy more than 50 regular bulbs to equal the life of one LED.
When it comes to lighting outside the home, the energy conscientious consumer might want to consider solar lighting. Lights for walkways, driveways and outside the front door can collect energy from the sun during the day and use it to power their lights during the night. This is a great way to light up your home without using any energy at all.
In addition to using more efficient light bulbs, there are some things you can do to help reduce the amount of energy you use for lighting. First of all, you want to be sure that you don’t use lights unnecessarily. When no one is home or when a room is empty, be sure to turn the lights off. During the daytime, open the blinds and let the sunshine in instead of using indoor lighting. Using motion sensors can help to insure lights turn on only when needed.
When it comes to lighting, you need to have the right amount for the tasks you intend to do. While you don’t want to skimp or have poor lighting in important areas like the kitchen, you also want to be cognizant of when to use the lights and when to flip the switch. Remember reducing your use of electricity helps to reduce CO2 emissions into the air since the plants that produce electricity are largely coal burning plants which can add to global warming. A little bit of prudence on your part can make a big difference in the stability of our environment.
Lynne
Hi Lynne, thanks for this. I already use solar lights outside and energy efficient inside and I have changed all the shops to low energy lights (I have 168 bulbs between the shops!) Quite an outlay at first but over the few years I have been using them I have only ever had to replace about half a dozen bulbs. With ordinary I was changing several each week so loads of savings for me already! Great post, thanks.
Enjoy the journey.
Mandy
we should always look for eco-friendly products out there to help the environment.””
Hi Charlotte,
My feelings are the same. If we are going to by something and there is a green solution, that is what we should by. The products cost about the same, but are more effecient saving us money.
Thanks for commenting.
Jay
motion sensors are very useful when you want to detect stray animals or burglars on the move”:”
i love to buy eco-friendly products like mats, seat covers and also garbage bags~,”
incandescent light generates high amounts of heat and it not energy efficient*-*