Lighting uses about 11 to 15 percent of the electricity you use in your home, and costing you as much as $300 a year. Of course this depends on your individual use, the number of lights you’ve turned on, and your utility rate. There are lots of lighting products available that can help you to save money and improve the quality of your home’s lighting.
If you’re building a new home, consider including an experienced lighting designer in the process. They’ll match the amount and quality of light to your needs while maximizing the daylighting, décor, and energy-saving opportunities. They will also ensure that you have occupancy sensors or timers built in for effective and efficient lighting control.
The easiest place to start is to replace your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which now come in a variety of sizes and shapes, and offer the following benefits:
- 10 times longer life than incandescent bulbs
- 75 percent more efficient than incandescent bulbs
- Will pay for itself in about six months, each bulb saving $30 over its lifetime
- Cool to the touch
- Easy to switch—take them with you if you move
- Improvements have virtually removed any annoying flicker
- Choose the color temperature you want, including warm white, soft white, cool white, bright white, natural or daylight lamps
Lamp Replacement Tips
- Replace the bulbs you use the most first
- Hold the base (not the glass) to screw in the bulb
- Read the package labels for location, temperature, wattage, and color ratings
- Do not use CFLs in recessed cans or with dimmers unless specifically rated for that use
- Don’t exceed the rated wattage for a fixture
- Use outdoor-rated lamps in outdoor fixtures
- Most photocells, timers, and motion sensors are not designed to work with CFLs
- Keep your receipts, and return the lamp if it fails prematurely
Energy-efficient fixtures
The fixture is the electrical component that holds the bulb. It is hard-wired and usually includes a lens or reflector. Energy Star light fixtures include table lamps, torchieres, cabinet lighting, ceiling-mounted or wall-mounted lighting, recessed lighting, or architectural lighting. Fixtures may offer special features like no-hum, dimming or switching capability, or quick start. It is important to match the bulb to the fixture to achieve the greatest energy efficiency. In some cases, replacing an old fixture with a new Energy Star one will produce superior energy savings, reliability, and longer life.
LED or solid state lighting
Said the Department of Energy about LED and solid state lighting, “No other lighting technology offers as much potential to save energy and enhance the quality of our building environments, contributing to our nation's energy and climate change solutions.” Recent technology advances have brought LED or light emitting diodes to the market, although first costs are still very high. Energy Star is now labeling LED lighting products that use at least 75 percent less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent lighting while providing optimal light color. Applications include cove lighting, ceiling-mounted fixtures, portable desk lamps, recessed down lights, or outdoor wall mounted porch lights.
Here’s what else you can do
- Use daylighting whenever possible. Opening the curtains or shades may provide all the light you need in a space. However, do close them if it is hot outside and the room is too warm.
- Get in the habit of always turning off the lights when you leave an empty room.
- Gently wipe the dust off your fixtures, lamps, and lenses when they look dirty or yellow.
- Look for Energy Star lighting products.
- Install and use timers or occupancy sensors to automatically control lights.
Need help?
Lamp recycling and cleanup
When your CFL burns out, recycle it. Go to http://earth911.com/ for recycling locations.
If a compact fluorescent bulb breaks, you should be cautious about cleaning it up. But don’t panic. Follow the EPA guidance found here.
This post is by the energy experts at Washington State University’s Extension Energy Program.