Energy savers: Lighting

Can you imagine yourself living in a dark house with no light especially at night time? Nowadays, lighting our homes all day and night long seems natural and we tend to take it for granted. One thing we usually never think about is how much the habit of having the lights on almost all the time, actually costs us.

According to the Building Energy Data Book, which is the Department of Energy’s data on energy usage in the U.S., lighting accounts for 6% of residential home energy usage.

Thankfully, we live in a time where technology is always advancing and we have many options to choose from that will help us save money, use less energy and eventually help us have less of a wasteful impact on our planet.

The main difference between traditional light bulbs and the newer versions is that traditional incandescent bulbs use a lot of energy to produce light but most of the energy is actually given off as heat. On the other hand the newer light bulbs are much more efficient so they cost us less money. So if we choose to switch some of the light bulbs that we use more often to energy saving ones we will see a big difference on our electricity bill.

The options are many but the three that are the most popular are compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) and light-emitting diodes (LED). Opting for them might cost you a bit more in the beginning but eventually you will end up spending less money and also using less energy.

Some of the benefits of CFL light bulbs are that they are efficient. They last up to 10 times longer than incandescent light bulbs. They reduce air and water pollution. We you replace just one traditional light bulb with a CFL, you help keep a half-ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere over the life of the bulb. Lastly, it is important to know that they provide a high quality light.

Some of the restrictions are that CFLs are sensitive to frequent on/off cycling. They are not the best options for outdoors, they can be used but you should better have them covered. Also one important limitation is their mercury content. CFLs contain small amounts of mercury which is a toxic metal.

Some of the benefits of LED are that they are long lasting and durable. They are also really cool, these bulbs do not cause heat build-up. They are mercury-free. In general they are more efficient, cost-effective, and their light is fitting for remote areas and portable generators.

We would recommend checking for new, energy-efficient light bulbs near you as soon as you can. Now you have all the information you might need so don’t waste any more time (or money, or energy).