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Lighting Energy Savers
It is estimated that about 20 percent of all the electricity used in the U.S. goes into lighting. Although lighting your home probably doesn’t account for 20 percent of your energy dollars, it still provides a very large area to implement cost--cutting energy measures.
  • Long-life incandescent light bulbs are actually less energy efficient than regular ones. They easily cost more in extra energy than they save on replacement bulbs. Their “trick” is that they save energy by emitting less light than their regular counterparts. Before buying light bulbs, check out the “lumens” rating on the package for actual lighting levels.
  • Dust on a light bulb can reduce the light it gives off by 10 percent and make it seem that you need a higher wattage bulb.
  • A white wall reflects 80 percent of the light that hits it; a black one just 10 percent. The more light the walls reflect, the greater the chance the light can be “recycled” by striking the wall, bouncing off and illuminating the room.
  • Opening curtains during the day will save lighting energy. Direct sunlight is 100 times brighter than light from a strong reading lamp.
  • Switch to compact fluorescent bulbs. They combine the versatility of regular incandescent bulbs (they come in all sizes and shapes) with the low energy consumption of fluorescent lights. Compact fluorescents give off the same light as incandescent, but with 75 percent less energy. They also last more than 7,500 hours -- 10 times longer than incandescent.
  • If you replace an incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent, you’ll save the equivalent of 600 pounds of coal over the life of the bulb.
  • Compact fluorescent light isn’t like the cool, greenish-white light you’re used to seeing in offices and schools. It’s closer to the “warmth” of incandescent bulbs. Compact fluorescents use electronic ballasts and come on instantly, but they don’t “hum” or flicker like regular fluorescents.
  • Compact fluorescents are expensive, costing $15 to $25 per bulb. But they use so little energy that they’ll pay you back the purchase cost in less than two years.
  • Install compact fluorescents in lights that you leave on more than two hours a day.


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Air Conditioner
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Iron
Lighting
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Shower
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Washer
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