Most of us today are aware that fluorescent lighting is far more energy efficient than traditional incandescent lighting. The CFLs, or compact fluorescent lights cost a bit more than the others, but are coming down in price at a fast rate. And they are 75% more energy efficient, which saves you plenty on your electric bill every month. Obviously, they will pay for themselves very quickly!
So if you are doing some remodeling, or just buying some new lamps and light fixtures, choose them with that in mind. In fact, why not go around the house and replace all your bulbs when there is a good sale? They even have them now in three-way bulbs, and for strip lighting! By using a compact fluorescent light instead, you will cut half a ton of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere per bulb. Now if we all did that……
If you just aren’t ready to do that, be aware of a couple of interesting facts. An incandescent bulb with 100 watts emits more light than using two 60 watt bulbs simultaneously…and uses less power by 17%! And while the same amount of energy is put out by the 100 watt bulb and four 25 watt bulbs, it will give you two times as much brightness. And a couple of tips:
- Use energy saving bulbs
- Dimmer switches help a lot, both on incandescent and CFL bulbs(make sure the CFLs you buy can use them).
- Skylights are really amazing when it comes to saving on electricity. Unless it is stormy, you rarely need more than task lighting during the day in a room with skylights…and that is when you are paying the most for your electricity!
If you readers have any new ideas, suggestions, or comments, we would be delighted to hear from you…and learn from you!
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