Energy Efficiency Tips: How to Lower Your Energy/Electric Bill

Lights light our world, from the sun to artificial lighting indoors and out. Five to ten percent of our electric bills monthly go to the lighting of our world. In attempting to lower energy use and become a more energy efficient society, here are some tips that can cut your electric cost, aid in conserving energy, and make our planet a healthier environment to live in.

Indoor Lighting

Indoor lighting has become a customary part of our lives. Long gone are the days of reading by candle light or lantern and the possibility of everyone willing to go back to the primitive measures of lighting are highly unlikely. By making some simple adjustments in types and ways of lighting, lanterns will stay a part of our history.

-Install fluorescent light fixtures for all fixtures that will be on for more than 2 hours each day

-Use energy saving labeled lighting fixtures.

-Use occupancy sensors for automatically turning on and off your lights as needed.

-Consider light wall colors to minimize the need for artificial lighting.

-Install and use task lights where feasible.

-Maximize the use of natural sunlight.

-For instant savings, replace immediately any light bulbs that are used the most such as in the kitchen or living room lamps with energy saving light bulbs.

-Encourage or demand that lights be shut off when no longer needed or leaving a room.

-Use lower wattages to do the job. Not all areas of ones home needs to be brightly lit.

Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting is used in several fashions, decorative, security and utility purposes. There are many ways to cut down energy consumption in outdoor lighting needs as well.

-Use just enough light to perform the task. You do not need to illuminate the entire neighborhood to be effective in steering potential harm from your doorsteps.

-Use auto sensors/motion when at all possible for security and utility features

-Utilize deflectors and reflectors to utilize lighting more efficiently and reduce light pollution.

-In your accent decorative lighting, use solar powered outdoor lights. If for some reason that is not possible, set the outdoor decorative lighting up on timers to operate.

-Reduce the amount of time decorative lighting is on.

There are three types of light bulbs commonly used in households, the incandescent, fluorescent, and the high intensity discharge. The most common and cheapest of the three used is the incandescent. Incandescent have a short life span. In reality, for the many times the incandescent bulb needs replaced, if replaced with a energy efficient bulb it would save money in the purchase price of several incandescent bulbs and over all energy savings. Incandescent are by far the least efficient of the three.

Fluorescents and high intensity discharge bulbs are a bit more expensive then the incandescent but more energy efficient. Fluorescent bulbs are 3 to 4 times as efficient and last 10 times longer then incandescent lighting. To get the most efficiency from fluorescent bulbs, place them in fixtures that remain on for more then 2 hours at a time. Compact fluorescent lamps/bulbs (CFL) are the most energy efficient bulbs but cost about 15 times more then the incandescent bulbs but also last 15 times longer and use less energy.

High intensity discharge (HID) bulbs are used for outdoor lighting but are considered the highest efficient outdoor lighting option bulb available due to their energy saving value and longlivity. By using energy efficient lighting, you use 75% less energy, aid in the health of the environment, and lower your energy bill. This is one situation where everyone wins.

Sources:

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/lighting.html

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=lighting.pr_lighting

http://greenlivingideas.com/lighting/5-lighting-design-tips-for-energy-efficiency.html

http://www.bpa.gov/Energy/N/Energy_Tips/save_energy/lighting.cfm