Lighting - CFL Bulbs Save Electricity

Replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) is how to save on electricity bill. They use over 75 percent less electricity and last at least 9 times longer. A single 20- to 25-watt energy-saving bulb provides as much light as a 100-watt ordinary bulb.

· Lighting accounts for about 15% of a home's electric use.

· Replacing 10 incandescent light bulbs in your home with CFLs would save almost $50 per year. Over the lifetime of the CFLs you will save $797. Every incandescent light bulb you replace with a CFL will save about $4.40 per year.

· Use lighting control devices like dimmers, motion detectors, occupancy sensors, photocells and timers to provide light only when you need it.

· Dust light fixtures regularly. A heavy coat of dust can block up to 50 percent of the light output.

· Turn off lights that are not needed. Use lights which will give an adequate amount of light without eye strain. Install dimmers to control the amount of light.

· Rather than leaving the outside light on all night, replace with a motion sensor to save on electricity bills.

· Use the lowest wattage light bulb to accomplish the task at hand. In other words, don’t use a 100-watt light bulb when a 60-watt will do.

· Fluorescent lamps provide far more light than incandescent ones, these should be used where possible. They give out more lumens per watt. For example, a 4-watt fluorescent lamp would save about 140 watts of electricity over a seven-hour period. These savings, over a period of time, could more than pay for the fixtures you would need to use fluorescent lighting.

· Decorate with pale colors on walls, ceilings and floors. Soft tones reflect more light, so you can use lower wattage bulbs and delay turning on lights until later in the day. Using high-gloss paint can help as well.

· Keep lamps away from thermostats; the heat produced can cause your furnace to run less than needed or your air conditioner more than needed.

· Lighting controls or "timers" can help save energy dollars, too. Timers can be set to turn lights on or off at predetermined times while photocell controls are sensitive to light and turn lamps on and off at sundown and sunrise. Dimmers can control the level of illumination according to how much light you may want in a given situation. Also, be sure to use the sleep function, which is a timer of sorts, on your computer. More.

· You can save electricity by turning off lights when you leave the room. If you use fluorescent lighting, however, turn them off only if you will be gone longer than 15 minutes because fluorescent lights use more energy in starting as they use during 15 minutes of operation, so it's not worthwhile to turn them off for brief periods to save on your electricity bill.

· Consider the advantages of lamps with three-way switches. They make it easy to keep lighting levels low when intense light is not necessary and are a good way to conserve electricity. Use the brightest setting only for reading or activities that require more intense light.