Lighting

On the average Lighting accounts for 11% of the electricity bill. The two best ways to reduce the lighting portion of your energy usage is to (i) Turn off the lights when you leave a room. (ii) Is to change the incandescent light bulbs to either Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) and/or (LED). Below is information on these two types of lighting.

                                Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLS)

CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs) are light bulbs that produce light much more efficiently than traditional incandescent light bulbs. In fact, CFLs with the ENERGY STAR label use about 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs. CFLs can also last up to 13 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Given that lighting accounts for around 25% of the average home's electricity bill, switching to CFLs could make a significant dent in your utility costs over the course of a year.

What about CFLs and mercury?

While the average CFL contains 4 mg of mercury — about enough to cover the tip of a ballpoint pen - the energy-saving and pollution-preventing potential of each bulb vastly outweighs the environmental costs. According to EPA, a power plant will emit 10 mg of mercury while producing the electricity needed for one incandescent bulb over the course of its lifetime. A CFL, in contrast, would result in the emission of only 2.4 mg of mercury over the same period - a net savings of 3.6 mg per bulb. Even so because CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, broken bulbs may present a health hazard if not disposed properly. For proper disposal call your garbage service company.

CFLs should never be thrown in with the household garbage and if they should break you need to carefully clean up and dispose of the broken debris.

                         Light Emitting Diode (LEDs)  

An ENERGY STAR qualified LED (Light Emitting Diode) light bulb can last 25,000 hours. That means based on normal use, a bulb installed in a newborn's nursery won't have to be changed until he or she graduates from college!

An ENERGY STAR qualified LED bulb:

• Uses at least 75 percent less energy and lasts at least 15 times longer than an incandescent bulb.
• Has efficiency as good as or better than fluorescent lighting.
• Turns on instantly – there is no warm-up time.
• Allows for precise placement of light due to the directional nature of LEDs.
• Produces far less heat than an incandescent, which can reduce air-conditioning needs.
• Is durable – performs well outdoors and in cold temperatures.

Did You Know?

There are an estimated 500 million recessed lights installed in U.S. homes and more than 20 million are sold each year!

ENERGY STAR qualified LED recessed down lights can decrease energy use by 75 percent or more.

ENERGY STAR qualified LED lighting is a natural fit for cutting-edge renovation, new construction projects, or do-it-yourself upgrades. ENERGY STAR qualified residential LED lighting uses at least 75% less energy, lasts 25 times longer than incandescent lighting and provides optimal light color.