Lighting
Lighting only accounts for about 3.3% of the total energy used in your home, but it can have a very big impact on your overall energy bill. Listed here are some energy saving lighting tips.
Outdoor Solar Lighting
- Uses no electricity at all.
- Once you've purchased the lights, year after year you can light up your yard for free!
Dimmer Switches
- Modern dimmers save almost as much energy as the amount they are dimmed. Example: When dimmed 50%, the energy saving is about 40%. Old dimmer switches have no impact on conservation.
- Dimmers turn a hall light into a night light.
Outdoor Motion Sensors
- Motion sensor fixtures are ideal where you only want light when you are in a certain area, like outside a door or garage.
- They also act as security lights.
- They can be programmed for sensitivity to light, amount of motion, and length of time before they automatically turn off.
- You might be able to use an LED in your motion sensor to save even more!
Quick-Tips for Lighting
- Always turn lights off when leaving a room.
- Keep light fixtures clean. A cleaner light is a brighter bulb.
- Place lamps in the corners of the room so light reflects from the walls, making the room brighter.
- Paint walls in light colours to minimize the need for artificial lighting.
- Task Lighting: Lower your energy demand by shining bright light where you need it, instead of lighting the entire room.
- Opening your blinds is a free way to brighten up a room.
- LED Christmas lights use much less energy than conventional Christmas lights.