Saving energy and saving money go hand in hand when it comes to your household, and this is especially true when it comes to lighting. There are many ways to make your lighting more efficient; they are very easy to do and no, you won't have to start cooking in the dark.
Lighting makes up 8% of household energy bills, so you can make a big difference to the amount you're spending if you reduce the amount of energy you use.
Nowadays there is no excuse not to be using CFLs or LED light bulbs as opposed to the traditional light bulbs and halogen downlighters. They are widely available and only marginally more expensive- and that extra bit of money becomes worth it when you see how much you save.
CFLS, or Compact Fluorescent bulbs, are bulbs that can save you up to 3 a year each. They can replace any standard bulb and cost the same amount. They no longer take as long to light up properly and will reach the same standard of light as a standard bulb, so you will never know the difference. They are also available in a variety of colours, from warm yellow light for lamps to bright white for lighting whole rooms. They can last up to ten times the length of regular bulbs, so they really can save you money.
LEDs, or Light Emitting Diodes, can save you around 4 a year and are the replacements for halogen bulbs. They are more expensive than halogens, but because these bulbs also last a lot longer than standard bulbs you will definitely save money. If you need a guide to choosing the right GU10 LED then click here.
Lighting Output
The way that a standard light bulb and an energy efficient one are measured is different, and can cause confusion when you don't know what to look for. Watts is the measurement of electricity used as opposed to the brightness of the bulb. Therefore the electricity consumption of a new bulb is going to be different for an old inefficient one. Fortunately there is now a system to measure the brightness of a bulb. Each new bulb you buy should have its light output in lumens; 100W is equivalent to 1,200 lumens for CFLs and 50W is equivalent to 300 lumens for LED bulbs.
Turning Off Your Lights
Using your lights less can significantly reduce your bill, and help save energy. Most of the time lights are left on when they aren't being used or they are switched on when they don't really need to be, and this is costing you money. To cut your bill, make sure that your lights are switched off when they are not in use. This includes nipping out of the room for a few seconds. This does and will save energy, even if only for a few seconds. You may argue that this will reduce the life of the bulb, but this is only marginal.
Only using the lights that you need will also help you save you money. For instance, if you're reading a book, you may want bright light, but if you're watching TV then the level of light need only be low. Having a variety of different light sources can make this easier, and better than having everything on the same dimmer switch, so you can use the right type of light for your activity.
If you are conscious of the type of light bulb that you are using, when and how you are using them, then saving energy and money on your electricity bill will be easy.
