Lighting
Your household may spend up to 22% of your annual energy bill on lighting. But that's more than you need to. Which leads us to possibly the easiest yet most rewarding OneThing of all: replacing common incandescent light bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Here's why:
- CFLs use a third of the energy to produce the same amount of light.
- Every four bulbs you replace can save you up to $35 annually. Count the lights in your home and do the math!
- If every household in the United States replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a CFL, it would prevent an amount of pollution equal to removing 1 million cars from the road.
- CFLs last 10 times longer than incandescent lamps, so you do not have to change the bulb for four to five years.
- CFLs give off less heat than standard incandescent bulbs, so they're safer and can reduce your cooling costs.
Bright Ideas in Efficiency
Whatever type of light bulb or fixture you have, you can save energy by using them more efficiently.
- Motion sensor controls turn on outdoor lights only when they're needed. Great for security. Great for your wallet.
- Timer controls can be used to turn on and off any light source at specific times. It's a great alternative to leaving a light on all the time, for instance when you're away for a few days.
- Cleaning your fixtures and bulbs every few months by wiping off dust ensures you're getting the full light for your energy dollar.
- Use free natural light as much as possible. Windows and skylights bring sunlight into your home so you don't have to keep as many fixtures on.
- Use only as much light as needed. For instance, use a small desk light in your home office and turn off the big room light.