Let’s face it, electricity is not cheap, and it isn’t going to become cheaper anytime soon. With many countries facing energy shortages and rising prices, we must find different ways to reduce our bills.
One such way is by switching to energy-efficient lighting. It’s an excellent way to pay less money for electricity without compromising the quality of light in our homes.
Here is a list of tips on how to save money from lighting.
Replace bulbs
You can replace your traditional light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs, and you will save around 3 pounds per year from one replaced bulb. Not only that, but fluorescent bulbs last longer, so you can save over 50 pounds during the whole life of a bulb.
In case you replace a halogen downlighter with an LED, you will save around 4 pounds a year or 140 pounds during its life.
Ultimately, you may not think it is a huge sum. However, it actually adds up when you factor in all of the light bulbs in your home, the reduced energy consumption over their lifetime, as well as lasting longer than their traditional counterparts.
And when you include the reduced carbon dioxide emissions in the environment, it results in even bigger savings than you realise.
Use fewer lights
We often leave the light switched on, even if we don’t need it. This bad habit can result in a huge waste of energy and an increased electricity bill. And all this we often do without even realising it. That’s why it helps us to become more mindful of how we use our lighting sources.
Here are some tips on how to use lights less:
- First, remember to turn off the lights when you leave the room;
- If you have external lights, place a sensor that turns on every time you pass. It’s good to fit a time switch, too;
- Choose the light level you need. If you sew, you are going to need brighter light. If you watch TV, you are going to need only low-level background lighting.
- If you have a single dimmer switch, you won’t be able to save energy. It’s much better to have a range of lights in your room, all of them with separate switches, because you can choose the lighting you need. Knowing the most important things about the different types of lighting products is good.
- If you’re creating an outdoor kitchen, you may choose to install energy-efficient lighting, such as LED flood lights with motion sensors.
Traditional light bulbs
The EU took measures against traditional light bulbs to save energy and fight climate change. Producers and sellers can no longer sell incandescent light bulbs of 100 watts or above in the EU.
Incandescent light bulbs were invented 130 years ago, so they’re basically very old technology compared to what’s available nowadays. What’s even worse is that they can convert only between 5% and 10% of their energy into light. This makes them too wasteful and inefficient. To make matters worse, they don’t even last that long compared to other alternatives.
So, let’s check the other options and how our homes (and energy bills) can benefit from them.
Halogen Lamps
They are slightly more efficient than traditional light bulbs because even though they basically use the same technology as them, they run at a higher temperature, which makes them somewhat more energy-efficient.
However, people place a great number of them in one room, so the amount of electricity is higher than any other option.
Compact Fluorescents
Compact fluorescents (CFLs) use a different technology than the previous two types. The glass tube is full of gas, which is charged up so that it glows. CFLs use about 20% of the electricity that a traditional light bulb will use, making them 80% more efficient than them. On top of that, they can last up to 10 times longer, which in and of itself shows why they make such an efficient energy-saving device.
LEDs
They use different technology, too – light-emitting diodes.
Diodes are devices that allow electricity to flow in one direction only. LEDs aren’t a new invention, but it has taken some time to develop a lamp that can fit enough LEDs together, so they can become an effective alternative to domestic lighting.
LEDs are expensive but the most efficient of all types of lighting products because they last really long. This makes them a really worthwhile investment, especially if you’re moving to another city and want to look for ways to reduce your living expenses.
Light fittings or luminaires
Use more transparent shades of fittings to let more light spill out directly. The most efficient fitting will usually be the one where you can see the light bulb.
Replacing your light fittings can make your home much more energy efficient, which guarantees you will save plenty of money on electricity. It’s a fairly simple job, but if you’re not handy with tools or lack the experience, it’s better to have a professional electrician do it instead.
Remember, replacing your light fittings will not only save on electricity, but it can quickly improve the room’s aesthetic. So, if you’re doing some home renovations, remember to focus on creating functional spaces and factor in energy efficiency.
One last thing to remember is that you must not use bulbs with a higher wattage than the fixture is rated for.
Conclusion
Energy-efficient lighting can indeed reduce our electricity bills, but it can also do that with our carbon footprint. So, this makes it a great start at treating our planet better and living more sustainably.
In this day and age, it’s even doubly more important to try to do so, so don’t just stop by replacing your lighting–think of more ways you can save on electricity, like replacing your appliances with their energy-efficient equivalents.
Doing all that will deduct quite a bit of money from your monthly expenses. But the biggest positive impact will be on the environment, which makes it something definitely worth looking into.
