Energy Efficient Lighting Tips

When many people think about energy-efficient lighting for their homes, they think of harsh, unflattering fluorescent tubes and the hassle of replacing every existing light fixture in the home. Luckily, energy-efficient lighting is more convenient and attainable than ever. The best part? There's no need to sacrifice your style, as you can see in the photo here, which is of a light fixture that uses LED light!

Here are some ideas for making your home's lighting more energy efficient.

Put your lighting fixtures on dimmers. Incandescent light bulbs dim smoothly with inexpensive, easy-to-install dimmers. Consider: dimming your lights just 25 percent at a time quadruples the light bulb's life! As a huge bonus, dimmers allow you to customize the mood of each room. Note: if you're going to make the switch to LED, be aware that LEDs do not play nice with incandescent dimmers. They need their own LED dimmer!

Use motion sensors or timers on outdoor lights. These are a great energy efficient lighting option because they automatically turn off outdoor lights when not needed, but they're also ideal for improving home security.

Use compact fluorescent or LED bulbs. Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL) and LED bulbs screw into the fixture just like incandescent light bulbs, but they last a lot longer. They're also much more flattering--and, in the case of LED bulbs, affordable--than they once were. Replacing just one incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent or LED is a great and easy step in the right direction toward energy efficient lighting!

When you're shopping for energy-efficient lighting, you can also look for mentions of Energy Star or, on our site, you can sort by bulb type using the filters on the left side to find fixtures that use CFL bulbs or built-in LED light sources.

Need more advice? Contact us on social media or give our trained lighting specialists a call at 1-866-688-3562.

Emma Harger-Young - Lights Online