5 to 10 %. This is the average cost of lighting on your overall energy consumption bill at the end of each month. Upgrading your home’s lighting system is a simple and convenient way to help you significantly reduce your monthly household lighting expenditures. Read on to discover three easy steps to save money on your home lighting bill.
1) Turn off the light when you leave a room
It’s so simple. It should be a reflex. In fact, it would be best if we turned on a light only when necessary. But, as we all know, this is something we tend to forget. There is a way to resolve this forgetful habit: install motion sensors. What a trouble-free way of resolving the problem!
The following rooms of your house merit your attention:
2) Change the outdated light bulbs that use excessive energy
Examine the following chart that compares the life span of various light bulbs. Find the ones that closely resemble your home’s lighting fixtures. Select those that you feel most in need of an upgrade.
Yes, LED lights are more costly than their regular counterparts (up to 25 times more expensive; i.e., 0.30¢ vs. $7). However, the energy consumption of a LED light is significantly lower than a regular light bulb (five times less wattage). Moreover, LED lights have a longer life span (50,000 hours vs. 1,000 hours). All in all, this is a win-win situation: by replacing your old light fixtures with LED lights, you have peace of mind for the next 25 years!
As the initial investment is significant, we recommend that you make a gradual change. Begin with the luminaires that you use most often such as kitchen, bedroom and living room lights. Also, in general, we tend to light the exterior of our homes more often and for longer periods. You can rectify that with motion sensors that will only light up when they sense movement nearby.
3) Install an adequate number of lights in each room
In a previous article entitled 3 Types of Basic Lighting, we explained the value of installing a minimum of three types of lighting systems in a room: overall lighting, localized lighting and accent lighting. The various types of lighting allow you to adjust the intensity of each light source based on the task at hand. This way, you avoid unnecessary energy consumption.
The 15 for 15 Dream Challenge
Replace 15 old light bulbs with 15 efficient, modern light systems, and save enough money to fulfil a dream or two.
Indeed, when you substitute 15 incandescent light bulbs for 15 LED lamps in strategic areas of your house, you can expect to save up to $2,500 over a period of 15 years! Enough to realize the dream of a lifetime!
