Energy Saving Light Bulbs

Keep Your Lights On and Save Money!

If US homeowners used just one of our energy saving tips and replaced just one light bulb in their home with energy saving light bulbs, there would be enough energy saved to light 3 million homes for an entire year! This is a savings of over $600 million in energy costs a year. It would also prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gases from being released each year---the equivalent to gases released from 800,000 cars!

By taking the steps in the Home Energy Savings Guide you will get home energy saving tips and information to help you navigate the maze of lighting technologies.

As inefficient light bulbs are phased out, energy saving bulbs are now becoming increasingly common. Technology is developing quickly and there now is a wide range of products to choose from.

The main technologies currently in use are:

• Traditional light bulbs


• Halogen lamps


• Compact fluorescent


• LEDs


• Strip lights


• Light fittings

Traditional Light Bulbs

Traditional light bulbs are extremely inefficient. They were invented nearly 100 years ago, and only convert about 5% of the electricity they use into visible light. Inside the bulb is a tiny filament which is heated up until it glows, giving off a yellowish white light. Light bulbs don't last long because the filaments gradually evaporate. If you still use any of these light bulbs in your house, you should replace them right away.

Halogen lamps

Halogen lamps work in a similar way to traditional light bulbs, but they run at a higher temperature, making them slightly more efficient. However, they are often used in larger numbers, often meaning the total amount of electricity used to light a room in this way is often higher. You normally see these lights being used in spotlight 'down lighters'.

One way to save money if you intend to use halogen lamps is to install lower output bulbs, because they will still give a good light (if a little less bright) and are essentially no brighter than they need to be.

Another alternative is to replace the bulbs with the latest super-efficient halogen bulbs which use 30% less electricity, or replace your halogen bulbs to LED's. Doing any of the above are some of the Energy Saving Tips found in the Home Energy Savings Guide.

Compact fluorescent

Compact Fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) use completely different technology from traditional light bulbs and halogen bulbs. A gas inside a glass tube is charged up so that it glows causing a coating on the inside of the glass tube to 'fluoresce', giving off the white light that we want. Modern CFLs do not flicker, and can reach full light output quickly. CFLs are great because they use 20% to 25% less electricity than other lighting options and can last up to 10 times longer than traditional bulbs. An 'Energy Saving Tip' that is sure to reduce your bills.

LEDs

LEDs have been around a long time, but they only emit a small amount of light. LED technology uses light-emitting diodes. A light-emitting diode allows electricity to flow through it in one direction only.

LED like-for-like replacements for halogen 'down lighters' are now available, but are expensive. They are the most efficient option of all, and last far longer than any other technology. They last an incredible 50,000 hours, use very little energy and will pay for themselves several times over before they need replacing.

Strip lights

These are long, straight fluorescent tubes. Like CFLs, modern lamps are more efficient, faster to light up and emit a better quality of light. Strip lights are not often used in homes however.

Light fittings

People often look for 'Energy Saving Tips' only in their choice of bulb, when one should also be looking at the light shades and fittings themselves! A dark lamp shade can easily absorb more than half the light output of a bulb before it has the chance to light up your room. You can save energy and money simply by using more transparent shades that let more of the light spill out directly.

The most efficient shade will usually be one where you can see the light bulb. Some light fittings have reflective surfaces inside to direct as much of the light as possible in the required direction. This will increase efficiency if light is required mostly in one place – it may seem obvious, but every little change can help make your home more energy efficient.

Some fittings come with a glass or other transparent diffuser to hide the bulb without losing much light output. It is worth cleaning these from time to time to make sure light output doesn't drop off.

These small changes are all part of getting energy smart.

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