Save Energy on Lighting

Reduce domestic lighting and power costs to save energy

It’s estimated that between 15% and 25% of domestic electricity bills are made up of lighting energy charges. With a few simple actions it is possible to halve your lighting costs without sitting in the dark or becoming a candle fanatic. A responsible use of household gadgets will also reap savings that cumulate over years into a considerable amount of money.

Energy saving light bulbs

In most homes incandescent light bulbs are still the most usual. The changeover to cheaper-powered fluorescent lighting has been slow due to the bulky nature of the new bulbs not sitting well with existing lamps and shades, they also cost more initially. But now fluorescents are much more compact, less ugly and they are not so expensive. They also save money, as they last considerably longer than incandescent bulbs and run with less power. Fluorescent lighting is available in over 200 shades, from the warm white of incandescent light to cool white tones similar to daylight. Fluorescents are more energy-efficient and use one-fifth to one-third the electricity of a comparably bright incandescent bulb and can last 10 to 20 times longer, also saving all that time buying and changing light bulbs.

Review your incandescent bulb use to save energy

While incandescent bulbs are quite cheap to buy initially, they use more energy than any other type of bulb and have a relatively short life. It’s not generally known that a single 100-watt incandescent bulb provides as much light as two 60-watt bulbs or even four 40-watt bulbs. Take a look around to see if you can replace several lower wattage incandescents with one higher wattage. This approach works well along with ‘task lighting’ (see below), leaving the ‘blanket’ lighting 100 watt bulb just for when needed.

Task lighting for energy saving

Task lighting is used extensively in an office environment to increase energy efficiency. By installing spotlights, sometimes on tracks or in clusters, and focussing them on specific ‘task’ areas such as cooking or reading, bookshelves or music collections, a lower wattage of light bulbs are required than ‘blanket’ lighting of a whole room. New light bulb technologies mean that these can run at much lower power consumption.

Dimmer switches for energy saving

Dimmer switches are a great investment, not just for subtle mood lighting but also as they save energy and money if you buy the right type. When you run an incandescent bulb ‘dimmed’ it also lasts a lot longer as it is not so prone to ‘burn-out’. What usually destroys incandescent bulbs is a combination of heat build-up, voltage fluctuation, and vibration and dimmer switches can help to protect them. Although used mainly for incandescent light, there are special dimmer switches available that work with fluorescent bulbs also.

Natural daylight use for energy saving

Re-arrange your furniture and decor to make use of natural light during the daytime. Simply placing your reading chair or study desk by a window saves electricity in daylight hours. You can maximise the amount of light in an upstairs room by installing skylights and using reflective or Venetian blinds. Consider decorating your rooms in a light colour to minimise light absorption. Some people even install a mirrored surface on exterior and interior windowsills to bounce more light inside.
In ancient times the daily cycle of work began and ended with dawn and dusk and anyone who has watched ‘westerns’ can’t fail to have noticed that old cliché ‘We’re burning daylight’! You can save power and money when the days are long simply by getting up and going to bed earlier.

Switch off at the plug socket for energy saving

In the UK alone, the little red diodes that show whether a machine is ‘on’ or ‘off’ costs upwards of £4 million a year in electricity. Switching off at the plug is a simple action that over time reaps cumulative money saving and also conserves energy for future generations.

Timers and occupancy sensors for energy saving

Timing devices for plugs and lights are cheaper than ever and can help to automate your home if programmed efficiently. Putting some of your domestic lighting onto timers can also be a deterrent to burglars who presume a dwelling is occupied when the lights are switched on. Special switches also exist that will turn lights off after a little time and these are most useful for hallways or stairwells that have occasional through traffic. Occupancy sensors are also useful for people who forget to turn lights off in a room. They monitor the room for activity and turn lights off when the room is empty.

TV use to save energy

Does your TV stay on as a ‘background’? Review your television use to see how much time it is on. Average television watching in the UK is about 4 hours a day. If you add all this together it means that many people spend fifteen years of their waking lives watching television. Isn’t there something better you could be doing?

Built-in generators to save energy

Generator technology for small devices such as radios and torches has come of age. The wind-up radio designed by Trevor Bayliss is a much-copied example and this technology is creeping into other consumer durables with a low power requirement. Watch out for wind-up computers (as if they aren’t a wind-up already!)