The Right Home Lighting Can Save You Money on Energy Bills

Posted by admin on September 25, 2014, at 2:46 pm

Choices you make about home lighting impact your energy costs and the cost of eventual bulb replacement. Both factors must be considered in order to choose the best option. Conventional incandescent bulbs waste energy by generating a substantial amount of heat in addition to light. That’s why they’re no longer manufactured for the consumer market. Here are the advanced, efficient alternatives to replace the old-school incandescent.

Halogen incandescent

Halogens produce bright light and are available in multiple colors. Though they use less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and still meet today’s efficiency standards, they are not the most energy-efficient choice.

Compact fluorescent

Also known as CFLs, these bulbs are simply the familiar tube-style fluorescent lights curled into a downsized bulb suitable for standard light fixtures. CFLs produce very little heat so most energy is converted to light. In most applications, a CFL will consume about 25 percent of the electricity used by a standard incandescent to produce the same amount of illumination, with a service life about 10 times as long.

LEDs

Light emitting diodes represent the future in home lighting An LED light bulb consumes as little as 20 percent of the electricity of an incandescent while lasting 25 times as long. LEDs are now available in common 40-, 60- and 75-watt equivalents. While the upfront cost is still high, prices are rapidly dropping.

Service life of conventional bulbs is impacted by on/off cycles. Therefore, it’s necessary to consider the amount of energy saved by turning the light off versus the resultant shorter service life. Conventional and halogen incandescents should be switched off when not needed because the energy consumption outweighs the cost of replacement. Compact fluorescent bulbs, however, consume less energy but cost more to replace. These should be turned off if you’re going to be out of the room more than 15 minutes. Service life of LED lights is generally unaffected by on/off cycles so they can be switched on and off as needed.

For more information on making the right choice in home lighting in your Dayton area home, please contact us at Henscey Electric, Heating & Air Conditioning.

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