Decreasing the amount of energy you use in your home can not only reduce your impact on the environment, but it also has the immediately-tangible benefit of lowering your utility bills. One of the easiest ways to increase your energy savings is to upgrade your home lighting. By replacing each incandescent bulb in your home with one of the newer, energy-efficient options, you can reduce your energy usage for home lighting by up to 80 percent.
Energy-Saving Home Lighting Options
- Halogen Bulbs: Halogen bulbs operate similarly to traditional light bulbs and they are also incandescent. By encasing the filament in a tube of halogen gas, however, halogen bulbs both last longer than traditional incandescent bulbs and they use up to 25 percent less energy. Halogen bulbs are available in a variety of styles and shapes, including versions for special applications such as appliance lighting.
- Compact Fluorescent: Unlike incandescent bulbs, which lose up to 90 percent of the energy they draw as heat, compact fluorescent bulbs are much cooler to the touch, because little energy is wasted. This results in an energy savings of up to 75 percent, compared to the average incandescent bulb of similar brightness. Today’s compact fluorescent bulbs are not as harsh on the eyes as older models, they are able to be cycled on and off quickly, they last longer and they are available in versions that are compatible with dimmer switches.
- LED Bulbs: LED bulbs are made from an array of light emitting diodes, or LEDs, similar to the indicator lights that have been used on electronics for many years. With the introduction of low-cost white LEDs a few years ago, highly efficient LED bulbs were made possible for home lighting purposes, and compared to traditional incandescent bulbs, they use up to 80 percent less energy and last 25 times longer.
Besides increasing your energy savings with home lighting upgrades, you may also want to consider options that can increase the efficiency of your HVAC system. Contact our HVAC experts at Brennan’s Heating & Air today to discuss your options today, or to schedule a service appointment.
