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10 Ways to Make Your Household Lighting More Efficient
Lighting accounts for a fifth of your energy bill. This is how to reduce it.

Josh Peterson

By Josh Peterson
Fayetteville, AR, USA | Mon May 18 12:30:00 GMT 2009

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Eco-Friendly Lighting | Home Energy Use | Saving Energy

Lighting accounts for 34% of US electricity usage and 20% of your electric bill. Therefore, it is paramount that we take measures to use this large percentage of electricity properly. We can start with the simplest green tip, turning off the light when you leave a room. Apart from "don’t litter," "turn off the light" is one of the simplest and most effective tips that there is. But I’ll try and give you a few more tips than just that.

Making Your Household Lighting More Efficient

1. Use CFL or LED light bulbs.

2. Employ motion sensors in little-used areas of the house, to ensure that the lights go off when you leave the room.

3. Employ more natural light. You can use skylights, solar tubes or mirrors.

Paint the walls of your house light colors. This will reflect more light, allowing you to use lower wattage bulbs and/or LEDs.
4. Keep your walls clean. Dirty walls will reflect less light.

5. Repaint walls every few years. Make sure to use Low/No VOC paints.

6. Clean fixtures every 6 months. If your fixtures are dirty, you aren't receiving the full benefit of your lights, but you are still using full power.

7. Replace yellow lenses.

8. When you buy new light fixtures, choose EnergyStar models.

9. Light-colored curtains allow daylight to penetrate, they keep your house private and reflect heat.