Energy efficient lighting at home
When furnishing a home, you can't help but get to the interior lighting. Beautiful rooms also require beautiful lighting. However, what most people don't think about at all when selecting lighting fixtures is the electricity bill. With the rising cost of electricity, we thought it appropriate to address lighting fixtures that spend less electricity and how to use them in your home. We'll try to help you save a small amount of money by furnishing with energy efficient light fixtures. Let's get started.
Every household makes expenses. But have you thought about which expense accounts for the largest percentage? The maximum portion of your expenditure goes towards the electricity bill. Shockingly, most people complain that this is something they have no control over. However, in reality, it's not exactly like that and energy can be saved even from lighting fixtures. According to a study, about 25% of the average home energy budget is spent by lighting fixtures. Incandescent bulbs give a whole new aura to the living space. But are they really cost-effective? So the crux to furnishing a space energy efficiently and not spending too much on electricity, it turns out, is finding fixtures that illuminate the space without consuming too much energy.
Get rid of incandescent bulbs
This is the first step to energy efficient lighting. These bulbs consume an unnecessary amount of energy and end up increasing electricity bills. Since saving energy has become a prerequisite for every household, various smart energy saving options have been introduced in the market. Even bulb manufacturers have switched to manufacturing energy saving lighting fixtures to meet the customer demand. The biggest positive of these luminaires is that they illuminate the room with brightness not less than that of incandescent bulbs. In addition, you will notice a significant drop in your electricity bill as soon as you switch to LEDs and CFLs.
Almost everyone is familiar with fluorescent lamps. CFLs are a miniature version of these lights that emit a light that looks no different than incandescent.
The best part of using a CFL is that it is about 4 times more efficient than incandescent lights and uses about 60% less energy. You will find a diverse assortment of CFLs in the market. CFL lamps can be table lamps, ceiling lamps and even recessed lights.
LEDs on the other hand are small, dense bulbs with diffuser lenses, usually grouped together to emit energy efficient lights. There are a number of reasons why switching to LEDs is a very good idea. Here are the benefits - these bulbs last about 10 times longer than fluorescent bulbs. They have no mercury or filament, unlike other bulbs. They use only 2-15 watts of electricity and are one of the most efficient lighting fixtures of modern times. Imagine how little 2 watts of electricity is. Wouldn't you want your lamp, for example in your kitchen, to spend such a minimal amount too? Of course you would.
Buy lighting products with certificates.
Lighting fixtures are appliances and as such, you need to make sure they work upright. When choosing for your home, always keep one thing in mind that they should be of quality and proven origin. Also check if the light fixtures have a warranty and what it includes. Last but not least, always make sure that you buy lighting products with certifications that include FCC, Energy Star and UL. Certified products are reliable when it comes to energy efficiency.
Buy eco-friendly lighting products Even if you're buying LED or CFL, make sure the bulb contains no mercury and has a low carbon footprint. This will all be described in the documentation of the luminaire, which is most likely found its box.