In the past, homeowners had very little choices when it came to lighting the home. In the beginning, candles and fireplaces were used to provide light in the home. Once electricity was developed, light bulbs were created to provide light, however, these bulbs used a great deal of energy to provide light for the home. Over the past few years, technology has advanced and lighting standards changed so that there are more ways to light the home and save money as well as energy.
Incandescent light bulbs were considered the standard in the past, offering lighting in the home in all shapes and sizes. Such bulbs can be placed in lamps, light fixtures, ceiling fan lighting, etc. and provide light based on wattage. However, such bulbs use a great deal of energy which means your power bill can be quite high. These bulbs also burn out quickly, meaning they would have to be replaced at a faster rate. If you are still using such bulbs to provide light in the home, you should consider alternatives such as CFL and LED lightbulbs.
ENERGY STAR rated light bulbs that are CFL or LED types will help you to see energy savings as well as last longer than a traditional incandescent light bulb. Traditional incandescent light bulbs are actually no longer manufactured as 90% of the energy produced is given off as heat. The lost energy is actually money that is being thrown away. With newer energy saving light bulbs, home owners have the ability to save energy, save money, choose the color in lighting as well as levels of lighting.
There are currently three types of lighting that are the most popular and considered energy efficient. By choosing any of these types, you are able to use less energy as well as see a longer life span.
This lighting type is one that comes in many shapes and colors and is used with dimming systems. This bulb type meets the federal minimum energy efficiency standard and has a capsule inside the holds gas around a filament to be able to increase the efficiency of the bulb during operation.
This light bulb type, also known as CFLs are a curly version of the long tube fluorescent lights that are commonly used in kitchens or garage areas. CFLs use less energy to operate than a traditional incandescent light bulb and can pay for itself in a short time frame. ENERGY STAR options will use ¼ less energy and last as much as ten times longer than a traditional light bulb.
Also known as LEDs, light emitting diodes are a bulb type that uses solid state lighting. This lighting type was once only used for traffic or indicator lights. Today, used in light bulbs for the home, homeowners can use just 20 to 25 percent of energy when installing ENERGY STAR LEDs. These bulbs will last as much as 25 times longer than a traditional incandescent bulb.
Overall, it can be beneficial to change out traditional light bulbs with LEDs or CFLs for the most savings. Look for the ENERGY STAR label to ensure you are saving as much as possible with the lighting in your home.