Twilight Time: 3 Ways to Green Winter Lighting Needs
By Chris Baskind in Home & Garden
With darker months come heftier energy bills. But greening-up your winter lighting needs can save valuable resources — and your pocketbook. Here’s how to start.
No, it’s not your imagination. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, the days are getting shorter — by almost two minutes each day, depending on your latitude.
It all adds up. With Daylight Savings Time behind us, most commuters are returning home by twilight. Evening outdoor activities are coming to an end, and we’re all spending more time indoors.
Lighting typically represents about 25% of a home’s overall energy use. A 1997 study found, perhaps unsurprisingly, that homes use 50% more power for lighting in the darker months than the rest of the year. This means that making adjustments now can payoff both in lower annual energy bills and in a reduced environmental footprint for your household.
Ready to lighten your winter lighting needs? Here are three ideas to get you started:
Convert your fixtures to CFLs
We’ve written extensively about Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) in the past, and there’s no shortage of documentation showing their energy saving value. If you’ve not already re-lamped your fixtures, a full complement of CFLs could easily reduce your lighting power needs by 60%. A couple of things to keep in mind: CFLs work differently than their incandescent counterparts, so do your homework before choosing CFL bulbs appropriate for your household. And since CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, they shouldn’t be tossed out with the regular trash. Learn how to properly dispose of your old CFLs before it’s time to retire your first expended bulb.
Install motion detector switches wherever practical
A doorway with motion sensor lighting
Motion detectors are widely used to regulate outdoor security lighting. But they’re also useful indoors. Hall and bedroom fixtures, for instance, lend themselves well to on-demand use. Walk into a dark room — the lights turn on, without fumbling for the switch. More importantly, they turn off when you leave. Inexpensive motion detector switches are available at most hardware stores and home centers. They’re both productive energy managers and a real convenience item.
Be aware of your energy habits
Your parent were right: turn off that light when you’re done with it. Sitting down to watch TV? Take a moment to walk around and switch-off the lights you don’t need. It’s possible to trim 10-15% of your lighting needs just by being more conscious of bulbs burning in storage areas and unoccupied rooms. It only takes a second to save.
Do you have any favorite energy saving tips to add to this list. Share your winter-wise ideas in our Comments section!
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We started using a single lamp in an area like the living room where you don't need a lot of light. Beeswax candles are good for the environment and burn slowly. And this Christmas we are getting a solar lantern. They all provide enough light to get around and perform simple tasks.
Two things I do to get free heat are to leave the oven and dishwasher open while they cool off. I also do batch cooking once a week with an oven full of quiches and roasting vegetables. It saves energy compared to cooking things separately.