Posted by Carol Hart on Tue, Sep 22, 2009 @ 12:16 PM
Every home has one--the light freak. Or more accurately, the turn-out-the-light freak. In our home, its my husband. He'll enter a room, heave a huge sigh and turn off the light before moving on to the next room with a heavy step. I, of course, come into the room he just left and say "Hey, Who turned out the light?" I hate being in a dark room, and I rarely think about turning off lights when I move around the house. When I'm home, the house is lit up like a Christmas tree. But without my personal light freak I'd pay a heavy price for my lack of concern. Lighting can account for a whopping 20% of home electrical bills.
Fortunately, I don't have to live in the dark to be energy efficient and keep my light bills within the bounds of reason. There are some great products that enable me to meaningfully reduce the amount of energy I use and still provide me with the light I crave. My favorite device is a Lutron dimmer switch.
A dimmer switch is a great idea. Dimming your lights by even a small percentage saves a corresponding amount of electricity, and dramatically extends the life of the bulb. I no longer have to choose between "interrogation room bright" (we can make you talk) and "stub my toe on the table dark". Generally I set my lights to 80 or 90%, leaving me with plenty of light and that righteous feeling enjoyed by the energy efficient among us. I enjoy setting my lights to 30 or 40% in the evening when things are winding down around my house, and sometimes (gasp) leave the lights on at 10% even in an empty room. The effect can be dramatic, making me feel like I live in a designer magazine. (It also can hide the fact that I really ought to vacuum the living room rug!)
Dimmer switches have come a long way. Lutron manufactures dimmers that work with incandescent lights, but also LED and fluorescents as well. Check out their interactive demo at Lutron home light control for some great ideas.
And save some money. Keep the lights on!