Choosing the Right Lighting Options to Save Money
Contributed under creative commons license by thingermejig
In a recent article called “The Light Bulb Showdown” on The Simple Dollar blog there was an analysis of the best deal between LED, CFL, and incandescent light bulbs. While this may not be the most exciting discussion it is noteworthy because it happens to be one of the easiest ways for consumers to save on their energy bills.
When researching the best light bulbs it seems that LED bulbs are the Holy Grail for energy conscious consumers but according to The Simple Dollar they have a way to go when it comes total cost of ownership.
In a test of a 7.5 watt LED, a 13 watt CFL, and 60 watt incandescent bulb they had a total cost of ownership over a 30,000 hour lifespan of $144.49, $43.65, and $187.82 respectively. While the energy savings is significant for an LED bulb the initial cost raises the total cost of ownership beyond the CFL.
While the LED may not be ready for prime time yet there are some ways to minimize your energy cost and leverage the best lighting options:
- Choose the smallest bulb that meets your needs. Most appliances will take a 40 to 60 watt incandescent bulb but since this isn’t a primary light source you can likely replace that bulb with a 5 watt CFL to reduce your overall operating cost.
- If you don’t need significant light in your bedroom replace the lights in your bedside lamps with 5 watt CFL and select either a directional light or a light colored opaque lampshade.
- For outdoor lighting there are a number of solar LED lighting options that will provide 8 to 10 hours per charge. In an outdoor environment an attractive LED lamp may provide a better looking option than a brighter, grid driven lamp and can serve the same purpose weather decorative or security lighting.
- Buy dusk to dawn, timer driven, or motion sensing light fixtures when using lighting for security purposes to ensure they are turned off when not in use or needed.
By choosing the correct light bulb and fixture consumers can save money with their casual energy use.
What are your energy saving tips?
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