Eco-Friendly Lighting Tips for Your Home

 By Diana Smith

Taking care of the environment is imperative, so we should use every opportunity to introduce eco-friendly habits into our lives. Going green with lighting in your home is one way to do it. Switching from incandescent to CFL lights is just one of the many ways you can contribute to saving the planet. However, there are many more tips you should check out if you want to introduce eco-friendly lighting into your home.

Forget about the Incandescent Bulbs

The swirly cone-like shaped bulbs ‒ CFLs ‒ are much better for your home than the old incandescent ones. Not only do they provide better lighting, they also save energy. They will burn for 10 000 hours, unlike the traditional ones that won’t go over 2 000 hours. While the CFLs do cost more, they’re a much better option in the long run. What’s more, they’ll consume only a quarter of a traditional bulb’s energy, which means your electricity bill will also be lower. Furthermore, these bulbs won’t produce as much heat as the incandescent ones, which will prove great in the hot summer months, when the last thing you need is an additional source of heat in your home.

LED bulbs are another alternative to incandescent bulbs. They are the most energy-efficient light bulbs, so it would be a great idea to invest in them. They’ll last up to 50 000 hours, so they’re definitely worth the buck. Another advantage of LED bulbs is that you can choose from an array of colors and brightness levels. Unlike, CFLs, LED bulbs won’t take much time to warm up.

Motion Sensor Lights

Installing motion sensor lights is a great way to save energy. They will only turn on once alerted about something in their peripheral. Therefore, the moment you exit the room, the lights will go off. These are great for those who often forget to turn the lights off. However, bear in mind that installing lighting fixtures isn’t easy, so if you need a professional help be sure to have an emergency electrician 24 hours on call, and be sure everything is set up perfectly.

Smart Bulbs

Smart bulbs are one of the best lighting innovations of the modern age. By installing them into your home, you’ll have the opportunity to set lighting schedules and adjust the brightness to your phone app. Not only will you be able to control them from outside the home, but they’ll also change their brightness depending on the amount of natural light in the room. However, a small drawback of smart bulbs is definitely the price, considering they cost between $15 and $50. Nevertheless, they will last for at least 25 000 hours and up to 50 000 hours.

Update the Old Fixtures

Adding dimmers to your lighting fixtures is a great way of upgrading them. This way you’ll be able to adjust the level of brightness in the room. Not only will the dimmers save the electricity, but they’ll also extend the life of the lightbulbs. Additionally, instead of having ceiling lights that’ll turn on all together once you flip the switch, consider having multiple lights in the room, that you can light up individually. This way you’ll only shed light on the part of the room you need to.

Switching to CFL and LED light bulbs, installing motion sensor lights, smart bulbs and updating the old lighting fixtures are just some of the ways to have eco-friendly lighting in your home. Be sure to research other options, and start taking care of the environment. We should try our best to develop as many eco-friendly habits as possible, and be equipping the home with energy efficient lighting is one way to start.