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Lighting

KUA | Energy Conservation & Renewables | Energy Tips For Your Home | Lighting

 

You don’t have to live in the dark to lower the lighting portion of your electric bill! Lowering lighting levels in your home is an easy conservation measure since most customers use more light than is needed:

Turn off lights in any room not being used.

Keep lamps and fixtures clean to ensure you’re getting all of the light you’re paying for. Dust, grease, and other dirt accumulations on lamps, lenses, globes, and reflecting surfaces of the fixture can reduce light lumens output by as much as 30%. Cleaning will increase the light output and may allow you to remove some lamps or to install lower wattage ones.

Use one large bulb instead of several small ones in areas where bright light is needed.Always remember, however, to take advantage of natural lighting whenever possible.

Consider installing solid-state LED compatible dimmers or hi-low switches when replacing light switches. These make it easy to reduce lighting intensity in a room and thus save energy.

Replace incandescent with CFLs or LEDs.


By replacing your home’s five most frequently used light fixtures or bulbs with models that have earned the ENERGY STAR, you can save $75 each year. (KUA LED lighting rebate is available.)

Compared to traditional incandescents, energy-efficient light bulbs such as halogen incandescents, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), and light emitting diodes (LEDs) have the following advantages:

  • Typically use about 25% – 80% less energy than traditional incandescents, saving you money.
  • They can last 3-25 times longer.

Today’s energy-efficient bulbs are available in the wide range of colors and light levels you’ve come to expect. While the initial price of energy-efficient bulbs is typically higher than traditional incandescents, newer bulbs cost less to operate, saving you money over the life of the bulb. Many of the newer bulbs last significantly longer than traditional bulbs, so you won’t need to replace them so often.
The table below compares a 60 watt (W) traditional incandescent with energy efficient bulbs that provide similar light levels.

60W Traditional Incandescent
43W
Energy-Saving Incandescent
15W CFL
12W LED
60W Traditional 43W Halogen60W Traditional43W Halogen
Energy $ Saved (%)~25%~75%~65%~75%-80%~72%
Annual Energy Cost*$4.80$3.50$1.20$1.00
Bulb Life1000 hours1000 to 3000 hours10,000 hours25,000 hours

*Based on 2 hrs/day of usage, an electricity rate of 11 cents per kilowatt-hour, shown in U.S. dollars.

It’s as easy as 1, 2 3.   Step one: choose bulbs based on how bright you need them to be. This is measured in lumens. The higher the lumens, the brighter the light.  Step two: once you’ve chosen the lumen output you need, determine which bulb has the lowest estimated energy cost per year. These will save you the most money.  Step three: finally, choose the other features you prefer, such as lifetime and light appearance. The ENERGY STAR logo tells you which CFLs and LEDs meet minimum efficency, lifetime and quality standards.  You used to buy standard incandescents, which is the least efficient, your choices include now (from least efficient to most efficient are: new halogen incandescents, CFLs and LEDs.  Typical life span for standard incandescents are one year, followed by one to two years for new halogen incandescents, ten years for CFLs and 15 to 25 years for LEDs.