Lighting

Indoor Lighting Tips

Dusty or grimy light bulbs can reduce light output substantially; give them an occasional wipe to maintain peak performance.
Timers, photocells and occupancy sensors will reduce the total amount of time your lights are in use.
Supplement low-level background lighting with high-intensity task lighting when you need it. In the kitchen, under-the-cupboard lights focus on the job at hand and look good, too.
Daylight is prized in winter, why shut it out? Draw back your drapes and adjust your vertical and Venetian blinds to let the sun shine in.

Outdoor Lighting Tips

Outdoor gas lamps are attractive and growing in popularity, but unless you like big gas bills resist the temptation to use them to light your property. They're very costly to operate over the course of a year.
Incandescent outdoor floodlights are cheap to buy but they are an expensive and wasteful way to light up the night. Install motion detectors to minimize use, or select less-expensive alternatives for lights that will operate for long periods.
Take advantage of the economy and reliability of compact fluorescent lighting outdoors; make sure you buy a lamp and transformer package with a cold weather ballast.

Consider a low-voltage outdoor lighting system. They're inexpensive, easy to install, safe, and fixtures are now available in a wide range of styles. Low-voltage light bulbs generate soft illumination to highlight your property more efficiently than low- wattage120-volt bulbs. You can install your system transformer in a heated area for all-weather use; don't forget to seal the through-the-wall opening for the system's low-voltage

A typical house has 30 light bulbs that use about $200 worth of electricity each year. Whether you are simply replacing burned-out light bulbs or designing a lighting system from scratch, the more you are willing to invest in energy-efficient lighting, the more you can save over the long term.

Set a goal of replacing five standard incandescent light bulbs with ENERGY STAR labelled CFLs and you can save around $30 every year. Where would you put five new CFLs? You can base your decision on the following:
- Where a light is on for more than three hours a day, such as the kitchen, family room, recreation room or workshop.
- Where a light is in a hard-to-reach place, such as a recessed dome in a high ceiling.
- Where exterior lights are on for much of the night (be sure that the CFL is labelled for exterior use).
If you are building a new home, you have an opportunity for tremendous energy savings. By using only energy-efficient lighting systems, you can reduce the cost of lighting on your electricity bill by $100–$150 every year. After just a couple of years, you will have recovered the higher initial cost of the more efficient system. Ask your builder or contractor for help in choosing energy-efficient lighting.

Safety Tip: Halogen floor lamps-also known as torchières-operate at extremely high temperatures and must be used with care: they are a fire hazard and can cause nasty burns. Keep them away from drapes and other flammables. Make sure the manufacturer's glass shield is in place, and always wear safety glasses and gloves when handling or replacing light bulbs.