Although traditional incandescent bulbs are great for lighting your home, they waste between 90-98 percent of their energy as heat. Energy-efficient bulbs work more efficiently and consume less energy to produce light. Compact fluorescent and halogen bulbs can cut down on your energy bills. However, the amount you save will depend on which type of bulb you replace and how much energy you use.
1. How Much Money Do You Save From Energy-Efficient Lighting?
House-wide Replacement
According to MSN, the average American household spends $264 annually on lighting electricity. MSN estimates that incandescent bulbs can be inefficient and waste a lot of energy. Compact fluorescent light bulbs work about 75 percent better than an equivalent bright incandescent. Therefore, replacing incandescent bulbs in a Georgia home with CFL bulbs will reduce energy consumption by 75%. This is equivalent to $198 annually in savings for an average home.
Savings Per Bulb Per Year
If electricity costs $0.08/kilowatt-hour, and you use a 75-watt bulb for six hours per day at a time, the bulb consumes 164,250 watts (or 164 kilowatts) in an average year. That means that energy costs are approximately $13.12 annually. According to The Daily Green, a 20-watt CFL bulb produces approximately the same amount of light at $3.44. It consumes 43.800 watts or 43 kilowatts per hour during the same period. Although savings can be as high as $10 per bulb each year by switching to a new bulb, it is dependent on how much electricity you have in your area.
Over The Life Of The Bulb
CFL bulbs have a longer life span than incandescent lights. Energy star-certified bulbs last six times longer than traditional incandescent lamps. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a CFL bulb will save you approximately $40 per year at today’s electricity rates before it goes out. CFL bulbs also produce 75 percent less heat which can help reduce Georgia Gas costs.
2. How Do I Choose The Right Light Bulb For My Needs?
There are two types of energy-efficient light bulbs available: CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) and LEDs (light-emitting diodes). LEDs are the most popular and versatile light fitting. They can replace dimmable and spotlighted lights. CFLs use more energy than LEDs. By replacing all of your home’s bulbs with LED lighting, you can save a good amount per annum on your electricity bill..
The table below shows the best types of bulbs to use in different environments.
| General lighting | LED or CFL |
| Outdoor | LED or CFL |
| Spotlighting | LED spots |
| Dimmable lighting | LED or B-rated halogen |
| Crystal chandelier | LED |
You may have purchased a low-energy light bulb only to be disappointed with the brightness it produces.
Traditional bulbs used watts to measure brightness. However, watts are a measurement of power consumption and not brightness. Energy-efficient bulbs consume fewer watts so it’s best to focus on lumen output.
This table shows the wattage of traditional bulbs compared to the approximate equivalent lumen values for LEDs / CFLs.
| Traditional bulb | LED / CFL bulb |
| 15 watt | 140 lumen |
| 25 watt | 250 lumen |
| 40 watt | 470 lumen |
| 60 watt | 800 lumen |
| 75 watt | 1,050 lumen |
| 100 watt | 1,520 lumen |
Low-energy light bulbs mimic traditional bulbs. If you like a certain color, the new energy-efficient lighting should match it.
The ‘soft white’ and ‘warm white” bulbs create a warm glow that is ideal for general household lighting. While ‘cool white or ‘pure’ bulbs are great for offices or areas that require clear vision, ‘cool white or ‘pure’ are best for office lighting.
The color rendering index (CRI), is a measure of how well a bulb can illuminate a particular color. Although two bulbs may have the same color, a bulb with a higher color rendering index (CRI) will show the colors more accurately.
The CRI and lumen values will be indicated on the bulb’s packaging. For most household tasks, a CRI of 80 and above is acceptable.
3. What Else Can I Do To Reduce My Lighting Bill?
The cost of keeping the lights on can be quite expensive, as well as the heating and cooling costs. According to the Energy Department, the average family in Georgia spends more than $1,400 annually on utilities.
Be Considerate
The first step in minimizing those bills starts with you. Switch off the lights and appliances that are not in use. Minimize using your thermostat unnecessarily. It would be best if you also refrained from using the dryer. Hang your clothes out in the sun for them to dry. Invest in a programmable thermostat that is turned off when the room temperature is at an optimum level. When purchasing home appliances, be observant of the initial and running costs on devices since these are the indicators of the amount of energy the gadget will consume. A high initial price means that the operational costs are considerably low.
Installing Power Strips
The problem of devices using energy even when switched off can be solved using this tool. Power strips, shut off the power to the devices during hibernation.
Water Heating Expenses
To reduce the energy costs from heating water, get yourself a water heater that consumes less power. Also, the entire household can take short baths to minimize the usage of hot water.
Install Double-pane Windows
Windows that have single panels can result in energy waste since heat is lost to the environment, necessitating the use of a thermostat to warm the house. Double glasses can replace these single panes. The windows need to be gas-filled and lowly e-coated, regulating heat loss or heat retention depending on the climate experienced.
Insulate Your House
Houses with open shafts, vents, airways, and cracks are prone to losing heating. These openings must be sealed off. The reason you need to do this is that air moves around the house in convectional currents. The warm air in the home will escape into the attic, and the cold air located in that room slips into the lower chambers, and the temperatures lowered straining your thermostat to work on edge to maintain the warmth of the house.
Go Solar
Believe it or not, some solar panels are lightweight enough to be installed on the roof of a manufactured house. Although the initial cost for purchasing and installing the system is high, once you get solar power, it’s possible to generate clean electricity.
Make sure you research the top manufacturers of solar panels for homes and then narrow your search to those who are experienced in installing them. You don’t have to worry about the initial investment. There are local, and utility-run programs that can help.
Passive solar design can be strategic for homeowners. You can, for example, add a sunspace to your mobile home and orient it so that it gets maximum sunlight exposure.
Bottom Line
By following these simple methods, your electricity bills will be truncated to reflect the electric rates. You will not have to pay substantial electrical bills from negligence and a lack of information. Make an informed choice, and your money will be put to good use.