Lights

• Enjoy natural light whenever possible. It's free.
  

• A typical light bulb on 12 hours per day costs $37.50 per year. Burn it for only six hours and save $18.75. Not worth it? Multiply that by the number of light bulbs in your house.
  

• Replace spent incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents, which use a fraction of the energy. Good candidates for replacement are 60-100W bulbs that are on several hours per day.
  

• Teach your children energy-saving habits early on. Invest the savings in their future.
  

• Consider using motion-sensor lights if you have difficulty remembering to turn lights off.
  

• Keep forgetting to turn your lights out? Install timers to turn lights on and off for you.
  

• Buy bulbs with the Energy Star label. Bulbs absorb only 5-10% of your total lighting costs (the rest is the electricity they use). So paying a little more up front pays for itself over time.
  

• Keep bulbs clean. Dirt absorbs as much as 50% of a bulb¹s light.
  

• Light means bright. Buy light-colored or translucent lampshades and consider painting your walls light colors as well, especially in rooms that receive little natural light.
  

• Save by using only the light you need. Use three-way bulbs and task lamps to fine-tune your lighting to the atmosphere or need.
  

• Buy for efficiency. Compact fluorescent bulbs last up to 10 times longer.
  

• Install low accent lighting along walkways and drives. This costs less than elaborate outdoor lighting and increases safety.
  

• Avoid cheap, halogen torchière lamps, which can be a fire hazard. A compact fluorescent torchière is not a fire hazard and can save more than $30 per year in electricity costs.