1) Change five lights. Replace your home’s five most frequently
used light fixtures, or the bulbs in them, with models that have earned the
ENERGY STAR for energy efficiency. By making this change, a household can save
more than $60 a year in energy costs. The home’s five most frequently
used lights typically include:
1.
Kitchen ceiling dome light
2.
Living room table lamp
3.
Living room floor lamp
4.
Bathroom vanity light
5.
Outdoor porch or post lamp
You can find ENERGY STAR qualified products for each of these applications at www.goodmart.com.<
2) Buy 1 instead of 10. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) last up to 10
times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs and can save you more than
$45 in energy costs over the life of the bulb, based on a
10,000 hour 23W CFL and a
1,000 hour 60W incandescent bulb at $0.10 per kWh.
3) Consider the environmental savings. Your home can be responsible for
twice as much air pollution as your car. If one room in every US
household was brightened by
ENERGY STAR qualified lighting
we’d prevent air pollution equivalent to the
emissions from 8 million cars. There are some savings that are worth more than
dollars and cents – changing the world can be as simple as changing a
light!
4) Buy products with a strong warranty. A warranty is a great way to
avoid unnecessary replacement costs.
ENERGY STAR qualified light fixtures
come with a 2-year warranty -- decimal the
industry standard. Plus, they are a stylish addition to any décor.
That’s a smart investment.
5) Keep cool with a ceiling fan. By replacing an old ceiling fan with
a new energy efficient ENERGY STAR qualified ceiling fan/light combo unit you
can save $15-25 a year on energy bills. Qualified ceiling fans have optimized
fan blades and motors that move air 20% more efficiently than traditional
models. Cool-to-the-touch lighting allows the fan to cool you without competing
with heat from traditional halogen or incandescent lights. These newer, more
efficient fans with lighting are decorative, practical and will help you save
energy and money year round.
6) Use dimmers. Dimmers
not only allow you to set a mood by providing a range of light output, but can
also help decrease energy costs associated with lighting. If you are looking
for an
ENERGY STAR qualified lighting product that works with a dimmer,
be sure to see the manufacturer’s product details, as many fixtures and bulbs are
manufactured for use only on standard wall switches. GoodMart sells several
dimmable CFLs,
as well as a wide array of quality
dimmers by Lutron.
You can browse and shop for dimmable CFL and dimmer product details anytime at
www.goodmart.com.
7) Flip a switch when leaving a room. Saving energy and money can
start by not wasting energy. When you leave a room, turn off the light and see
the savings. Alternatively, consider replacing a wall switch with a motion
sensor. GoodMart offers quality
wallbox motion sensors
by
The Watt Stopper,
which will remember to turn the lights off for you!
8) Safety (and savings) first. The bulb in a halogen torchiere lamp
burns at between 700-1,100 degrees Fahrenheit—hot enough to fry an egg.
ENERGY STAR qualified torchiere bulbs
not only operate at much cooler and safer temperatures, they last up
to 10 times longer than standard Halogen Lamps, saving you approximately $75 in
energy and bulb replacement costs over their lifetime.
GoodMart sells ENERGY STAR qualified torchieres.
9) Put your lights on a schedule. There are many products available
to help ensure your lights are on only when you need them. Install
timers that automatically turn lights off
and on according to your needs. Use
motion detectors
on your outdoor fixtures for safety and to prevent lights from being on all
night. Look for outdoor lighting products with photo cells or photo sensors
that allow lights to come on only when the sun is down. All ENERGY STAR
qualified outdoor fixtures come with photocells or photo sensors. Photocells
can be purchased for other types of outdoor lighting if you are not currently
planning to replace your incandescent or halogen outdoor lighting and you'd
like to save energy. GoodMart sells wallbox timers, motion sensor controls,
photocell-controlled porch fixtures
and many more energy-saving products.
10) Start with lighting. Replacing
your home’s five most frequently used fixtures, or the bulbs in them,
with ones that have earned the ENERGY STAR, is one of 5 simple actions that EPA
is encouraging everyone to do to make their home more energy-efficient. Other
actions Americans can take include: 1. Looking for other
products that have earned the ENERGY
STAR, including home electronics and appliances; 2. Heating and cooling
your home smartly; 3. Sealing your home with adequate insulation; and 4.
Telling family and friends—help spread the word that energy efficiency is
good for your home and the environment. The typical household spends $1,400 a
year on energy bills. With ENERGY STAR, you can save up to 30%, or about $420 a
year, on your energy bills. Businesses can save even more. Learn more:
energystar.gov
and
goodmart.com.