Why Invest in Energy-Efficient Lighting?

It happened on the first day. God said: “Let there be light.” And there was light. And God saw the light, and it was good.

Not to argue with the Almighty, but yes, light is good – at least until we receive our monthly light bill.

While light from the Creator is free of charge, light from the power company comes at a charge – both financially and electrically speaking. And sometimes that charge is enough to take your breath away.

We at C. M. Mockbee can certainly understand your shock – in this case we mean it in the financial sense. Conventional lighting – those so “old-fashioned” candescent light bulbs – can add to homeowners’ and business owners’ power bills significantly.

Taking a few simple steps and investing in energy-efficient lighting can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars per year. The U.S. Department of Energy offers several recommendations to make life less expensive by taking the shock out of opening your power bill:

• Replace your five most frequently used light bulbs in your house or business with products that have the ENERGY STAR rating. This step alone can save you $75 a year. Buying traditional bulbs is not something bright minds should do. Ninety percent of the energy these bulbs release is heat.
• Newer, energy-efficient bulbs are also available in lots of nifty colors to enable you to create the “atmosphere” of your choice.
• What are your choices? The most common types are halogen incandescent, CFLs and LEDs, according to the DOE.
• Capsules inside halogen light bulbs hold gas around filaments. These types of bulbs meet minimum energy-efficient standards.
• The compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are short and curly, the energy-efficient brethren of the long fluorescent lights in kitchens or garages. These bulbs will pay for themselves in less than nine months, according to the DOE. These bulbs are also available in various colors.
• LEDs are in a class of their own; called light emitting diodes, these are semiconductors that convert electricity into light. LEDs were once seen only at traffic lights, but today they’re becoming increasingly popular as new technologies make them more affordable and efficient. LEDs that have the ENERGY STAR designation use less than a quarter of the energy of conventional bulbs and last 25 times longer than Thomas Edison’s version, which is the one many of us still employ today. LEDs also use a quarter of the energy and last nearly 25 times as long as halogen light bulbs.

Investing in energy-efficient lighting is not only smart, it’s a really bright idea.

Did you find this information helpful? Are you interested in investing in energy-efficient lighting? Connect with us on our contact page!