Jack B. Layton Sons | Electrical Contractor

Tips

• Check the wattages of the incandescent light bulbs in your house. In many cases, you can substitute lower wattage bulbs and get more light for the same amount of energy. Look for the lumens of a bulb instead of watts. Lumens indicate the brightness of the bulb. Watts only tell you the amount of power it takes to make the bulb work.
• Use long-life bulbs only when advantageous, such as in hard-to-reach places. They give less light than standard incandescent bulbs of the same wattage.
• Urge everyone to turn off lights when leaving a room. Having wall switches in convenient places helps everyone remember.
• Select lighting fixtures on the basis of their efficiency. Fluorescent lamps produce about four times as much light per watt as incandescent bulbs.
• Install fixtures on two or three separate circuits in large rooms where you may need high levels of lighting periodically but not all the time.
• Use three-way switches or dimmer control switches to keep lighting levels low whenever possible.
• Install photo-electric controls and timers to turn off outdoor lights during the day.
• Clean lighting fixtures regularly. Dust on lamps, reflectors and light bulbs impairs lighting efficiency.
• Locate floor, table and wall lamps in the corner of a room rather than against a flat wall. Lamps in corners reflect light from two wall surfaces instead of one, and therefore, give you more light.
• Choose light colors for walls, ceilings, floors and furniture. Light colors reflect light. Dark colors absorb light and require higher bulb wattages