by Aurora Anne Taylor

Created on: August 03, 2010

Let's face it.  Like everything else, energy costs have gone way up in the last few years and promise to skyrocket even more with government planned global warming regulations.  Fortunately, there are some simple ways to reduce your home energy costs.  One of the easiest ways to save money, is to simply change your light bulbs!  Here are a few bulbs that can help you cringe a little less when you get that electric bill:

Compact Florescent Light Bulbs

CFL bulbs started to catch on in the 90s and with good reason.  They use anywhere from 65 to 75 percent less energy than normal incandescent bulbs.  Energy Star statistics show that one compact florescent bulb can save 30 dollars over its lifetime and pay for itself in about 6 months!  Prices have gone down on these bulbs since their initial release about 50 percent, their spiral shape looks modern and they create less heat, resulting in a reduced electric bill.  Although the larger florescent bulbs you see in schools and office buildings require a special unit into which they plug, the compact bulbs work in your standard light bulb socket.  Compact florescent bulbs come in a variety of shades and strengths, such as more yellow or more white and they are easily obtainable, even being sold at some grocery stores.  One drawback to these bulbs is the amount of mercury they contain, thus recycling and careful cleanup and disposal of broken bulbs is encouraged.

Light Emitting Diode Bulbs

LED bulbs have been around for a long time.  They are the tiny bulbs you see in things like pen lights and stringed Christmas lights, but their uses are rapidly expanding in the home.  They are frequently used these days in recessed lighting.  According to Energy Star, they last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs, use up to 75 percent less energy, are available in a wide range of colors and are cooler than compact florescent bulbs as the heat is channeled into the fixture, not out into the room and are not hot to the touch.  Even though they outperform compact florescent bulbs, they are still not that widely used in homes yet.  Since there are still a limited number of manufacturers, LEDs can be expensive, but the rapid improvement in their technology and their potential energy savings in the home are expected to bring prices down in the near future.

Solar

Another way to reduce lighting costs is to utilize solar bulbs for landscaping purposes.  They have come way down in price and can be obtained at numerous discount stores in plastic fixtures for just a few bucks per light.  These are basically LED bulbs hooked up to a solar panel.  They can drastically reduce outdoor lighting costs, while providing attractive, easily movable illumination all night long. 

CFL, LED and solar light bulbs all provide the added benefit of helping to reduce energy consumption and help the planet.  Whether you care about the environment or not, there is really no excuse not to try at least some of them.  They can help the planet, improve the look of your home and your budget as well! 

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