Who doesn’t like the idea of saving some extra money? Maybe you want to save up for a fun trip to Disney World or buy a new car. What if we told you can save money by doing something as simple as changing out the light bulbs in your home?

No, it may not give you all the cash you need to get to Disney World, but it’s a great start.

Changing the light bulbs in your home to ones that provide more energy efficient lighting can provide some great benefits and save you money.

Before we dive into how you can put some extra coin in your pocket, let’s talk about the different kinds of lights you can put into your home. Things are about to get a little more technical so, safety glasses on everyone.

CFL vs. LED vs. Incandescent

Let’s take a look at the differences between these 3 types of lighting.

CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lights)

• Creates ultraviolet light that turns into visible light
• Takes longer to warm up
• Use 70% less energy than incandescent
• Last years longer than traditional bulbs

LED (Light Emitting Diodes)

• Instant light
• Can be dimmed
• Last longer than CFL
• Higher cost
• Use 95% of electricity for light

Incandescent

• Known as the traditional light bulbs
• Slowly being phased out
• Complete ban takes place in 2020
• Burns 97% of electricity as heat (which makes your house warmer)
• Shorter life span

As you can see, incandescent lighting, though still viable is not as great an option as CFL and LED. More energy-efficient lighting such as CFL and LED are the better choices for your home and your wallet. To see a breakdown of the costs for each of these lights, check out this article.

Essentially, LED lights are going to cost you the least amount of money in the long run. They may be more expensive upfront, however, their cost is continuing to drop. According to The Simple Dollar, by changing 20 of your incandescent light bulbs in your home to LED, you could save up to $3,260 over the course of 23 years. CFLs are still cost-effective and provide great benefits so it’s really up to you which one you prefer.

Now that we’re done with the technical talk, safety glasses off everyone. Let’s look into the benefits of changing the light bulbs in your home to more energy-efficient lighting, why it’s a good investment and how to do it:

Longer Lasting Lights

Spending a little more cash upfront for lighting will actually save you money in the long run. When you purchase higher quality lights that last longer you are not running back and forth to the store every few months when a bulb burns out. Most bulbs offer energy efficient lighting that can last you years before you have to replace them again.

Lower Utility Bills

Way back in the old days there weren’t as many choices of light bulbs. Most people would just visit the store and pick up a new bulb whenever one burned out.

Now, most light bulb technology is extremely efficient when it comes to saving energy. Efficient lighting doesn’t burn out as quickly, which means it’s also not emitting as much energy as the older bulbs. In turn, you receive lower utility bills.

If you have incandescent lighting in your home, it can actually increase your utility bill not only for the amount of energy it uses, but also for how much heat it releases. Because incandescent lights can get so hot, it heats up your house more which makes your AC work harder to cool everything down, thus increasing your utility bill.  

You may be thinking: Well, my current energy bill isn’t really costing me all that much, so why would changing my light bulbs make that big of a difference?

To which we answer: small savings can make a big difference over time.

Think about it: let’s say you save $10.00 per month just from changing a few bulbs in your home. Over the course of a year, you’d be saving yourself $120.00 which still may not seem like a lot of money. However, over time, it adds up to quite a bit and before you know it, you’ll be able to try that extra fancy restaurant you’ve been eyeing. Or better yet, you can buy even more energy-efficient lighting for your home!

Better for the Environment

Not only will you be saving some money when you change your bulbs for more efficient lighting, but you’ll also be saving the planet.

New light bulb technology has proven to last longer because it isn’t emitting as much energy which means it’s also producing less heat. Have you ever noticed how some bulbs can get so hot to the point where you don’t want to touch it for fear of burning yourself? Sometimes even just sitting under a lamp with an outdated bulb can bring the heat and make you uncomfortable.

Energy-efficient lighting isn’t going to overheat like other outdated light bulbs. Lower heat means it’s better for the environment which also means your house will stay at a manageable temperature. And like we said before, this will save you money on utility costs when your AC isn’t blasting all day to try and lower the temperature of your home because your light bulbs are too hot.

Improve Your Productivity

It’s been shown that having better lighting can increase your productivity. Adding more energy efficient lighting to your workplace or home can help you focus more, have less eye strain and help you concentrate longer.

How To Do It

Hopefully, you’ve been convinced of the importance of switching out all the light bulbs in your home to more energy efficient lighting, here are a few ways of how to do it:

One Room at a Time

Investing in new light bulbs can be just that: an investment. If you’re not wanting to dish out all of the money at once, you can start by changing the bulbs one room at a time.

You can also simply change the bulbs as soon as your old ones burn out. When you do, notice the difference the new lighting provides. Does it feel brighter? Less intense and easier on your eyes? These are just a few of the benefits you’ll gain when you switch to energy efficient lighting.

What about Wattage

If you’re going to spend some money on new lighting, it’s important you choose the right ones. Some light fixtures require different wattage amounts and picking the wrong one can lead to overheating and faster burn out.

Not sure where to start with the watts? No problem. Lighting experts at Lit Living can help you choose the correct bulbs for your home. You can visit our showroom for a lighting experience and see for yourself the vast difference energy efficient lighting can make in your home.

So how much can you really save with energy efficient lighting? Well, that’s up to you and how soon you want to change the bulbs out in your home.

Visit the Lit Living today for better lighting and a better way of living.