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Should You Turn Off the Lights When You Leave the Room?
How often did your parents tell you to turn out the light when you left a room? Back then it was good advice because with incandescent bulbs only 10% of the energy goes to light – the other 90% just generates heat. (Remember Easy-Bake ovens?)
Fortunately, we have more lighting options these days. It comes down to a trade-off between energy usage vs. light bulb life.
Incandescent bulbs: turn them off and say goodbye
Mom and dad were right – you should always turn off an incandescent light when it’s not needed, especially during summertime when the bulb’s excessive heat can cause your air conditioner to work overtime. This dinosaur is on its way out thanks to new federal laws that call for common incandescent bulbs to be phased out by 2014.
Turn out the halogens when you leave, too
While they are more efficient than incandescent bulbs, halogens use the same technology as compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) but are far less efficient. So, if you don’t need them, turn them off. Better yet, replace them with one of the following light bulb options.
The answer isn’t as clear-cut for CFLs or LEDS, however
Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and light emitting diodes (LEDs) are both very efficient, but have trade-offs of their own. While each has unique features that provide cost effectiveness, CFLs should be shut off if you’re going to be out of a room for more than 15 minutes. LEDs, on the other hand, can stay on indefinitely as frequently turning them on and off reduces their shelf life. No matter which you have in your home, the savings – both environmental and financial – are significant.
So, install LEDs and enjoy telling your parents to leave them on. Then smile as you tell them how much energy – and money – you’re saving as a result.
