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living room lit by energy efficient lightbulbsDid you remember to set your clocks back this weekend? Daylight savings ended early yesterday morning, so you’ll now notice a much darker sky earlier in the late afternoon/evening. And, this means when you’ll be getting home from work you’ll be flipping those light switches right away to see your way around without bumping into furniture or stepping on your cat.

If you’re still using some of those old, incandescent light bulbs, it’s time to consider swapping them out to more energy-efficient options. In fact, according to Energy.gov more than 70 percent of homes in the country are still using inefficient bulbs, and 5 percent of the average household’s energy budget is dedicated to lighting. By making the switch to energy-efficient options like halogen incandescent, compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) or LED lightbulbs, you might notice a saving of as much as 75 dollars a year! As an added bonus, you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint and helping the environment.

Top Options for Energy-Efficient Lighting

Since 2012, traditional incandescent lightbulbs have been phased out and replaced with more energy-efficient choices. Let’s take a look at each of the energy-efficient lightbulb options available today that will help save you some money on your monthly energy bill:

Halogen Incandescent Lightbulbs

Halogen incandescent bulbs are more energy-efficient than the traditional incandescent bulb, but of the energy-efficient lighting options, they actually only meet the federal minimum energy efficient standards. Available in a wide variety of colors and sizes, they contain a capsule that holds gas around a filament to increase bulb efficiency.

Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs)

You know those long tube lightbulbs you may have in your office building? CFLs are smaller, curly versions of those. They’re a little pricier than the traditional incandescent bulbs, but after about nine months you’ll have saved enough on your energy bill for them to have paid for themselves, and they’ll also last ten times longer than your old bulbs. And then the real savings kicks in. Compared to halogen incandescent bulbs, CFLs save around a third of the energy of those.

LED Lightbulbs

Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs as they’re much more commonly known as, use only about 20-25 percent of the energy of a traditional incandescent bulb – and they last up to 25 times longer. LEDs are available in a variety of colors, wattages, can be used on dimmer switches, and work well both indoors and out. Again, they have a higher price tag, but the savings you’ll see on your energy bill means they’re well worth making the switch.

Do you have questions about making your home more energy efficient? The team at Efficient Heating and Cooling is ready to help! If you’re in the greater Cleveland area, contact our team today! Or, give us a call at 216-663-6462.