LIGHTING YOUR LIFE

When I was a child there weren’t many people who had more than two lights in their kitchens. Now it’s unusual to have less than 10 and many people have 20 or even 30. I have to admit that I have the rather unusual hobby of counting lights in people’s houses to see how many I can find in one room!

Given that energy-efficient bulbs have one of the quickest pay-backs of any eco-measure you take, it’s surprising how few people have switched. Or perhaps it isn’t. There are a number of concerns that people have with compact fluorescent bulbs, which means they’re taking a while to take off. But I have to say that there have been significant improvements in the technology, so if you haven’t tried compact fluorescents yet, give them a go. Energy Saving World is a good place to start (www.energysavingworld.co.uk).

Here are some lighting highlights:

• I’ve often heard people say that you waste more energy by turning lights off and then on again. It’s not true – you should always turn lights off when you don’t need them.
• Energy efficient light bulbs can last around 8-12 times longer than ordinary bulbs and pay back the extra cost of the bulb in just 7 months.
• Ordinary dimmers don’t work with most CFL bulbs but you can get dimmers that do.
• You may think that CFL bulbs are dimmer but often it’s just that they take longer to warm up but the technology is improving so this is not always the case.
• It’s now possible to get energy efficient replacements for some halogen bulbs – but only mains voltage ones.
• If you’re fitting new lights you should consider LEDs – Light Emitting Diodes. Look at The New Green Consumer Guide for more information.