As Britain enters the season of longer nights and shorter days, many people will be illuminating their homes with wall and ceiling lights as natural light becomes less available in the mornings and evenings.
For this reason, the matter of lighting your home can be a huge draw on power at this time of year. Also, it can be a source of anxiety for anyone keeping an eye on the environment. Make sure your house conserves energy and remains environmentally friendly through the winter with a couple of easy technological tricks.
First Trick: Use a Dimmer Switch
You can adjust the lighting in any room using a dimmer switch, ensuring that you are only using as much power as you need. These are especially useful for desk or wall lamps (some of which have dimmer controls built-in), for reading or working at night when brighter overhead lights can strain the eyes.
However, make sure that your energy-saving bulbs are compatible with dimmer switches. Some CFL bulbs can be damaged in this way, reducing the lifespan of the bulb and negating the cost/power benefits they offer.
Second Trick: Use Motion Sensors
Motion sensors are another option for saving energy: once properly installed and connected, the sensor can automatically turn on the lights when someone is in the room and turn them off again when they leave. Some models can also be set to activate only when it is dark outside, and most will ignore household pets. So there is no need to worry about the dog turning on all the lights by accident.
One thing though, make sure you set a long delay between the times the lights are switched on and off again, or you may find yourself sitting in the dark. They are best used where there is a lot of movement in the room: for example, a light switch could be set to turn on the bathroom lights when you go to brush your teeth in the morning.
Third Trick: Good Habits
Besides all this advanced technology, good habits are still the best way to stay eco-friendly this winter. One of these habits is to remember to turn off all the lights whenever you leave the room and nobody else is in the room, even if it’s just for a few minutes. But with a small investment you can reduce the energy consumed by your home lighting with a minimum of fuss.
Author: This post was sponsored and written by James Drew, Sparks Direct
Photo credit: “Lights in Snow House” by Rolf Venema (under a Creative Commons licence)
