Lighting
Most households can reduce their energy usage by making changes in the way they light their house.
Proper lighting is important, so you want to make sure that you have enough light to carry out your activities comfortably and safely.
Energy-efficient lighting is available throughout Nova Scotia to replace traditional incandescent bulbs.
Incandescent bulbs (including halogen bulbs) convert less than 5% of their electricity consumption into light: the remainder, 95% or more is turned into heat.
They also tend to have shorter lifespans than compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).
Many Nova Scotians are using CFL bulbs to replace incandescent bulbs in existing fixtures.
They are only slightly more expensive to buy, but they cost you a lot less to operate.
They also come in more shapes, sizes, colours and output levels than in the past.
Gone are the days of the curly white CFL bulb.
You can now buy CFL bulbs to match just about any need, including chandelier bulbs, dimmable, bug lights, and black lights.
In addition to replacing your bulbs, you can use light more efficiently in your home by switching to light emitting diode (LED) nightlights and holiday lights, using task lighting instead of general lighting, and adding timers, photocells, and motion sensors to your lights to ensure that they are only on when needed.
You can find out more information about CFL's, LED nightlights and holiday lights in the following pages.