As vital as good lighting is to a home, not doing it right can end up costing you a lot more than is due. Not using the right methods or devices for lighting a home is a very common mistake among homeowners because more often than not, people tend to either overcrowd their home with lights, or not even have enough for their home to be properly functional. This can be due to a lack of funds, lack of experience or knowhow on different lighting methods that can ensure a well-lit home without spending a lot of money unnecessarily.
Bad lighting not only limits your home’s functionality, but also costs you way more than it should. With the recent pandemic, if you are having trouble with home maintenance, then First Energyhome may be able to assist you in that regard.
There are several ways for you to save both money and energy, through your home’s lighting. Ecofriendly lighting is not only very much achievable, you can easily do it through a few very simple tips.
The Importance of Lighting in a Home
Appropriate lighting in a home serves more purposes than you might think. It is responsible for the ambience, how well you function and accomplish your daily tasks, as well as security. Bad lighting can cause your home to look dull and lifeless, which negates the whole point of illuminating your home in the first place. If you learn how to light, where to use it and in what quantity, you will have mastered home lighting.
Replace Your Bulbs
Getting LED bulbs in place of old filament ones can save you more energy than pretty much anything else. We usually use bulbs throughout the day, especially now when we are spending most of the day indoors. Old bulbs use a lot of electricity and produce an excessive amount of heat, which may even prove to be harmful. You can easily avoid this by purchasing LED bulbs, which not only will light your house much better due to their customizability, but also last much longer, consume less electricity and usually have a warranty in case anything goes wrong.
Turn off Lights When Not in Use
This is a completely free of cost way to save energy, but it can still make a significant impact on your electrical bills. Keeping lights turned on unnecessarily is one of the most common problems in any household, and whether it’s deliberate or due to negligence, it can cost you a lot in the long run. This is why you need to make a habit of turning off lights whenever you leave a room.
Another way to fix this is by getting smart lights, which can be programmed to turn on and off at specific times, or detect when someone is in the room using motion sensors and only switch on at that particular time. However, smart lights can be fairly expensive, so in case you cannot afford them, turning them off manually is the only option.
Make Use of Natural Light
For anyone with enough access to natural light in their home, using it to illuminate the space is the best option. Natural light is the perfect way to save energy, since all it requires is for you to let it into your home. Light-colored furniture or reflective walls ensure that you are fully utilizing the natural light in your living space, and once that is done, you will only ever need to turn on any lights present in your home at night time.
Use a Lot OF Mirrors Where Possible
If you have a big home that may require a lot of artificial lighting, it would be smart to find a way to decrease that usage. One of the most impactful ways to do this is by using a lot of mirrors, especially in big, open rooms. They not only make the space look larger, they can also contribute in making it look much brighter, even if there isn’t a lot of light present already. Mirrors also enhance the impact from natural lighting, so make sure that you place them directly opposite to your light source, for example, a window.
Change the Aesthetic of Your Home
Every home has a particular feel to it, and lighting plays a huge part in achieving it. Switch to a lighting style that requires dim, low lights instead of bright, big ones. Having a uniform mood throughout your home is important, and if you choose a style that requires a lot of artificial lighting, the energy consumption in your home will increase significantly. Try to opt for soft, warm toned lighting, since that is the easiest and cheapest to achieve.
Conclusion
Lighting can be tricky since there are a lot of factors to consider when trying to do it right. Saving energy in your home through lighting isn’t that difficult, but it is very impactful because lighting is arguably the most dominant part of your home, in the sense that it’s what you use the most every single day. If you light your home in a smart, calculated manner, you will certainly benefit from it in the long run.
