5 Quick Fixes: Energy Saving Lighting Solutions

Lighten your energy consumption (and your home) with smart lighting strategies. Energy efficiencies can be found in light sources, fixtures, and with tools that ensure lights are only used when needed; here are five ideas for reducing your energy consumption without sacrificing style.

Above: Replacing your five most frequently used light fixtures can be a boon for energy savings; bathrooms are a good starting point. The elegant Malone Vanity Light from Hudson Valley Lighting offers a nod to an earlier era, but with modern ENERGY STAR ratings; $500 at Wayfair.

Above: Outdoor lights are often a culprit for overuse of energy. Many outdoor light fixtures come not only with fluorescent bulbs but also equipped with a photocell that turns the light on only when it gets dark outside. The ENERGY STAR Seagull Lighting Sebring Outdoor Wall Light in brushed stainless offers energy saving fluorescent lighting and includes a photocell for nighttime control; $304 at Seagull Lighting.

Above: The One Light Gather Bathroom Sconce is a more affordable option. Available with nickel or antique bronze finish, it is ENERGY STAR Compliant; CAD$39.95 at Sescolite.

Above: For task lighting, switch to an LED light source, which is light efficient, emitting light in a specific direction (incandescent or fluorescent bulbs emit light in all directions). They are also energy efficient, using up to 80 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs. The Element 790 Led Light designed by Mark McKenna for Humanscale is the first solid-state task light to meet ENERGY STAR requirements. It uses only seven watts of power to produce light output equivalent to 90 watts of incandescent lighting. It also has a dimmer, a feature not commonly found in task lamps, that furthers energy savings; $325 at YLighting.

Above: The One Light Bronze Floor Lamp evokes an old library feel. The adjustable ENERGY STAR-complaint lamp is available in a bronze finish and stands 54 inches tall; CAD$189.95 at Sescolite.