As the cost of electricity continues to rise in the Asheville area, finding ways to reduce the energy usage in your home may be come necessary to keep your monthly bills reasonable. One of the most cost-effective things you can do is replace your older, inefficient light bulbs with modern equivalents, which can use up to 80 percent less energy. As you start replacing each of the bulbs in your home, you will be surprised by how lighting affects the energy bill.
Types of Light Bulbs
Incandescent: These are the traditional light bulbs, which have changed very little since their introduction. Electricity is used to heat a thin filament, producing light. Over 90 percent of the energy used by these bulbs is converted to heat, making them very inefficient compared to modern equivalents, though they are less expensive.
Halogen: These bulbs are similar to incandescent bulbs, though they enclose the filament in a halogen gas to increase the operating temperature, efficiency and lifespan of the filament. Halogen bulbs use up to 25 percent less energy than the equivalent incandescent bulb and last three times as long.
CFL: Compact fluorescent bulbs are smaller versions of the tubular fluorescents that are common in home lighting, shop lights and commercial lighting. CFLs use about a quarter of the energy of an incandescent bulb, and they can last about 10 times as long. CFLs may take longer to reach full brightness than regular bulbs, especially in cold rooms, and special versions must be used in fixtures that have dimmers.
LED: These bulbs are made from an array of light-emitting diodes, which are commonly used as indicator lights for electronics. By combining multiple white LEDs, these bulbs obtain a brightness equivalent to incandescent bulbs while using 80 percent less energy and lasting over 25 times longer. LEDs are not affected by temperature, and they turn on and off immediately.
Now that you know how lighting affects the energy bill in your western North Carolina home, contact our team at Gentry Heating Inc. to learn about other ways to reduce energy costs. We serve Asheville and the surrounding area.
