The energy used by household lighting is increasing as we build larger homes with more lights.

There are many different types of lights available which are suitable for different applications and environments. The type of lighting that is selected and the duration that these lights are left on, will impact on the overall cost and energy consumption.

There are many changes you can make that will have an impact on the energy consumed and the running cost of your lighting.

Energy saving light bulbs are more expensive than standard filament light bulbs, but they do last between 4-10 times longer. They consume much less energy to emit the same amount of light.

The simplest and easiest thing you can do to save, is to turn lights off. Do you really need to have every light on in the house? If no one is in the room why leave the lights on?

Replace the existing light bulbs, with light bulbs of a lower wattage. This might produce slightly less light but might suit the room or even create a different mood.

Use a sensor on outdoor lights if they are there for security, rather than have them on all the time.

Open blinds, curtains, or shutters and let natural light in instead of reaching for the light switch.