Metateps

Use screw-in fluorescent bulbs to replace old incandescent bulbs. They use a quarter of the electricity and last about ten times longer. If you insist on using incandescent bulbs, get the "energy saver" variety, which are filled with a halogen gas that makes them burn brighter on less electricity.

Keep your light fixtures clean for more light. Take advantage of reflected light by painting walls and ceilings with lighter colors. Clean bulbs and fixtures, and good reflected light, means you'll need fewer watts to create the same illumination levels.

Another good method of reducing the watts you use is to sit down and draw a map of the house to determine your lighting need in each area. For example, you may not need a lot of wattage in hallways; you don't need to light up the entire living room; but you might need extra watts in the cooking corner of your kitchen, or where you sit to read in the living room. This is called task lighting, and it means that while general areas can remain dim or unlit, specific task or safety-hazard areas should be brightly lit.

Fluorescent lights use extra electricity to start up, so it doesn't pay to turn them off unless you leave the room for longer than ten or fifteen minutes. But if you use incandescent lights, you should certainly turn them off whenever you leave the room.

Timers, photosensitive controls, and motion sensors can save you money, too. Set a timer to turn lights on at predetermined times. A photo control turns lights on when the sun goes down or dark clouds obscure the sun, and back on when the sun comes back out. Motion sensors turn lights on when they detect movement. Most often you'll see motion detectors used for security purposes, but they can also help you save on your electric bill. The light goes on only for a predetermined number of seconds, and then turns off. It beats leaving those outside security or entrance lights on all night. Motion sensors come as complete fixtures, screw-in add-ons, or adapters, and many of them are photosensitive or timed to turn off during the day.