Why Turning Off Lights Reduces Electricity Usage
Lighting can account for around 15% of an average home's electricity bill. By turning lights off when you leave a room, you can make a significant dent in your home's energy usage and monthly electricity costs.
Each bulb that remains on when not needed is wasting electricity. Those small amounts add up, especially when lights are left on for hours per day in unused rooms. By developing the habit of flipping the switch when you leave a room, I have been able to reduce my electricity usage by 10-15%.
Calculate Your Lighting Electricity Costs
To understand how much you can save, first calculate how much you currently spend on lighting.
- Count the number of light bulbs in your home and note their wattages.
- Estimate the average number of hours per day each light is on. Be sure to include lights you may leave on all day and night.
- Multiply the wattage by the hours of use for each bulb, then divide by 1000 to calculate the kilowatt-hours (kWh) used per day.
- Multiply the daily kWh by 30 to estimate monthly usage, then multiply by your electricity rate per kWh.
As an example, if you have 50 bulbs rated at 60 watts each, and estimate they are on 6 hours per day:
- 50 bulbs x 60 watts x 6 hours = 18,000 watt-hours
- 18,000 watt-hours / 1000 = 18 kWh per day
- 18 kWh x 30 days = 540 kWh per month
- 540 kWh x $0.15 per kWh = $81 per month in lighting costs
By turning off just half of the lights for 6 hours per day, you could save around $40 per month.
Develop a Switching Off Habit
To fully benefit, you need to develop the habit of hitting the switch every time you leave an empty room. Here are some tips:
- Walk through your home and label light switches with reminders like "Flip me off when leaving!"
- Ask other household members to help by turning off lights when not needed. Lead by example.
- Use timers, motion sensors, or smart bulbs to automatically turn lights off after a period of inactivity.
- Check rooms before bedtime to ensure you are not wasting electricity overnight.
- Make an effort to maximize natural light during the day by opening blinds.
Within a few weeks of consciously turning off lights when leaving a room, it will become second nature. You won't even have to think about it.
Use Efficient Lighting
You can magnify your savings by replacing inefficient incandescent bulbs with LEDs. Some comparisons:
- A 60W incandescent that's on 6 hours per day can cost around $7 per year.
- A 9W LED with the same brightness can reduce that cost to around $1 per year.
Switch out your most used bulbs first. The upfront investment in LEDs pays back many times over through reduced electricity bills over each bulb's lifespan.
Additional Tips for Reducing Lighting Costs
Here are a few more ways to increase savings:
- Install dimmers and use lower brightness settings when possible.
- Group task lighting to illuminate only where needed instead of lighting an entire room.
- Paint rooms in lighter colors to reduce the lighting required.
- Dust bulbs and fixtures regularly to maximize brightness.
- Consider natural sources like windows and skylights to reduce daytime lighting needs.
Conclusion
By making a conscious effort to turn off lights whenever you leave a room, you can reduce your home's electricity usage and monthly bill by 10% or more. Developing an "off switch" habit, using efficient bulbs, and other lighting optimizations can lead to even greater savings over time. The small effort leads to real financial and environmental benefits.