Make your home lighting more energy-efficient

With load shedding being a weekly issue, homeowners can contribute to saving electricity by ensuring that their home lighting is energy-efficient. Your home's lighting consumes about 10% of your electricity use, and using energy-efficient lighting can help reduce costs by up to 75%.

Here are a few ways to make your home lighting more energy efficient:

Are your light bulbs energy-efficient?
Energy-efficient light bulbs are great to use in your home as they are designed to provide the same amount of light while using less electricity. 
    - Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) use about 75% less electricity and can last from about 8 to 10 times longer. 
    - High-efficiency halogen lighting can replace a 100-watt incandescent bulb with a 72-watt or 70-watt halogen bulb or replace a 60-watt incandescent bulb with a 42-watt or 40-watt halogen bulb and still get the same amount of light. 
    - Light-emitting diode (LEDs) bulbs are regarded as the most energy-efficient and long-lasting types of light bulbs around. A 60-watt incandescent bulb can be replaced with a 12-watt LED that will last more than 20,000 hours or about 10 years.

Have you considered solar-powered lighting?
Since load shedding has become a South African norm, many households have made the shift to solar-powered energy. Some have opted to be 100% off Eskom's grid, while others have basic solar energy lighting up their necessities during a blackout. Aside from "being lit" during load-shedding, a major benefit of solar lighting is its cost-effectiveness due to the sun being the major source of energy - in other words, it is free electricity. 

How does solar power work?
In order to use solar electricity for your home's lighting, you would need four major components; the solar panel, battery, control electronics, and a light fixture. The sun's rays will hit the solar panels and automatically recharge the battery. When you need to, the batteries will power the lighting. Built-in sensors can automatically turn on the lights when it goes dark and turns them off in the morning. 

How about direct task lighting?
A task light is direct overhead lighting for areas such as your desk, tool benches, craft tables, kitchen cooking areas, and reading spots. The benefit of making use of a task light allows you to focus the brightness on the areas that you need it in and not waste electricity on the entire room. 

Motion sensor lighting is a trend
Have you switched on a room light and forgot to turn it off? This has happened to practically everyone at least once in their lifetime. A simple solution would be to install motion-sensor lighting which will switch on for you automatically when you enter a room and switch off when you leave. Many homeowners opt for motion sensor lighting for blind spots outside their homes to scare off criminals. They are relatively affordable and easy to install. 

Clean your lighting fixtures regularly
Cleaning your fixtures on a regular basis will keep your lighting energy efficient. Dirt or grime that gets on bulbs or reflectors will decrease lighting efficiency. Remember that fixtures are to be cleaned accordingly to the type of materials they are made from. For instance, polished metal fixtures should be cleaned with a soft cloth using plain water or a mild detergent soap, while painted fixtures are to be tidied up with a dry soft cloth.

Use daylighting instead of turning on lights is also a fantastic way to save electricity. We have a wide range of properties to suit your lighting preferences. Contact Knight Frank Properties now for more information.