TIP – Shed Some Light On The Subject: Let the sun in by pulling back the blinds if it is dark inside your home. People are often surprised to find that this actually does a better job of lighting their rooms, even when the sun is not on the same side of the house! If privacy is an issue, go shopping for sheer blinds… They will allow an optimum amount of natural lighting in, while allowing you to see out right through them!

TIP – Burn Energy Without Burning Money: In the evenings, opt for energy efficient bulbs instead of conventional ones: new proposed laws are soon to make these older style bulbs illegal for sale in most areas, anyhow. Even though environmentally friendly bulbs can be almost twice as expensive, they last up to six times as long, so you’ll hardly ever have to replace them!

The Department of Energy recently estimated that for every commonly-used household lightbulb that was replaced by an energy-efficient equivalent, annual savings would amount to $22 per bulb!

TIP – Set The Mood: For certain special occasions, or in certain rooms (ie.dining room, bedroom, etc) low ‘mood’ lighting may be more appropriate. If you’re planning to host a number of guests, light a bunch of candles. You won’t be using any power, and the heat that they provide will let you drop the thermostat up to 10 degrees!

TIP – Light The Night: Small, self-contained solar lights have never been cheaper. They collect energy during the day, and use it at night from internal batteries.

TIP – Eco-Friendly Holidays: Did you know that solar-powered holiday light strings are now available? Combine these with long-lasting LED bulbs for a brilliant light show, and spend your money on gifts for your loved ones!

TIP – Use Motion Detectors: If you require light at a back door, or need to have a lamp left on to light your walkway for guests, a motion detector is your best bet. Also perfect for dark service entracnes at which a hands-free lighting setup can be a big help. Most people don’t realize this, but these inexpensive little add-ons can be used inside the house as well in order to automatically turn the lights on when you enter a room, and turn them off again when you leave. Cool stuff.

TIP – Use Natural Light Sensors: These little gadgets can slowly save you a lot of money by sensing the variations in natural daytime light due to weather conditions, time of day, and cloud cover. They will only use enough power to compliment the light coming in through your windows