How to Save Electricity & Cut Electricity Costs

Learning how to save electricity can cut electricity costs by thousands of dollars each year. This page reviews the best ways to go about it...

• How much money will YOU save?
• Installing energy-efficient light bulbs
• Daylighting Your Home
• Lighting conservation - do it once and be done
• We continue to add to this page - click here to receive updates

Savings Realized from Learning How to Save Electricity

According to the Energy Information Administration, the average US home uses 11,040 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually.  This translates into an average monthly electric bill of $104.52, or $1,254 per year.

Let’s see how much we can cut electricity costs without living in darkness (details about each calculation will be discussed further down the page)…

Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs: How to Save Electricity

Replacing all of your standard bulbs with energy-efficient light bulbs - either standard/dimmable compact fluorescent light bulbs or LEDs - will save the average household a minimum of $340 per year, probably more.

See our Energy Saver Light Bulbs page for more information.

Also check out our Types of Light Bulbs page for a description and comparison of all bulb categories.

Daylighting Your Home: How to Save Electricity

"Daylighting” is the practice of replacing artificial light with sunlight for lighting your home during the day.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) has found that 11% of our household energy consumption comes from lighting. They also point out that the smart use of daylight can reduce lighting use by up to 32%. Here's how these percentages translate into dollars:

There are two straightforward ways to daylight your home - one easy and one that'll require some extra effort...

1. Simply open the blinds and curtains during the day. If privacy is an issue, use window films or sheer curtains to let enough light in while blocking your neighbor’s view. But don’t forget to combine this approach with the heating (and energy-bill-reducing) power of direct sunlight on colder days!
2. When it’s time to paint the walls, consider using lighter colors. They’ll brighten the room, reduce your need for artificial lighting during the day and reduce the number of lights (or the wattage per bulb) you need to turn on at night.

There are two additional options worth noting that aren't "daylighting" per se, but are directly related and will reduce electricity consumption even further...

• Consider installing solar tube skylights. Think of these as regular skylights miniaturized and put on steroids. Compared to regular skylights, solar tube skylights take up much less roof real estate and concentrate solar light into a small tube that leads from your roof to the inside of your home.
  
  Regardless of the time of day or how cloudy it is, the mirrors and lenses used are able to gather and direct light at a similar intensity throughout the day. They can even be purchased with dimmers that allow you to control how much light enters the room.
  
  ODL's 10 In. Tubular Skylight with Asphalt Flashing is a good option. (For do-it-yourselfers, creating angles in the tubing can get a bit tricky but are doable with a delicate touch and some patience). Using it in the place of artificial light during the day makes it well worth the expense.


• Consider installing hybrid solar lighting. Hybrid solar lighting delivers sunlight from your roof to designated rooms throughout your house during the day via fiber optic bundles.

Lighting Conservation: Do Once & Be Done

Generally speaking, the average home should be able to reduce its electricity consumption for lighting by about 50% by diligently...

• Turning off lights when they’re not being used
• Dimming lights when less light is required
• Turning on fewer lights throughout the house

But despite our best intentions, our habits and forgetfulness can quickly steer us off the energy-conservation path. Fortunately, several of the following recommendations will do the job for you once they're in place... in other words, do it once and be done!

• Inside your home - How to Save Electricity via Lighting Conservation
• Outside your home - How to Save Electricity via Lighting Conservation

Inside Your Home - How to Save Electricity Via Lighting Conservation

There are several ways to reduce your electric bill by managing your light use efficiently, all but two of which will require little to no thought after you implement them (we'll get those two out of the way first)...

1. Turn off the lights when you’re not using them, but not so fast! See the box to the right for more information about how to save electricity via your trigger finger.
2. Pay attention to "on-peak" hours as designated by your local utility and minimize the use of your lights during on-peak hours. On-peak hours are usually about 3 times more expensive than off-peak.
   
   Common on-peak hours are from mid-morning to late evening and typically exclude major holidays such as New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Contact your electric company to get days and times specific to you.
   
   Now on to how to save electricity without giving it a second thought...
3. Remove lights that aren’t necessary. Look at your home from an energy-conservation standpoint… which lights do you really need? Remove any bulbs (or lamps) that you think you can do without, including the bulbs in light fixtures. If you have a problem with the “look” of an empty fixture, leave the burned-out bulb in.
4. Use bulbs with lower wattage. Whether or not you use energy saver light bulbs, lower wattage means less electricity used.
   
   Don't forget that the more energy-efficient the light bulb, the lower the wattage needed to produce the same amount of light.

5. Install lighting controls. Lighting controls allow you to adjust the amount of electricity your lights use when turned on or automatically turn lights on and off as needed. Here are the types of controls to consider:
   • Dimmers – In addition to setting the mood with shnookums, dimmed lights use less electricity and make bulbs last longer. There are a variety of types to choose from.
     
     For your fluorescent energy saver light bulbs, you’ll need special ballasts and bulbs in order to dim them (many now come with the special ballast “built in” to the base so that it fits into your standard incandescent fixtures and lamps).
     
     If you just can’t bring yourself to save the maximum amount of electricity and money by getting rid of your old incandescent bulbs (tough decision, we know), dimmers for your standard incandescent bulbs are still much better than no dimmers.
   • 3-way lamps – As with dimmers, 3 way lamps and bulbs allow you to adjust your electricity consumption based on the amount of light you need.
   • Motion Sensors turn lights on and off when they sense movement… perfect for lights that are only used when performing certain tasks in places such as your kitchen, tool shed, at your workbench or around doors. They are available for standard as well as energy saver light bulbs.
     
     You have two options in indoor motion sensor lighting:
     1. Motion sensing sockets fit between your existing indoor fixture and your light bulb. This one by First Alert (pictured above-right) senses movement from all directions (360 degree radius) and works with incandescents up to 100 watts and compact fluorescent bulbs up to 50 watts.
     2. Integrated units come with both the bulb and motion sensor built in to the unit. Although you can't replace the bulb in this type of unit, with an 8 to 15 year life even if they're left on 12 hours a day, you shouldn't need to as long as you're getting one with LED lights built in.
        
        Osram's Sylvania LED Motion Sensor Light is a good option. The $13 price tag of these energy saver light bulbs will easily pay for itself in electricity saved.
   
   • Timers turn lights on and off based on pre-designated time frames and go for about $20. They’re most often used inside the home to give would-be burglars the impression that someone’s home when you're away or that someone's awake when you're asleep.
     
     But they also come in handy for saving electricity when coupled with lights that you use frequently and predictably.
     
     Sunlite's T100 is a less expensive option that's simple to use and gets the job done. Just set the timer to your desired time range, plug in your lamp and you're done.

     Have Recessed Lighting? How to Save Electricity with Fixtures

     For recessed lighting that backs into your attic or other unconditioned space, use fully compliant air-tight fixtures. Although it won’t save you money on your lighting bill, it will on your heating and cooling bill.

     Fixtures should be approved by Underwriters Laboratory (UL), be IC rated (insulation contact) and adhere to ASTM E283 requirements.

6. Install Energy Star light fixtures. In addition coming with a two-year warranty (compared to the one-year industry standard), they will save you money by being more efficient and by forcing you to use energy saver light bulbs.

Outside Your Home - How to Save Electricity Via Lighting Conservation

Several of the above points about indoor conservation apply to outdoor lighting, including removing lights that aren’t necessary, using lights with lower wattage, turning off lights when they’re not needed and installing Energy Star light fixtures.

Here are the additional ways to save electricity and money on the outside of your home through conservation…

• Lighting controls - How to Save Electricity Outside Via Lighting Conservation
• Solar-powered Lighting - How to Save Electricity Outside Via Lighting Conservation

How to Save Electricity Outside Via Lighting Controls

Install lighting controls. As with indoor lighting, outdoor lighting controls allow you to adjust the amount of electricity your lights are using when on or automatically turn lights on and off as needed. Here are the types of controls to consider outside your home:

• Dimmers can be useful in outside areas that are more highly used such as your entrances or porches. As mentioned above, for your fluorescent bulbs you’ll need special ballasts and bulbs in order to dim them.
• Motion sensors turn lights on and off when they sense movement. They light the way for anyone that approaches your home without having to permanently leave the lights on (they're also great for security purposes).
  
  Following are a few specific recommendations for how to save electricity outside by area...
  • Area lights - The Concept SL-100 32 LED Solar Security Light with Motion Detector is one of the best all-around lights for your outdoor space. We'll discuss it further in the solar-powered outdoor light section below.
  • Lamp Posts - If you have any outdoor lamp posts, consider the Heath Zenith Post Light Sensor (pictured right). It's easy to install in your existing lamp posts, allows you to choose how long it stays on after detecting motion (1, 5 or 20 minutes) and can be set to respond to motion in one of two ways... have it only turn on when it senses movement or have it remain on at a dimmer level that increases when detecting motion. It's also a photosensor (detects light), so it can be set to be turned on from dusk to dawn or for your pre-set number of hours after dusk.
  • Flood Lights - Morris makes some great single and twin bulb fixtures (example pictured right) to replace your existing flood lights (click here and type "morris motion" in the search box for more options).
• Photosensors (light sensors) turn lights on when it’s dark and are good for security and utility purposes. Rather than trying to remember to turn a light on at night and off in the morning, install a photosensor to do it for you.
  
  We recommend one or more of the following weather-resistent options depending on your needs:
  • Single Plug-in - Sylvania SA200 10 Amp Outdoor Timer with Light Sensor - Will turn you lights on when it gets dark, and gives you the choice of when you want them turned off... at dawn or 2,4, 6 or 8 hours after they turn on. Simply plug your outdoor light into the provided socket, choose your setting and this little bad boy will do the rest. It also has an extra socket that is not effected by the photosensor or timers.
  • Multiple Plug-in - Coleman 6-Outlet Power Stake with Light Sensor and 6-Foot Cord - As the product name suggests, this should be your choice if you want to control more than one light with the sensor. The stake makes it super convenient to use for any yard, garden or flower bed application, and similar to Sylvania's version, it can be set for dusk to dawn operation or can be set to turn off 2, 4, 6 or 8 hours after dusk.
  • Lamp posts - See the above summary of the Heath Zenith Post Light Sensor photosensor/motion sensor/timer combo light.

How to Save Electricity Outside Via Solar-Powered Lighting

Install outdoor solar-powered lighting when possible. They store power during the day for use at night and cost exactly zero to operate. On the downside, they are probably not appropriate for lights that do not receive direct sunlight throughout the day (such as fixtures located under a roof overhang or in a region with a lot of cloudy weather). Here are some good options...

1. For your shed or garage - the pole- or wall-mountable Designers Edge 10 LED Rechargeable Solar Panel Shed Light lasts 100,000 (yes, 100,000!) hours and comes with a 20-foot extension cord to allow you to place the panel in direct sunlight outside your shed or garage.
   
   Since the light is powered by the included 4 AA batteries (which are charged continuously by the solar panels when the sun's out), the amount of light it puts out isn't suitable for detailed work. But if you're looking for a light to find what you need in an otherwise dark room, you won't do better than this for the price.
2. All-purpose light - The Concept SL-100 32 LED Solar Security Light with Motion Detector is our favorite all-purpose outdoor light (pictured right)... no wiring required. At a brightness equivalent to a 20 Watt CFL (75 Watt incandescent equivalent), this LED light can cover up to 190 feet for up to 10 hours on a full charge.
   
   It allows you to set the amount of time it remains on after detecting motion (3 minutes or less), and it's motion sensitivity is such that it won't randomly turn off while you are in range of its detector. In addition, the solar panel can be detached for repositioning to ensure optimal sunlight exposure.
3. Customized purpose - For a more customized solar lighting application, such as garden lights, walkway lights or spotlights, Amazon.com's got a relatively wide selection along with tips from other shoppers about how to save electricity using each product. Take a look using the box the right.

Also see...

*Minimum Savings amount is average for the United States calculated over the life of the average U.S. home and assumes that you apply all recommendations on this page. Actual savings could vary based on region-specific factors.