Introduction: Cut Your Electrical Use for Lighting by Over 80%
So many people are looking for ways to save energy, both in terms of money and environmental impact.
Here is a quick and cheap way to cut the electricity you use for most of your household lights by over 80%
Step 1: Identify Locations
Any light in your house that has base on the ceiling like the one pictured, or another edison base (screw in bulbs), can be converted.
Step 2: Install the Socket Adapter
Screw one of these into the socket.
Most hardware type stores will have them. We bought one from Rona Cashway for $6.76
Step 3: LED Christmas Lights
Plug the string of LED Christmas Lights into the adapter.
You can use any size of string, the one we used was a 4 watt multi-colored one. We are going to be picking up some of the 2 watt white ones though.
Arrange the string of lights around the base how you want, perhaps in a star pattern or spiral.
Step 4: CFL Bulb
Screw the CFL Bulb into the socket.
Again, the size is up to you, we are using 13 watt ones ourselves.
Step 5: Enough Light to Read a Book!
Now, when you turn the light switch on as normal, only the LED lights will come on.
This gives you enough light to see as you are moving around and such....
In our first conversion (our bathroom), you can read a book while sitting on the toilet with just the LED's going.
If you need more light....
Step 6: When You Really Need to See...
All you do is pull the switch chain on the socket adapter and the CFL comes on.
When you are finished, pull the chain to turn it back off, and then the light switch as you leave the room.
Step 7: All Thats Left Is to Save Money!!!
In our example of our bathroom this is how we figured it.
A person uses the bathroom an average of two hours a day. At least 75% of that time, they don't need a lot of light for what they are doing.
So, in our home of two people, figuring 2 hours per person per day, 30 days a month, 365 days a year, with electricity at $0.15/kWh, this is what the different options work out to.
100W Incandescent = 12kWh or $1.80/month, 146kWh or $21.90/year
23W CFL = 2.76kWh or $0.42/month, 38.58kWh or $5.04/year
4W LED/13W CFL (75/25) = 0.75kWh or $0.11/month, 14.24kWh or $1.37
