How to Reduce Energy Consumption of Residential Lighting

February 27, 2024

Have you been thinking about how to make your home more energy efficient? From major renovations to new appliances to small daily changes, there are countless ways to reduce your home’s energy consumption and cut costs. One simple place to start is with your home’s lighting. Whether to lower your energy bills or your carbon footprint, there are many ways to live more sustainably in 2024.

5 Ways to Improve Energy Efficiency of Your Home’s Lighting

Both big and small projects can have a significant impact on your home’s energy consumption and bills—including updating your home’s light bulbs to the new standard, replacing your light switches with dimmers and monitoring your energy usage through a smart lighting application. Here are four simple ways to reduce energy consumption of your home’s lighting.

1. Make the Switch to LED Lights

The U.S. Department of Energy announced the phasing out of incandescent bulbs in April 2022, and they were officially taken off the shelves in August 2023. The ban came as a move to encourage the use of more energy efficient light bulbs, like LEDs. LED bulbs can last up to 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs, making up for the slightly higher upfront cost (LEDs cost about $3-$6 compared to $1-$2 for incandescent bulbs). 

2. Upgrade to Dimmer Switches

Dimming your lighting can lower your energy costs and boost the lifespan of your home’s light bulbs. Dimming switches are easy to install and replace existing light switches in the home, offering not only energy savings but also making it easy to set the perfect tone in any room of the house.

What makes this energy savings upgrade great is that any light switch in the home can be easily swapped with a dimmer switch. With a few basic tools, you can safely replace a light switch with a dimmer switch in about 15 minutes, and it's a relatively simple DIY project that anyone can do. Plus, opting for an LED dimmer switch specifically is the one-two punch for energy-efficient upgrades to your home’s lighting.

4. Monitor Your Energy Usage

Smart lighting and home systems also offer a range of insights to monitor and manage your home’s energy usage. Smart lighting applications can monitor energy usage by various time frames, like by day, week, month, and year, helping users to determine daily and seasonal trends. These types of systems will also detail the usage of a specific outlet or light. And, the beauty of smart lighting apps is that the information is easy to access wherever you are – whether you’re at home or away.

5. Use Occupancy/Vacancy Light Sensors

Motion sensor switches are a simple upgrade that is not only convenient but can help you save on your energy costs. Motion-sensing technology works to turn a light on when you walk into a room – like a pantry, garage or storage space – and it turns off automatically when you leave. Especially helpful for families and households with little ones, motion sensor switches ensure you’ll never forget to turn off the lights.