Energy conservation and efficient use of energy are very difficult to implement and yet are very important to reduce electricity costs. In this contest, it is better to start reducing energy consumption by switching over to a more efficient energy saving bulbs and focus on those light-fittings that are lit most often and for longer durations.

Energy saving bulbs, technically called Compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) is a fluorescent lamp designed as a substitute for an incandescent lamp. Some of these lamps will fit into light fixtures earlier used for incandescent lamps. As compared to regular incandescent lamps, for emitting the same amount of light, CFLs use much less electric power and have a longer life.

Although a CFL is much more expensive than an incandescent lamp, it can save much more than its purchase price over its life-span through substantial reduction in costs Green or environmentally-friendly light bulbs reduce energy consumption: CFLs are available in as many patterns as indoor lights and are used mainly for security lighting, ‘accent lighting’ and ‘convenience lighting’ and in many instances one light-fixture is used for different purposes.

Enormous savings not only in energy costs but also in minimizing harmful carbon emissions are achieved by installing energy-saving light bulbs in any light- fixtures that are lit for the whole night but they are not regulated by any ‘motion sensor’. The examples of such light fixtures are a floodlight over the driveway or rear deck or ornamental lanterns on both sides of the front entrance.

Energy saving bulb is also used as lamp post lights that are generally lit the whole night. While selecting energy-saving light bulbs, it is important to keep in mind that maximum efficiency rated bulbs only will help in reducing energy consumption substantially and also have profound ecological effect.

For example, at 60 watts and 850 lumens, the efficiency of incandescent bulb would be mere 14 lumens per watt, with an annual usage of 2,920 hours or 8hours/ day. The annual cost of lighting with an incandescent bulb is around $20, with a carbon dioxide emission level of around 349lbs. Let us now consider a 15 watt energy-efficient bulb.

Although it has a lower-wattage and utilizes less power, the output of the light is identical. Similarly, even though the lumens are lower at 825, the efficiency is higher at 55 lumens per watt as compared to 14 lumen per watt in respect of incandescent bulb.

The annual cost of lighting also reduces to $15 and carbon dioxide emissions are almost three-fourths lower. With $15 saving annually per socket, there is enough justification to change the light- fittings to energy saving bulbs to decrease overall energy consumption and the investment on energy efficient lamps will be recovered within a year due to reduced power costs.

Energy saving lamps or CFLs is ideal for lighting at home. These types of lamps are available in extensive range of wattages, shapes, sizes and colors and have a very long life of more than 8000 hours. However, one disadvantage with energy saving light bulbs is that surrounding temperatures cause adverse effects on these types of bulbs.

For those living in a colder climate, it is advisable to purchase CFLs with ‘amalgam’ technology for outstanding performance or purchase energy-efficient bulbs with the next corresponding wattage of traditional bulbs. For instance, if one is trying to replace a 60 watt incandescent bulb, it is better if he purchases a CFL corresponding to a75 watt bulb.

It is important to make sure that the fixture one intends to purchase is weather proof and if it is not, it is essential to choose a bulb rated for use in damp places. Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps are very popular these days for their outstanding potential to minimize energy consumption and very long life-span. Surprisingly, LEDs do not emit ultraviolet light and do not attract insects. For a light-fixture near a door during nights, an LED is a very good substitute to ‘yellow bug lamp’.

Those buying LEDs should ask for only UL listed LEDS for good protection. Energy-saving light bulbs for Motion Sensors and Electronic Timers: For several reasons, energy-saving light bulbs or CFLs are not suitable for fixtures that emit light automatically by ‘motion sensors’.

These are basically utilized for security lighting, but are also useful as garage door openers. CFLs are not designed to emit sudden bursts of light and therefore, a conventional incandescent bulb is a better choice. When the present bulb fuses out, it is advisable to purchase a highly efficient halogen lamp to decrease power consumption.

The energy saving bulbs available at present is 30 to 40% more efficient in energy usage than the conventional incandescent lights and the producers of light fittings are constantly striving to enhance the technology of halogen bulbs in order to meet more stringent requirements of lighting efficiency that will take effect later in 2012.

While LEDs attain maximum glow immediately on switching on, they are still very expensive and therefore, they are not preferred for the short spurts of light produced by motion control sensors. However, with the increase in popularity and consequently the demand, the prices are expected to fall.

It is, therefore better to wait for sometime before buying LEDs. Some people depend on electronic timers to turn on external lights at nightfall. However, CFLs are not suitable for this purpose. This is because once the light is on; it will remain lit throughout the night.

LEDs, which normally function with ‘electric eyes’, are a perfect choice to minimize energy consumption and ensuring long life as compared to incandescent lamps.

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For operating any electric appliance, a basic source of energy is inevitable. The entire world depends on an energy source almost all the time for different purposes. These days, people generally prefer energy efficient appliances to the normal types.

There was a time when people opted for the most powerful machines, which had then dominated our markets. Now the trend has changed and the people queue up for buying the products with least energy consumption.

The consumers are now aware of the benefits of Energy Star rated appliances with have least power consumption. For purchase of approved appliances, there are federal programs that offer rebates and free disposal options.

Maximum financial benefits are offered while buying large electrical appliances such as those used in the kitchens. There is a mistaken impression that the kitchen appliances like refrigerators, stoves, microwaves etc. are only rated as energy savers.

In the present markets, almost all electronic devices including the petty ones are being manufactured and sold under energy-efficient categories. They include several television brands modeled with screens, which use minimum power, even if the TV is switched on for the whole day.

While consuming only a narrow percentage of electricity, such television screens maintain the same or even higher picture quality. The buyers searching the markets for energy efficient appliances will find that many of such items are sold at premium prices.

However in the long run one may find that use of such devices will be too inexpensive, when considering the savings gained by reduced utility bills. A study of some energy efficient appliances goes as under.

Universal Power Strip

Even if a turned off electrical appliance is kept plugged into an electrical outlet, a lot of energy will go wasted. This type of wasted energy is known as vampire energy. Most of the people have a general habit of unplugging various electrical appliances even after use, merely to avoid the inconveniences of repeated operations.

Here comes the advantage of power strip, with outlet extensions, to which several electronic devices can be attached. Once the on/off switch of the power strip is turned off, the power supply to the entire appliances connected to it will be cut off. This helps avoid frequent plugging and unplugging of several electrical appliances, as the single switch of the power strip takes care of all such operations.

Efficient Shower Heads

The efficiency of a shower head is rated by the quantity of the water that it takes and also the energy needed for heating the water. If less water is utilized, the heating time will be reduced and energy time thus reduced.

HVAC System

A new breed of air conditioners is in the market which can increase efficiency by reducing the need to drain condensation. These air conditioners will have no drips as they better make use of the vapor present in the air. These are some basic guidelines for a person going to buy energy efficient appliances to reduce power costs.

It is important to refer to the energy star- rating to ensure energy-efficiency of each product that we acquire.

In order to preserve the environmental balances, it is ideal to buy and use energy saving appliances. This is a suggestion applicable to petty house hold items as well as major electrical devices like refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners.

In the case of major appliances energy efficiency can easily be known from the star ratings they depict. But this is not so possible in the case of small type appliances that are closely connected with our daily use.

Most of such small items like a kettle or toaster are manufactured without efficiency rating, but they consume a major portion of the total domestic energy in every home. This is the context for us to examine, how the energy involved internal working system of a kettle is structured in manufacturing process.

A kettle is normally made of metal or plastic body, as is externally visible. This involves a long chain of processes such as extraction of the material from the ground, transportation, manufacturing, and transportation after assembly and the subsequent phases of transportation. A kettle may look quite simple by appearance, but the internal system has a lot more to say.

The internal features include, a heating element, wiring, on/off switch and some strip like devices to allow automatic shut down, when the boiling point reaches a particular level. All these parts are produced from raw materials in different manufacturing units and transported to the assembling units.

After assembly, such products get transported to the retail stores from where the customers buy them. The manufacture and transport of such materials adds up a lot of energy even to produce a single item. In the sales centers, we can see a variety of kettles from different manufacturers, some of which are cheaper while some others are costlier.

Generally people have a trend to buy a low cost product and saves money. This is fraught with risk as the cheap item would have no warranty and they are not always energy-efficient and may not last long unlike an expensive one. The low cost items may be of inferior quality which will render them unserviceable after a short period of use. This would force the user to buy another one.

Not only that he has to spend extra money for this, but everything ends up in a trail of wasted energy, in the form of discarded materials and fuel charges. It is always advisable to select and buy an energy saving appliance of a superior quality which always will have a long period of warranty. For them the initial buying cost may be more and the energy consumption may not show much difference at the beginning.

But in due course, the buyer would gain a lot in the form of reduced electricity bills. The cost of locally made items would be even less as the transport charges are not involved, unlike those produced in distant units. The impact may not be as dramatic as that of installation of a solar panel, but a right approach to acquire a superior quality item will definitely show a significant drop in the energy costs.

This will also help improve the product quality, as the manufacturers will tend to respond to the customers likes and dislikes positively.