Lighting your home can be quite expensive, especially if there are multiple people in your home using the lights or leaving them on. Fortunately, there are some upgrades that can help save.

Fixture Upgrades

The simplest way to instantly reduce home lighting costs is to switch out all of your bulbs for CFL and LED alternatives. Although this does require an initial investment, these bulbs use a lot less energy and have a much longer lifespan compared to incandescent bulbs, so you will likely save a lot of money in the first year after making the switch.

Next, upgrade your fixtures. If you have old fixtures, particularly older ones that flicker or otherwise show signs that they aren't properly grounded, upgrade to new fixtures. While you are at it, install a few task lights that use fewer bulbs. It will save energy to only flip on a single-bulb task light for a quick kitchen trip than to power on the entire overhead light assembly.

Timers and Controls

Timers are your best friend when it comes to making sure the lights are out. Lights will turn on and off at preset times, so there is no longer any concern about leaving the lights on all night. An electrician can easily install timers on any of your light switches. They can also be installed on outlets so that lights that don't connect to a wall switch can also be controlled by a timer. Timers are especially useful for outdoor lighting.

A step up from timers is to have your lighting system switched over to a smart home system. This way, you can both set timers for every light in the house, but you can also control them even when you aren't in the room. This is an excellent way to make sure the porch light is on only when you will be arriving home, or that the bathroom light you forgot about is turned off, even if you've already left for work.

Alternative Options

Not all home lighting has to cost you money to run. For outdoor lighting, consider switching over to solar lights. Most outdoor lighting, particularly landscape lights, such as those for paths and garden beds, doesn't require too much energy, so solar is the perfect option. An electrician can help install these.

You can also use solar in the home, even if you aren't ready to switch over completely. Work with an electrician to choose a small panel that can power a few of the lights around the home.

An electrician can help you implement all these improvements to your home's lighting system.