Environment
Simple Ways to Save Energy on a Shoestring
By
Apr 12, 2007, 19:57

(ARA) - We all want to do our part to save energy, but time and money often prevent us from making energy-efficient home improvements. If we lack the time to research such projects and the funds to complete them, they tend to remain on our never-ending “things-to-do” list.

While Energy Star products like appliances and windows significantly reduce energy-consumption and costs, relatively quick and inexpensive options are also available.

Use Ceiling Fans Year-Round
Operating a ceiling fan throughout the year can reduce your home’s energy consumption, since your air conditioner or heater won’t have to work as hard to circulate air. In the summer, run a fan counterclockwise to cool a room. In the winter, eliminate cold spots and drafts by operating it clockwise on slow speed to re-circulate warm air trapped at the ceiling.

Save Energy in Style
Saving energy doesn’t have to be lackluster. While early versions of energy-efficient lighting products lacked style, today’s light sources feature fashionable designs that blend beauty and savings of up to 75 percent over standard products. Westinghouse Lighting Corporation’s series of Energy Star ceiling fans, lighting fixtures and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) come in coordinated, decorative finishes to complement home furnishings so that you can make your entire home an efficient one without sacrificing style.

Light with Less Energy
If you are using a ceiling fixture with two 60 watt light bulbs to brighten a room, you are consuming 120 watts of electricity. Consider installing an Energy Star approved ceiling fan with a light kit. Some fans include two 13 watt CFLs that produce an equal amount of light as their high wattage equivalents while only using 26 watts, saving you 75 percent in energy costs. In addition to the lighting savings, these high-quality ceiling fans are 15 percent more efficient than standard ceiling fans with an estimated annual savings of $15 to $20.

Mark Lynders, divisional general manager of ceiling fans and lighting fixtures at Westinghouse Lighting Corporation, assures us that product cost should not be an obstacle. “Many Energy Star fixtures and fans are available in a variety of styles and price points making them affordable for most consumers. Westinghouse’s Energy Star lighting fixtures range from about $29 to $249 MSRP and ceiling fans from $199 to $249 MSRP. All of these products come complete with energy-saving CFLs.”

A Light Bulb Changed Is Money Earned
Flickering, spiral-styled CFLs are things of the past. Retailing from about $4 to $15, CFLs come in a variety of shapes and colors similar to standard incandescent light bulbs while saving up to 75 percent in energy costs. Maximize energy-savings by replacing the most used light bulbs in your bathroom light bracket, dining room chandelier, recessed cans or living room table lamps.

Based on three hours of operation per day, a 14 watt mini-twist CFL saves $46 over the course of its life compared to a regular 60 watt light bulb. Since one CFL lasts about as long as thirteen regular light bulbs, you save time and money by replacing them less frequently than their counterparts.

Get Creative
CFLs are a great source for efficient lighting, but light emitting diodes (LEDs) are even better. Westinghouse Lighting’s umbrella light provides ambient outdoor lighting without using electricity, so there are no electrical cords or wires in your way. Operating on four “AA” batteries, it is easily installed by snapping it onto umbrella poles or hanging it anywhere you need light -- gazebos, patios, tents and sheds. Guaranteed to last five years, the umbrella light retails at $19.99.

While energy-saving home improvements increase your personal savings, they also have a direct impact on our environment. According to Energy Star, if every U.S. household changed the lights in one room to Energy Star rated products, we could keep 1 trillion pounds of greenhouse gases out of the air.

Many companies offer environmentally-conscious, energy-saving products through retailers and home centers. It’s just up to you to decide how to upgrade your home on a budget.

Westinghouse Lighting Corporation offers an extensive selection of Energy Star rated lighting fixtures, ceiling fans and compact fluorescent lamps as well as a series of decorative electrical accessories. For more information about Westinghouse Lighting Corporation and its products, visit www.westinghouselighting.com, email info@westinghouselighting.com, or call (888) 417-6222.

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