How to Save on Utility Expenses with Home Lighting Control
Make your Virginia Beach home more energy-efficient with smart lighting technology
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the average household spends approximately 5% of its energy budget on lighting. While lighting isn’t the largest energy expense in your Virginia Beach, VA home (that honor goes to the HVAC system), it is an area where you can make practical changes to become more energy-efficient and cut your electricity bills.
A centralized lighting control system allows you to access, change, and schedule all your home lighting from a smart device like a tablet or smartphone. Lighting control can help you manage lighting more efficiently, cut down energy waste, and lower the monthly power bill. Keep reading to learn how!
SEE ALSO: Bright Idea: Using Lighting Control to Improve Your Well-Being
Buy the Right Bulbs
Lighting control starts with buying the most energy-efficient bulbs: light-emitting diode (LED) light bulbs. Compared to incandescent bulbs, LEDs use 75% less energy and last 25 times longer, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Switching to dimmable bulbs (if you haven’t already) is another way to get more life out of your light bulbs. Not every activity in your home requires 100% brightness from your fixtures — dimming allows you to adjust the brightness to a comfortable level for the task you’re performing. Imagine a dim, cozy ambiance for reading a book in the evening, date night, or a dinner party.
Using less than 100% output saves energy and expands the lifespan of your bulbs. And it’s easy to adjust dimming levels and save your favorite settings using your smartphone or tablet.
Use Occupancy/Vacancy Sensors
Consider how many times you’ve left a room, or left your house, and forgot to turn off the lights behind you. Occupancy and vacancy sensors prompt lights to turn on when someone is in a room and turn off when the room is empty. Sensors are a great tool to promote efficiency and reduce lighting waste in your home.
Integrate With Motorized Shades
Bringing more natural light into your home is a smart (and healthy) way to reduce your reliance on artificial lighting and cut lighting costs. Integrate lighting control with motorized shade control to achieve the right balance of natural and artificial light indoors. On sunny days, raise the shades and dim or turn off the lights to conserve energy. You can automate this process by programming your lights to dim automatically whenever the shades are raised.
Want to learn more about how home lighting control can help you reduce your carbon footprint? Call us, fill out an online form, or start a live chat on our website to connect with our team of smart home experts.
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