Energy Saving Tips for Summer

• Install a heat/cool set-back thermostat to lower your AC bills. Look for models that offer multiple Hi/Lo cycles and separate programs for weekdays and weekends. Higher priced units also offer Vacation Mode with a special program that modifies temperature cycles for weeks at a time.
  
  

• Ensure you select the thermostat that fits your heating and cooling system. Not all set-back thermostats support cooling as well as heating so it's important to read the packaging if your house is equipped with a central air conditioning system.
  
  

• Install a reversible ceiling fan. You will get year round benefits as they help you lower your energy consumption.  In summer, they cool and circulate air.  In winter, because warm air rises, a ceiling fan will push heated air back to floor level where it's needed most.

Outdoor Lighting Tips

• Use regular wall mount light fixtures for the front of your house rather than motion sensor flood units. The glare from the floodlights may blind people driving by your house and cause a driving hazard.
  

• If you decide to install flood or halogen type lighting, make sure the fixtures point towards the house and away from the street to prevent glare.  If you install one of these fixtures above a garage door, point the fixture towards the ground and not directly towards the driveway.
  
  

• Floodlight fixtures are generally used to light up dark areas around your house for added safety and to help prevent break-ins. Consider motion sensing units for added security and power conservation.

   

• For increased illumination and extra energy savings, consider Quartz-Halogen, High Pressure Sodium and Mercury Vapour light fixtures. These bulbs last longer than typical incandescent floodlight units.

  
  

• Low voltage lighting kits are available for illuminating walkways, patios and gardens. These kits come with "pagoda" style fixtures for lighting walkways and floodlight fixtures for highlighting landscape elements and creating dramatic effects.  There are also flush-mount units that are designed specifically for decks and patios.
  

• Decorative and coach type fixtures come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials. Select the right finish for your needs. Polished brass fixtures may have the most decorative appeal but also tend to deteriorate more quickly. Painted metal fixtures fare a bit better and can be repainted if need be. Polycarbonate fixtures last the longest but they don't offer the same decorative appeal as the other types.
  
  

• When selecting a light bulb for your light fixture, pay attention to the type of glass used in its construction. Clear glass fixtures look better with a clear bulb and frosted bulbs are more appropriate for fixtures with frosted glass.
  
  

• Try to match the maximum power rating of your light fixture when replacing bulbs (but don't exceed it).  This is specially important with Halogen lighting.
  
  

• To create a dramatic effect, install recessed "pot-light" fixtures in the roof overhang along the front of your house.  Ensure they are rated for outdoor use.  This type of lighting brings out the brick texture and other architectural details while eliminating dark zones and potential safety hazards.
  
  

• It's also a good idea to add a motion sensor light on the side of your house.  This will light up the passageway to your back yard.

  Indoor Lighting Tips 

• To minimize your interior lighting costs use fluorescent or energy saving replacement bulbs in your light fixtures. Compact fluorescent bulbs come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Remember that fluorescent bulbs also come in various light tones and that "Warm White" and "Daylight" bulbs are closest to natural light while "Cool White" has the brightest light with a slight blue or green tint. Most compact fluorescent bulbs come in two parts, the base is essentially the "ballast" portion and the top is a replaceable fluorescent tube. Your local Home Hardware Dealer carries fluorescent replacement tubes for most types.
  
  

• Use trilight bulbs when your lighting needs vary. This is also another way to save on your lighting costs as you simply use the right amount of energy for your needs.
  
  

• Fluorescent tubes and fixtures are sensitive to the ambient temperature so they should be used inside only. When used in very cold rooms they will tend to flicker until they get a chance to warm up. You will find exterior fluorescent fixtures in commercial and industrial applications.
  
  

• Halogen lighting produces an extremely light which is ideally suited to track and recess lighting. You will also find Halogen ceiling fixtures and torchere lamps. Halogen projector bulbs come in both flood and spot types as well as low (12V) and high voltage (120V). Specialty Halogen bulbs come in several shapes and sizes. In most cases, never touch a Halogen bulb with your bare fingers when replacing it. The bulb will burn out if there is any oil from your skin that contaminates its surface. Cover your hand with a tissue or a glove before manipulating the bulb.
  
  

• Make sure you pick the right light bulb for the job. There are "rural" bulbs for areas where the voltage varies significantly, "shock-resistant" bulbs for trouble lamps, "extra-life" bulbs for light fixtures which are hard to access, "softone" which offer less glare for use in desk lamps and many, many others. Match the wattage to the task and ensure not to exceed the maximum wattage rating for the lamp or fixture.
  
  

• When buying a dimmer switch, pay special attention to the type of light fixture it will be controlling. Halogen fixtures require a special type of dimmer switch. Same goes for ceiling fans. Never use a standard incandescent light dimmer to control a ceiling fan. Note that fluorescent fixtures cannot be controlled by an incandescent dimmer switch. Replace 3-way toggle switches with a dimmer of the same type.
  
  

• Install timers around your house for convenience and security.  Look for new "random program" timers which are very effective, specially when you must leave your house unattended for long periods.
  
  

• Home Hardware carries energy saving replacement fluorescent ballasts from Philips Lighting. They save 10% energy over a standard ballast.