How Do I Choose

How to choose energy efficient light bulbs and fixtures

Reduce your energy use and costs while helping the environment

But how do you choose a product that saves energy and provides the best possible light for your home? Here are a few things you should consider:

Your lighting needs

Think about how light will be used in a particular space. Whether indoors or outdoors, do you need ambient lighting, task lighting of accent lighting?

Ambient or general lighting comes from all directions in a room. For example, ceiling fixtures provide ambient lighting. Task lighting, like a desk lamp, provides direct illumination for a particular task. Accent lighting enhances special features or the aesthetic quality of a lit environment, such as a deck or garden.

Quantity of light

While you may be accustomed to shopping for light bulbs by wattage, or the amount of energy that a bulb uses per hour, that's only part of the equation. More important is the amount of light you need, or lumens. The higher the number of lumens, the more light the bulb provides. The lower the number of watts, the more you will save in electricity use and costs. So choose the number of lumens you need first then look for the least amount of watts to achieve that number of lumens. The new Lighting Facts Label will make it easier for you to compare and buy the most energy efficient bulb to meet your needs.

Quality of Light

One simple way to identify quality, energy efficient lighting is to look for the ENERGY STAR label. ENERGY STAR is a trusted, government-backed symbol that identifies products that deliver the same or better performance as comparable models, while using less energy and saving money.

In addition to efficiency, color also contributes to the quality of light. Some bulbs cast warm light, while others cast cool light. It all depends on color temperature, measured in degrees Kelvin. Higher color temperatures represent cool light and lower color temperatures represent warm light.

Lighting Controls

You can save even more energy with lighting controls such as dimmers, three-ways, sensors and timers. These controls help you reduce the amount of time that lights are on. Just remember that fixtures or lamps with these types of switches require compatible bulbs.