There are many things that you can do around the house to lower your electric bills, including adjusting your thermostat, installing weatherstripping and/or storm windows and doors, checking attic insulation, and turning off lights when you’re not in a room. These methods have been around for as long as people have had air conditioning and electrical lighting in their homes, and a few small changes can typically lead to significant savings right away.

At Gary Houston Electric, we’re always available to answer any questions that you have about improving your household energy efficiency, and LED home lighting is a great place to start. Standard incandescent light bulbs are gradually being phased out and replaced with Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting. High-efficiency light bulbs can help you get the same amount of light (or more) that you’re already accustomed to, and it will be years before you’ll have to replace them.

Historically, we’ve been accustomed to classifying light bulbs by wattage, and not lumens, but when it comes to high-efficiency light bulbs, wattage isn’t as useful of a measure. Wattage indicates the amount of energy required to power the bulb, and lumens are a measure of the amount of light that the bulb produces. A 10-12 watt LED bulb generates approximately 800 lumens of light, the equivalent of a 60 watt incandescent bulb. LED light bulbs can produce the same amount of lumens as an incandescent bulb on up to 75% less energy, and can last up to 25,000 hours! LED bulbs also emit significantly less heat than traditional incandescent bulbs, and contain no breakable filaments or glass.

Currently, LED light bulbs are significantly more expensive than standard light bulbs, but they’re continuing to grow in popularity, and their prices are continuing to drop. But no matter the cost, the bulbs will ultimately pay for themselves many times over due to reduced energy consumption, and the need to change bulbs far less frequently.

LED lighting is a quick and easy way to make your home more energy efficient and lower your utility bills, and we’re a phone call away when you’re ready to make the switch! For more information, or to schedule a free estimate, click here, or give us a call at (501) 375-8330.