Lighting

Lighting accounts for about 20 percent of the average home's electric bill.

Every time someone flips a light switch to turn on a light, coal is being burned at a power plant to produce electricity, and as it is burned it releases carbon dioxide (CO2), mercury and other toxins. The higher the bulb wattage, the more electricity needed to make it burn bright, and of course the more electricity used means higher energy costs for you.

ENERGY STAR® qualified lighting provides bright, warm light but uses about 75% less energy than standard lighting, produce 75 percent less heat, and lasts up to 10 times longer.

Did you know the incandescent bulb is actually better at producing heat than light and uses a lot of electricity in the process? ENERGY STAR® qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) save energy and money while providing quality light for your home.

Fact Sheets

Additional Resources
The light-emitting diode (LED) is a new light source that differs in important ways from existing light sources. To learn more about this emerging technology, visit the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Web site below. Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Basics