Here’s a simple idea I’ve been using to reduce energy use in our house. It goes into the “duh” category of energy efficiency: in light fixtures that use multiple light bulbs, use fewer bulbs. For example, in our bathrooms we have light fixtures that use three or four bulbs, the kind that are right above the mirror, where the bulb is not covered by a larger glass fixture. In our larger bathroom, with his-and-hers sinks, we have 8 light sockets! What I’ve done there is simply slightly unscrew the two outer bulbs in each four-bulb fixture, so that they turn off. This leaves only the inner two bulbs on. When bulbs go out, I rotate the burned-out bulbs to the outer sockets.

There is still plenty of light, and by leaving all the bulbs in place you don’t have an unsightly and dangerous empty socket. Besides using less energy, we also save on replacement costs for bulbs.

In other parts of the house, where bulbs are covered by a larger glass fixture, I’ve simply put in one bulb and left the other one or two sockets empty. And there’s still plenty of light.

Of course, when light bulbs go out I generally replace them with compact fluorescent bulbs.

This environmentalist is laughing all the way to the bank - at least until they raise the electric rates.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 19th, 2007 at 4:24 pm and is filed under Energy.