Using long-life, low-energy, compact fluorescent light (CFL) globes can reduce energy use and pollution from lighting by 80% by comparison with old-style incandescent globes. There also are lower-energy alternatives for halogen down-lights.
Incandescent globes are being phased out in Australia, so the sooner we change over to low-energy alternatives the better for saving energy, money and pollution.
1. Check all lights inside the house and outside.
2. Identify any that still have old-style incandescent light globes installed
3. For the incandescent globes, find out if they are screw fittings or bayonet -style ones, and check the wattage of the globes e.g. 60W, 75W, 100W
o Purchase the right CFL fitting types for incandescent globes that need replacing and the right wattage (i.e. 11W CFL replaces a 60W incandescent, 15W for 75W and 20W for 100W) and replace wherever you can
o Note that it is worth investing in good quality globes and select warm light tones
4. For other lights such as halogens, make inquiries with your electrician or local light shop about low-energy alternatives to traditional halogens, or search on the Internet for ‘low energy halogen lights’. Purchase low-energy halogen alternatives and replace current ones as they burn out.
Why is it important?
Just the lights in our homes can easily cause more than 1 tonne of CO2 pollution in a year. It’s an easy problem to fix!