Energy efficient lighting

One of the easiest things you can do to save some bucks and go green is to replace your light bulbs with green ones. When I built my new home in Gilbert SC, I was skeptical of CFL lights before I got used to them. Now I'm a fan. Mostly because of what it says on a typical package-"17 watts=65 watts". What this means is that you're getting 65 watts of light for 17 watts. Think about that. That's getting the same light for right at 25% of the money spent. That's great! But the next part is even better. Typical light bulbs put out about 10% of it's energy as light and the rest is heat. So if you're trying to keep your home cool in the summer the lights are working against you. So the 75% power savings is actually more! They have several types. The "energy star" lighting has prongs on the bulbs instead of screw ins, so you can't change back and forth. I've seen some really cool LED lights for cans but haven't bought any yet because of the cost. I went with the screw in CFLs. They make the little spiral jobs for regular stuff, lamps and the like. Then they make one that looks like a floodlight bulb for your can lights. Then I found some that are dimmable, because we like to dim all the can lights. Those are a little more pricey. And they don't dim down all of the way either. But, keep thinking about the energy savings and you'll get over it. In the beginning I was upset that they don't instantly get to their full brightness when you turn them on, but when you get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom it turns out to be a big plus. I got most of mine at the home depot, and they have a little display that shows the different colors of light that the different bulbs put out. The soft white ones are the ones closest to what you are used to. I was at Lowe's, and they had some with the candelabra attachment for ceiling fan lights, so I've got a few more to buy and try out. Anyway, start your conversion to CFL's and get started on lowering your power bill. And when your kid leaves the light on in his closet you don't have to scream and yell anymore 'cause it's only 15 watts! What a blood pressure saver!