Replacing just one 60-watt incandescent light bulb with an energy-efficient 20-watt compact fluorescent in each of Canada's 12 million homes could save more than $73 million a year in energy costs. With power plants generating less electricity, they would also be using less natural resources and creating less greenhouse gases. The energy saved would be equivalent to taking more than 66000 cars off the road.

Those figures highlight why it is easy, economical and environmentally savvy to replace some of the most frequently used lights in your home with compact fluorescent bulbs. The bulbs bearing the international high-efficiency ENERGY STAR symbol on the packaging are your assurance of maximum energy efficiency.
A typical Canadian home can have as many as 30 light fixtures, costing an average of $200 annually in electricity. Replacing regular incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) in just five fixtures that are used three hours a day or more could slice $30 from that yearly expense. These savings are enough to pay off the added cost of the CFL bulb in under two years, and then you will continue to save money every year after because CFLs last up to 10 times longer than standard bulbs while emitting the same amount and quality of light.
The best candidates to install CFLs are in areas where lights are on more often, such as in the kitchen, family-room lamps, and outdoor fixtures. Because they last so much longer than standard bulbs, CFLs are especially suited to fixtures that are hard to reach.

Replacement tips

• Cut back on energy costs with outdoor motion sensors and timers, and inside, create different moods with easily installed indoor dimmer switches. Ensure the bulb you choose is compatible with a dimmer switch.
• Compact fluorescent lights no longer flicker and hum like fluorescent tube lights of the past. Available in numerous shapes, sizes and wattages, they are designed for a range of functions, from creating warm and soft ambience to brightly lit workspaces.
• It's practical and aesthetically soothing to mix CFLs and incandescent in a room to provide the same natural white light.
• Complement ambient lighting kept at low levels for maximum attractiveness and energy efficiency with task lights that raise light levels in reading areas or on work surfaces such as kitchen and bathroom counters.
• Where outdoor lights are left on for a long time, choose CFL lamps designed for outdoor use to ensure maximum longevity and energy savings.

Canada is in the midst of a renovating craze. Knocking down walls and creating new uses for old spaces, Canadians in 2001 spent a total of $20.4 billion on repairs and renovations, an average of $2,580 for each homeowner.

An essential element of any do-it-yourself makeover or full-scale redesign is the lighting system. In search of style and savings, energy-conscious Canadians find one of the best returns on their renovating dollar is ENERGY STAR qualified lighting products that balance elegance and versatility with economic and environmental value. The high-efficiency international ENERGY STAR symbol is a simple but effective tool that is helping consumers make the connection between energy consumption, cost savings and the environment.

ENERGY STAR qualified lighting products come in a variety of shapes, colours, temperatures and brightness. Compact fluorescent lights with an ENERGY STAR symbol on the package means that the products meet stringent specifications for long life, energy savings, start time, colour and brightness.
The larger the job, the bigger the opportunity to cut needless energy demands. Lighting a typical Canadian home starts at about $200 worth of electricity every year. Installing energy-efficient lights in place of standard incandescent bulbs could carve approximately $60 from your electricity bill each year and be better for the environment too.
Renovating Tips

• When you hire a contractor for your renovations, make sure he/she is familiar with energy-efficient lighting systems and can recommend design options that utilize the wide range of ENERGY STAR qualified products.
• Determine lighting needs and desired effect before renovations begin. Note the need for brightly lit workspaces versus leisure areas that are better suited to such energy-saving devices as dimmer switches and accent lighting.
• Use fluorescent or ENERGY STAR labeled compact fluorescent bulbs to retrofit rooms requiring lighting for more than three hours a day, such as kitchens and family rooms. Since CFL bulbs last an average of seven years, they are also perfect for hard-to-reach places. CFLs can be screwed into traditional lighting fixtures. Better still, in your retrofit plan, opt for lights or fixtures that are designed specifically to hold a CFL to get the most benefit for your bulb.
• If you are buying a new lighting system, consider buying a fixture that complements the lamp for the intended purpose. For example, when installing linear fluorescent lighting, insist on tubes marked T8 rather than T12. T8 lamps use 25 percent less power for the same amount of light output as a T12. Recessed CFLs should have a properly designed reflector, otherwise the light will be trapped inside.
• Create different effects with decorating tricks such as using linear fluorescents for indirect light or using efficient track lighting or valances with CFLs to create wall washes for a softer feel.

Incorporating energy efficiency into the design of a new home is a sound and healthy investment in the future. In addition to the many energy-saving household appliances and heating devices now on the market, Canadian homebuilders can also choose from an array of advanced and sophisticated lighting products that meet every need, inside and out. It costs between $200 and $250 in electricity to light an average Canadian home of 2000 square feet. By using only energy-efficient lighting systems with ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs and matching fixtures, you can cut up to $150 from that annual expense. ENERGY STAR is an international symbol for energy efficiency that will help you quickly identify products that are the most energy efficient. Energy-efficient lighting products can be found easily in local hardware or home improvement stores and independent retailers. Look for:

• ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) for areas where lighting is needed for three or more hours a day.
• Linear fluorescents, which are best suited for kitchens, laundry areas and family rooms.
• Halogen infrared lamps, which can be used for recessed or track lighting.

Asking architects and contractors to install energy-efficient lighting fixtures wherever possible is not only environmentally sound but also fashion-smart. Generating less heat than standard incandescent lighting, ENERGY STAR labeled products help to keep your house cooler in the summer, reducing the load on air conditioners. At the same time, they allow you to create a range of moods, from soft glows to crisp bright light for work areas.

Building Tips

• Choose the right fixture for the intended purpose.
• If installing a fixture for a compact fluorescent, opt for a fixture that takes a pin-based CFL.
• Determine how much light is required in each room before you purchase direct-wire fixtures since light output is specific to each fixture. It helps to know in advance the number and wattage of bulbs needed to ensure you are using the right light for the right application.
• Conceal linear fluorescents on top of kitchen cabinets for indirect lighting that uses 30 percent less energy than similar incandescent. Fluorescents and ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs can also be used in fixtures above the sink.
• Install wall-mounted fixtures in bathrooms to house twin two-foot fluorescent tubes.
• Install attractive valances on family room walls to direct the light from linear fluorescents above and below the fixture.
• Choose dimmable ballasts for fluorescent and ENERGY STAR labeled CFL fixtures. Improved controls such as timers, motion detectors and dimmers improve the usefulness of light and reduce wasted energy.
• Choose T8 bulbs with electronic ballasts when using linear fluorescent lamps. They are 25 percent more efficient than T12 lamps, saving you money in the long run. Electronic ballasts minimize the flicker and noise of older lighting systems with magnetic ballasts.

When making major purchasing decisions about home appliances, consumers often rely on the expertise of a knowledgeable sales-person. Choosing a more efficient appliance can have a significant impact on a household's overall electricity consumption. The ENERGY STAR Appliance Program was set up to partner with retail salespeople and encourage the sale of more energy-efficient appliances in order to reduce residential electricity consumption in British Columbia and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.

For most Canadians, outdoor lighting usually means a welcoming porch light or the security of a floodlit driveway.
Today, energy-efficient lighting products such as automated controls, sensors and a wide range of fluorescent bulbs and spotlights not only make it economically beneficial but environmentally sound to creatively illuminate your yards, balconies, patios and gardens-those outdoor "rooms" that everyone sees.
The cost of lighting the exterior of a typical house with two 60-watt porch lights and a pole-mounted fixture with a 75-watt incandescent bulb can climb to $60 a year if the lights are left on all night. Outdoor lighting retrofits that produce the same level of lighting cut annual costs in half.

Outdoor Lighting Tips

• Replace standard incandescent bulbs with outdoor compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) that last six to 10 times longer than standard bulbs and use two-thirds less energy while giving off the same amount of light. They're perfect for hard-to-reach fixtures, but make sure you purchase the ENERGY STAR labeled CFLs manufactured for outdoor use.
• Choose infrared or halogen parabolic aluminum reflector (PAR) spotlights for large areas, such as driveways or entranceways. Replacing 75- or 150-watt outdoor spot and floodlights with 40- or 90-watt PAR lights makes economic and energy-saving sense and are ideal for security lighting.
• Enhance the effectiveness of security lighting with motion detectors on halogen bulbs that consume about 40 percent less electricity and last up to four times as long as incandescent bulbs. For maximum efficiency, buy sensors that aren't triggered during daylight, and adjust the sensitivity so animals don't turn them on.
• Install timers on exterior lights and set them on a regular schedule. They're energy savers, as are photocells, which automatically switch lights off at daybreak.
• Decorative surface-mounted linear fluorescent fixtures make garages less industrial looking.
• Look for lighting products bearing the ENERGY STAR symbol-an international guarantee of maximum energy efficiency. They're sold at home improvement and hardware stores.
• Harness the sun's natural energy with simple solar-powered lights for landscapes and paths.