Lighting Solutions Provide Ambience, Save Money, and Help the Environment

When it comes to your home's ambience, lighting speaks volumes. Soft lighting that infuses your bedroom with a warm glow can envelope you with a sense of comfort and relaxation. Bright fluorescent lighting can lend an industrial air to your kitchen, while track lighting adds drama and flair. Bright outdoor lighting can help secure your home, while more discrete lighting can set the stage for evening gatherings of friends and family.

The wrong type of lighting not only diminishes your home decor, but it can also leave an unwanted environmental footprint and raise your energy bills in the process. Experts agree that you can lower your energy costs by over 25 percent simply by using energy more efficiently, and that switching from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs means cutting lighting-related energy usage by upwards of 60 percent.

There are several lighting products available that can both reduce your home's environmental impact and enhance your home's decor. They include:

Touch Lamp Dimmers: A touch dimmer converts a regular lamp into a touch light. Essentially, it converts a single-wattage bulb into a three-way bulb, in that with each successive touch, the light cycles from low to medium to high to off. Ideal for table lamps, floor lamps, desk lamps, and multiple bulb lamps, a touch lamp dimmer allows you to set the lighting to suit your mood - from touch & glow to ultra-bright - while saving energy and providing you with extended bulb life.

Touch Switch: A touch switch can instantly convert an electrical outlet without an on/off switch into one that's activated with the touch of your finger. It eliminates the need for rewiring, and works well with compact fluorescent bulbs, incandescent bulbs, and halogen bulbs, as well as holiday lights and under-cabinet lighting. The convenience of the touch switch makes it easy to turn off lights when they're not needed, thereby saving on energy costs.

Dusk-to-Dawn Light Controls: Unless you arise at dawn, chances are good that your outdoor lights are on during daylight hours. Dusk-to-dawn light controls screw into the light sockets and are activated by sunlight, so that the light automatically turns on at dusk and off at dawn. Plug-in versions of dusk-to-dawn light controls serve the same purpose inside the house, making them ideal for giving your home a lived-in look while you're away. Plus, these light controls can extend bulb life by up to 500 percent!

Bulb Life Savers: Bulb life savers screw into the bulb socket and extend bulb life by making the filament burn cooler and dimmer. They not only allow you to use less energy, but they are ideal for bulbs that are hard to reach. Bulb life savers are even available for chandelier-sized bulbs.

Touch lamp dimmers, touch switches, dusk-to-dawn light controls, and bulb life savers all help you to save on energy and bulb costs while leaving a smaller environmental footprint. In the process, they add beauty and functionality to your home decor - definitely a winning combination!