The Practical Millennial: Energy-Saving Light Bulbs 101

(Editor's note: The Practical Millennial is glimp's article series that dives deep into the common woes of millennials, and how it can be fixed — the practical way.)

When the pandemic hit New Zealand, Kiwis were compelled to avoid public places and stay indoors. Due to this, it’s become unavoidable to spend all day at home and consume more electricity. 

Aside from gadgets and other appliances at home, lighting also consumes a lot of power, costing you up to 10% of your electricity bills. However, by knowing energy-saving options, you can cut costs on lighting in the long run.

Though this may already be common knowledge to long-time homeowners, this article is aimed at younger millennials who are still getting used to 'adulting' and living on their own. Here, we’ve listed common energy-saving light bulbs to help you save for the long-term. And don't be a bummer — tell your mates!

Convert traditional incandescent to efficient light bulbs

If you’re still using incandescent light bulbs at home, you may want to replace them with compact lights. These bulbs are made of halogen incandescent, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) or light-emitting diodes (LED). Although they’re more costly compared to the traditional incandescent, they can help you save more money in the long run by consuming less energy. 

Halogen incandescent

This modern incandescent light uses about 10 to 20% less electricity and can last up to three times longer than a standard light bulb. They come in different shapes and colors with dimmer features, perfect for your bedrooms and kitchen. 

CFLs

CFLs are compact spiral bulbs, ideal as bathroom lighting. While they’re more expensive than halogen bulbs, they consume up to 80 per cent less, and can last about 6,000 hours. 

LED

LED bulbs are your best bet when it comes to overall lighting around the house. They’re brighter and more efficient consuming up to 80% less power, and durable lasting up to 20 years. Compared to halogens and CFLs, LED emits less carbon dioxide which is great for the environment. 

Place lights in corners 

You can get better lighting by placing lamps in the corner as it allows light to bounce off wall surfaces. This will not only save you on your power bill, but can make a good accent in your living space too.

Choose light colours on walls

To better reflect light in a room, use a cooler shade of paint. As light colours like white, blue, yellow, and lime green make a space feel cosy and roomy, you won’t have to spend so much for lighting. 

Buy solar indoor and outdoor lighting

Now we're talking more long-term savings. It can be a bit more expensive buying quality solar indoor and/or outdoor bulbs, (think fairy lights for the holidays too, hey!) but you will save on this big time. Find some good solar light bulbs online and just put them around the house. Some even light up automatically at night, or are motion-activated. Pretty cool and efficient, if you ask us! In the event of power outages or emergencies, you can also have solar-powered emergency lights at the ready.

Get a better power plan

Of course, it's not enough to get energy-saving lights to lessen your power consumption. It's always best to compare and look for the best deals from NZ power companies.

Compare power plans and get the right deals for you in just a few minutes, here at Glimp!