Five Simple Steps to Reduce Your Energy Costs While Improving Your Health

We all know that it saves energy to turn off the lights when we aren’t using them, but did you know that the amount and type of lighting you use can affect your health and mental attitude? The problem is called over-illumination. Over-illumination occurs when too much artificial lighting is used in an indoor area. Besides needlessly consuming energy resources, studies report that over-illumination can have adverse health effects on people working in over-illuminated environments, causing symptoms such as fatigue, headache, stress, and high blood pressure. Most of us have little control over the lighting situation in our workplaces, but here are some ways you can reduce the effects of over-illumination in your own home.

1. Open the blinds. Using natural sunlight instead of incandescent or florescent lighting during the daylight hours can substantially decrease energy usage. Studies show that increased sunlight has positive effects on an individual’s mental health and well-being, allowing him or her to be happier and more productive than when only exposed to artificial lighting.

2. Consider light base colors for decorating. Because lighter colors reflect more light than darker ones, large, lighter-colored surfaces allow sunlight to reflect farther into your living environment. Lighter colors seem brighter, allowing you to illuminate more space with less energy.

3. Don’t over-illuminate. It’s easy to put a lot of light in a room, but it isn’t necessary –or even beneficial. Lighting that is too bright can be over-stimulating, especially in the evenings or at night. If you see strongly reflected light or glare, you are probably over-illuminating.

4. Place fixtures strategically. Take time to analyze where you most need light. Where do you sit to read or study? How much lighting is really needed for this activity? Use dimmer, ambient lighting for general use, and save brighter lights for when they are needed for a specific purpose.

5. Choose light fixtures carefully. After you’ve analyzed where and what kind of lighting you need, search for fixtures that will serve those specific purposes. It may be helpful to do research on bulbs first, and then find fixtures that will match them. In this way, you can analyze the efficiency of the light bulbs – and hence the fixtures – before you buy them.

by Rachael Page