| Lighting up the home doesn't seem like it takes up | | | | invention-newer than incandescent lights, at |
| a significant portion of our energy consumption, | | | | least-and leave much room for improvement. A |
| but every time millions of homes all over the | | | | single energy-saving candle bulb uses as little as 15 |
| United States and around the world turn off their | | | | to 20 percent of energy used up by an |
| lights for one hour every year, cities say they | | | | incandescent bulb. The components of the bulb |
| have significant 5 to 10 percent drops in energy | | | | provide an explanation for that. Unlike in an |
| usage. Yet, we certainly cannot NOT light up our | | | | incandescent bulb, which lights up because the |
| homes, especially at night where many of our | | | | high-resistance filament inside is heated until it |
| activities still take place. Still, there is a way to | | | | glows brightly, a fluorescent bulb does not |
| save home energy and that is choosing the right | | | | produce as much heat. Instead, it has a phosphor |
| lighting option for the home. Here are your | | | | coating on the inner layer, which emits light when |
| choices so far. | | | | excited by electricity. Moreover, the bulb lasts |
| 1. Natural Light. The bulk of usable natural light is | | | | longer than any other type available. This is why, |
| sunlight. There is no need for an energy-saving | | | | though fluorescent lights are initially more |
| candle bulb of any sort because sunlight provides | | | | expensive, they end up paying for themselves |
| well over all of our lighting needs during the day, | | | | because you don't need to replace them as often |
| and it's free! Other sources of natural light are | | | | and it helps cutting your electricity bill. There is, |
| candle light and fire light, which both cast beautiful | | | | however, much left to be desired. Most |
| red and orange hues. Unfortunately, they're not | | | | fluorescent bulbs do not produce the same |
| much help for much of modern man's nightly | | | | almost-natural quality provided by incandescent |
| activities. | | | | bulbs. Imagine trying to have a romantic dinner |
| 2. Incandescent Bulb. This 100-year-old product of | | | | under the harsher glare of fluorescent lights. Also, |
| one of the greatest inventors of all time-Thomas | | | | they cannot work with dimmer switches. |
| Edison, you fool!-is here to stay. Incandescent | | | | 4. Halogen Bulbs. These bulbs work very much like |
| bulbs mimic the all-natural lighting provided by | | | | incandescent lights, but they last longer than any |
| sunlight and are ideal for most of the family's | | | | other type of bulb. They are generally known to |
| everyday activities, such as cooking, exercising, | | | | emit a brighter, whiter light the reader loves so |
| eating, etc. This option, however, is not the | | | | much, but they also produce more heat than the |
| energy-saving candle bulb we're looking for. In | | | | incandescent bulb to turn away the reader in |
| fact, most of the electricity that powers an | | | | warmer climates. A halogen bulb can best be |
| incandescent bulb is used to produce heat instead | | | | described like a light bulb within a light bulb. As |
| of light. If you live in a warmer area, you can be | | | | heat produced by electricity burns the filament, |
| sure that your cooling system is churning out | | | | the halogen stored in the bulb catches the |
| loads of electricity to offset the heat produced | | | | tungsten molecules and puts them back in the |
| by incandescent light bulbs. | | | | filament. This explains the longer life of halogen |
| 3. Fluorescent Light. This is the best option for | | | | bulbs, which can outlive even fluorescent lights. |
| people who, above all, choose to save home | | | | They are not, however, the best option if you |
| energy. Fluorescent lights are a fairly new | | | | want to save home energy. |