By understanding how your home uses lighting, you can more easily identify ways to save money on your energy bills, all while improving your health and mood.

In the context of energy-consuming devices at home, lighting refers to the technology that is used to illuminate the inside and outside of your home. Most homes use a combination of ambient lighting, which provides overall illumination to a room, and task lighting, which is designed for specific activities like reading or cooking. These layers of light work together to create both functionality and comfort.

A light bulb is the component that actually produces light. It’s the replaceable part that converts electricity into visible light. A light fixture is the device that holds and powers the light bulb. It’s the permanent or semi-permanent structure, such as a ceiling light, lamp, or wall sconce, that connects to your home’s electrical system and provides the socket, wiring, and often the design or housing around the bulb.

Lighting is powered by electricity. Different light bulb technologies and features not only determine how much electricity it uses, but also how bright it is, how long it lasts, and what it costs over time. While lighting technology has rapidly developed over recent decades, many homes still have outdated technology, inefficient lighting layouts, or improper brightness levels that impact financial and physical health.

By better understanding how lighting technology works, you can ensure you have the most efficient lighting-related technology, behavior, and design so that you can minimize your overall lighting expenses while improving overall lighting quality.