Canadians rely heavily on electrical lighting, especially during the winter when days are shorter. Although lighting only accounts for around 4% of annual energy use in most households, there are a number of simple changes that you can make to significantly improve the efficiency with which you light your home.

The following list of tips will help you to understand how to use lighting more wisely and what light-saving devices you can install at home to maximize your energy efficiency.

For more information, please consult Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE).

Tips

Good habits
•Turn lights off when you leave the room. If you forget, install occupancy or motion sensors that will automatically turn lights off/on when you leave/enter a room.
•Try to take greater advantage of natural light by opening curtains or installing skylights.
•Concentrate light where you need it and reduce background light levels.

Light-saving devices
•Install motion/daylight sensors or simple timers on outdoor lights to reduce the time they are in use.
•Replace lights you use the most with compact fluorescent bulbs. Quick Fact:1,2,3
•Install halogen lighting outdoors to replace less energy-efficient incandescent lights. Quick Fact: 1

Renewable sources
•Use renewable sources of energy, such as solar power, for your lighting needs.