Pop quiz: What kind of light bulb is the most energy efficient? Answer: the one that's
off!
Lights
account for almost 15 percent
of a home's energy usage...but when does it become
cost effective to turn them off? Repeated switch-flicking does shorten a bulb's life,
but you'll save more money and energy by
turning fluorescent light bulbs off
when not in use, even if you have to replace them more often. (Thus said the
Department of Energy.)
If you have
fluorescent light bulbs
(
like CFLs), it's most cost effective
to turn them off if you leave the room for 15 minutes or more, according to Energy Savers. So if the lights are on but nobody's home, well...you're wasting your
energy!