Managing how lighting consumes electricity's not just a good idea - it's essential. Australian building regulations limit how many Watts of lighting you're allowed to install per square metre in new homes, and there are also restrictions on the types of light globes that can be sold nowadays.
A sensible lighting plan - or even just replacing older, less efficient globes with more modern LED or CFL technology - can vastly improve how efficiently you light your home.
Lifespan, energy use and cost of light globes
To really consider how 'efficient' different types of globes are compared to others, it's important to look beyond basic consumption. How long will they last? Will the added expense pay itself off in energy savings?
Automated lighting control
Automated lighting involves not just your lights, but also your curtains, which control daylight. Find out how automated lighting can help control your energy usage and improve your home's ambience.
Light emitting diode (LED) light globes
LED globes, or 'solid state lighting' is fast becoming the lighting of choice thanks to its amazing efficiency and long life.
Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)
These lamps are more efficient, readily available and burn far cooler that conventional incandescents and halogen globes.
Switches and manual controls
Manual lighting controls obviously help regulate how much energy you're using, and dimmers again can reduce the amount of energy being consumed. A warning though - some do consume extra power.
Light globe comparison guide
Check out our comparison guide to see how different types of light globes compare in terms of how much energy they consume, how much light they produce per watt, and what other factors you need to consider.