U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Building Technologies Program – Energy Open House

Kitchen Lighting

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ENERGY STAR® qualified compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs.

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Energy Facts: An average household dedicates 10% of its energy budget to lighting. New lighting technologies can reduce lighting energy use by 50% to 75%. Advanced lighting controls can offer further energy savings by automatically shutting off lights in unoccupied rooms.

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Scout It Out: Does your home have energy-efficient lighting? Scout out your incandescent and even halogen bulbs. Halogens don't tend to last long, get very hot, and use significantly more energy than either incandescents or CFLs.

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Tips:

  • Making lighting improvements is one of the fastest and easiest ways to cut your energy bills.
  • ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. The brightness and colors of today's CFLs are also comparable to the brightness and colors of incandescents.
  • Compared to incandescents, linear fluorescent tubes and CFLs cost a bit more to purchase but they are cheaper over their lifetimes because they are more efficient. Linear fluorescents and CFLs also last up to 10 years. CFL fixtures are now available that are compatible with dimmers and operate like incandescent fixtures.
  • Under-the-counter lighting presents a great opportunity for savings. Several kinds use ENERGY STAR qualified light emitting diodes (LEDs), which are even more efficient than CFLs.
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Tools: Use ENERGY STAR's Choose A Light Guide to help you find the right bulbs for your home.