Here's an illuminating tip for home lighting:  Less is more.

There are different ways to use less energy when lighting your home.  CFL's (compact fluorescent lights) and LED's (light-emitting diodes) are much more efficient than incandescent bulbs and last a lot longer. You get the same amount of light over a longer span of time while using less energy.
 
However, sometimes the quality of light created by a CFL or LED might not contribute to the home environment you desire. LED's give a very direct white light and many CFL's still provide light that's noticeably 'cooler' than incandescent bulbs. Even though they are considered dinosaurs in the modern lighting world, incandescent bulbs and the warm light they create still have a wide appeal. So how can we reconcile energy-gulping incandescents with a greener home?

Enter the dimmer switch. Known to some as the sliding switch of suave and the mechanism of mood, it helps you control the flow of the glow. But dimmer switches do more than just get the party started... they can create the custom lighting you desire, save energy, generate less heat and increase the lifespan of both bulbs and lamps.

Dimmer switches work by creating a simple optical illusion. What you perceive as dimmer light is actually a filament being cycled on and off about 120 times per second. When the light is off more than it is on, the light appears dimmer.   Neat trick, isn't it?  So neat, in fact that dimming a traditional incandescent light by just 10 percent more than doubles the bulb life. A light that is dimmed by 25 percent uses about 20 percent less electricity and increases the bulb's life fourfold.
 

One caveat: Dimmers will also work with halogen bulbs, but will only work with CFL's that are designed for use with dimmer switches and generally can't be used with LED's. Using a dimmer with an LED or regular CFL can greatly reduce the bulb's lifespan and in some cases, could even start a fire.  So if you want to have the dual benefits of efficient lighting and a dimmer switch, be sure to read the light bulb package and make sure it's dimmer switch compatible.

The most common dimmer switch is the wall switch. These replace ordinary light switches and are easy to install and wire. Some models have a turning dial; others have a sliding switch.  There are even high-tech ones with a touch pad.

Plug-in dimmer switches can be used for table and floor lamps.  Just plug the lamp into the switch and plug the switch into the outlet.  A rotary knob on the switch controls dimming.

Whichever switch style you choose, be sure to check the maximum and minimum load wattage.  A switch with a 40W minimum won't work with a 20W bulb.  Also, make sure your switch's maximum load comfortably exceeds the wattage of the bulbs controlled by the switch.  If you have 4 lights on a circuit and each bulb is 100W, a switch with a 400W maximum load is not a good choice.  Consider swapping out the 100W bulbs with 60W bulbs, for a total load of 240W, or get a dimmer with a higher maximum load wattage.

Ready to switch to a dimmer future? Things are looking brighter already.