Super Eco

Photo credit: Restoration Hardware

Dimmers and auto-shut-off switches can result in big energy savings. For rooms that are mostly lit by outside light or not used very often, you can get an indoor photosensor light, such as The DaySwitch (trademark).  Such a switch can reduce your energy consumption by up to 30 percent, although this switch is recommended more for industrial use. 

The Lutron light control site has a calculator that will let you see how much you can save using its product. The fancy-schmancy Control4 (registered) Wireless Dimmer uses sensors to adjust the amount of light to what is needed based on available ambient light.

If you're using a dimmer or a timer, you should note if it works with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Traditional lightbulbs are dimmed by reducing the electricity to the bulb, but CFLs work a little differently. In the beginning, they couldn't be dimmed at all, but strides have been made in CFL technology enabling some CFLs to work with dimmers or other energy-saving switches, making them the superior choice by far. 

The following companies produce dimmable CFLs, and here's a complete list. They cost anywhere from $9.50 to $22 per bulb and last up to 25,000 hours.

• GE
• Greenlite
• Maxlite
• MicroBrite
• Philips
• TCP
• Westinghouse

While you're at it, write your company's facilities department to see if they'll install automatic switches, as well, especially in the restrooms. 

Finally, after you've replaced your fixtures, don't forget to use CFLs. I was initially freaked out by the rumor that CFLs contained mercury, but according to EnergyStar, they contain an average of 4 milligrams (much less than the 500 milligrams present in old thermometers). In comparison to incandescent bulbs, a CFL used for 8,000 hours results in 1.8 mg of mercury, as opposed to the 5.8 mg produced by its old-school partner used for the same amount of time. Here is a fact sheet with even more information. 

Make sure to recycle your light bulbs, regardless. It's illegal to throw away fluorescent bulbs in California, Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.  However, to make recycling your CFLs easier, you can procure recycling kits.