Can I add security lighting without raising my energy bill?

Even if you spend a bundle on outdoor security lighting, there’s no need to overspend when you operate it.

Energy-efficient security lights conserve electricity, focus light only on the areas you want to illuminate, and attach to timers or sensors so they switch themselves off when they’re not needed.

Too many outdoor lights shine large amounts of light in every direction--including upward, where the light is wasted, and outward, where it will shine through your neighbor’s windows instead of onto your patio or driveway. Light your yard, not the sky.

Here are Rosie’s tips for more energy-efficient outdoor lighting:

• Install properly shielded overhead security lighting. The shield will concentrate the light, making the best use of it and reducing light pollution.
• Don’t use more light than you need. Too much light can give off an uncomfortable glare, which actually lowers visibility. Shielded lighting will allow you to use a lower wattage bulb and prevent your deck from looking like a stadium.
• With lighting used strictly for security, install a motion sensor instead of leaving it on all night.
• For security, walkway and porch lighting, use fixtures with a timer or photovoltaic cell unit so the lights will turn off in the morning.
• For security lighting, use a low-pressure sodium bulb, which gives off the same amount of light with less wattage. For other lights, switch to compact fluorescent or metal halide bulbs, which are the most energy-efficient.

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