Use energy saving bulbs and save!

One of my favorite dog jokes is "How many dogs does it take to change a lightbulb?"

For a Green Dog, it only takes one - the environmentally friendly and conscious pup and the two-legger they call their 'best friend!'

The right type and kind of lighting is very important, not only to you and how you feel, but to the environment and your wallet, as well!

Did you know that an conventional incandescent bulb turns only around five to ten percent of its consumed energy into light, the rest goes out as heat? That's right, according to Planet Green's article, "How to Go Green: Lighting".

So what kind of lighting is best? Here are some examples and why they help:

CFL's:

CFL stands for compact florescent bulbs. You know, those bulbs that have rungs, instead of just a round bulb. They come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors, and are much more readily available than they used to be.

Yep, they may cost a bit more, but they use nearly 1/4 to 1/5 the energy of regular bulbs, and last a whole lot longer. And they don't add extra heat into the room that can contribute to more air conditioning costs in the summer. We use these bulbs all over our house.

LED's:

LED stands for light emitting diodes - a technology that provides extremely energy efficient and long lasting light bulbs. They may be even a bit more expensive than CFL lighting, but use even less energy and hence cost less. An LED light bulb can save on energy consumption up to 90% and last over 100,000 hours. And they light up faster than conventional lighting and CFLs. We use these types of bulbs for task and desk lighting, and for our outdoor holiday decorations.

Here are some more great green lighting tips:

• Utilize full natural spectrum CFL bulbs. They can boost your mood, energy (and some say health) during low light seasonal times.
• Be sure and turn off lighting when you're not in the room and save energy and money.
• Make sure you dispose of your bulbs safely. CFLs contain a slight bit of mercury, so check with your recycling and waste disposal hotline or company in your area.
• Believe it or not, appliances do use energy as they are plugged in and not in use. So either unplug them, or get one of those smart strips, plug your appliances into them, and turn off the switch when not in use.
• If you have outdoor lighting, consider utilizing solar powered lighting for your walkways and patios.
• And while you're at it, why not get your dog their own Green Bulb - made of minty flavored Orbee-Tuff rubber for even the toughest chewers. The bulbs have a hollow end that can be filled with treats for added interest. And they're from Planet Dog, a great green dog company.

So what are you waiting for? Take a tip from the animals at Animal Planet, help your pup, yourself and the environment and progressively change out your old ordinary and conventional lighting with energy saving, CFL and LED lighting!

Lighting resources:

Brookfield??? Desk Lamp Replacement Bulb $15.00 Natural Spectrum?? Compact Fluorescent 3-Way Bulb $25.00 Sunwave Bulb 20W $25.00 Happy Eyes?? & Heritage??? Lamps Replacement Bulb $30.00 Princeton Desk Lamp Replacement Bulb $24.00 Anti-Bug CF Lightbulb $14.00 Dimmable CF Lightbulb 23W Warm Glow $15.00 Natural Spectrum?? Compact Fluorescent Outdoor Flood $25.00 Compact Fluorescent Reflector Floodlight $16.00 Minicandle Compact Fluorescent - Edison Base $10.00 Minicandle Compact Fluorescent - mini base $10.00 Natural Spectrum?? Fluorescent Tubes $11.00 HappyLite?? Mini Replacement Bulb $30.00 Aeonic Gooseneck LED Lamp $105.00 LED Lantern $49.00 Solar LED Candle $24.00 Solar LED Spotlight Set $99.00 12 Volt Holiday Lights $15.00