In addition to trimming your

lighting bill, Gilbertson suggests checking the energy efficiency of other

appliances as well. "Put your electric water heater on timer,"

he said. "Look at your washer and dryer, freezer, refrigerator, heat

pump. All these compressor-driven devices push the electric bill up."

Your home itself can also run

up the bill. "Older homes built prior to 1990 are not nearly as energy

efficient as newer models," said Linda Pavletich, owner of Premier

Lighting, in Bakersfield, Calif.

In addition to simply turning

off lights when not using them, the ALA offers the following suggestions:

- Consider fluorescents.

Consumers can cut costs quickly by switching from incandescent bulbs or

fixtures to compact fluorescents.

"This is a good idea for

lights in closets, workrooms, home offices, kids' rooms, security

areas, and kitchens," said Blitzer. "Plus it's very easy

to replace a bulb or even a fixture that is not fluorescent compatible

- it doesn't require electrical rework of wires."

While incandescent bulbs are

inexpensive to buy, they consume more energy than any other type of bulb

and have a relatively short life, making operating costs high. Fluorescent

lighting is now available in over 200 colors, ranging from the warm white

tones of incandescent light to cool white tones similar to daylight. Energy-efficient

fluorescents use one-fifth to one-third the electricity of a comparably

bright incandescent bulb and last 10 to 20 times longer.

The dollar amount saved depends

on how long a light operates. According to Blitzer, if you operate a security

light from dusk to dawn or 4,000 hours/year and replace the 100-watt incandescent

light bulb with a 32-watt compact fluorescent lamp the savings is about

$26 per year per fixture.

"If I operate a 100 watt

incandescent bulb 12 hours a day, on average, that bulb will have to be

replaced six times per year," he said. "Fluorescents usually

last 2.5 years, so you save time and avoid the inconvenience of having

to regularly change bulbs, particularly if they are in hard-to-reach places."

Pavletich decided to experiment

in her own home. She added frosted glass globes to her outside fixtures

and switched to fluorescent bulbs.

"I watched my electric

bill for four months and averaged a savings of $20 per month," she

said. "Visually, there was no difference in the light quality."

Pavletich agrees that time

is money, too. "Consider what it costs to change those bulbs,"

she said. "You have to buy them, go outside, get a ladder, put them

in the fixture. I was changing incandescent bulbs four times a year. Those

fluorescents have been in place for two years so far."

- Switch your switches.

Dimmers allow you to reduce lighting when you don't need it, which

saves both energy and light bulbs. Occupancy sensors turn lights off after

you leave the room or shut the closet door - even if you forget.

"It's easy to replace

regular light switches with dimmers or occupancy sensor switches,"

said Blitzer. "These cost more than standard switches to buy, but

there is no difference in cost of installation."

Gilbertson is also a fan of

dimmer switches. "These are often overlooked, but will save energy,"

he said. "If you reduce your voltage 10 percent on a dimmer, you

will double the bulb's life and save energy and money.

"I have customers who

are always burning out bulbs," added the lighting expert. "The

three nemesis of bulbs - voltage fluctuation, vibration and heat

buildup - create wear and tear on light bulbs. But you can protect

against all three with a dimmer control. I have 14 dimmer controls in

my own house and my electric bill is moderate now."

To dim fluorescents, use a

special dimming ballast, as well as a dimmer that is compatible with fluorescents.

- Move to motion detectors.

Motion detectors offer another bright idea for snipping the electric bill.

"These are great for outside lighting," said Gilbertson. "You

have security, but the light shuts off when not needed."

- Light in layers. Those

lighting new homes for the first time might consider a "less is more"

approach. "Think of lighting in layers," said Blitzer. "Start

with the spots where lights are most important - where tasks are

performed, like reading. Don't accent everything in the living room,

just the important stuff. This allows a thinning of lights without the

house looking dark and will save energy."

- Add ceiling fans. "Ceiling

fans are a great way to conserve electricity year-round," said John

Pearson, vice president of marketing for Casablanca Fans in Pomona, Calif.

"They are economical and energy efficient, utilizing about the same

energy as a 100-watt light bulb."

Ceiling fans don't actually

lower the temperature of a room like an air conditioner. But by spinning

the air, they create a wind chill effect that makes you feel up to eight

degrees cooler.

According to Pearson, running

a ceiling fan costs about one cent per hour, or pennies per day, versus

the several dollars per day to run an air conditioner. Fans can be used

alone or in conjunction with an air conditioner. "When used with

an air conditioner, the thermostat setting can then be raised, resulting

in reduced cooling costs of 40 percent or more," said Pearson.

Simply raising a thermostat

setting two degrees will save about 14 percent on energy consumption.

Studies show that setting ceiling fans to spin in a counter-clockwise

pattern, will save as much as 40 percent off summer cooling bills -

without sweltering. Simply set the thermostat a few degrees higher and

flip on the fan.

In the winter, ceiling fans

move warm air