According to new research by Utility Design, British citizens are wasting £4.4 billion every single year. How? By simply leaving lights on at home. Around 21 per cent of British citizens admitted to leaving the lights on in the home after leaving for work. This produces enough carbon emissions to match 45 flights around the world. 10 per cent admit to leaving lights on when leaving a room and 7 per cent keep a light on when they go to bed.
The many Downfalls to leaving Lights on at Home
However, this unnecessary waste of electricity is not just having an effect on our wallets. According to the national survey, which involved 1,000 of the UK public, this waste is causing arguments. Leaving the lights on in the home was the top reason for arguments between couples. This was admitted by 67 per cent of survey respondents.
In terms of locations, the worst cities for wasting electricity include Newcastle, Manchester, Nottingham, London and Cardiff.
Richard Skelton, brand and e-commerce director at Utility Design, said, “Lighting can make or break an indoor or outdoor space, and here at Utility we recognise the importance of well-designed, functional lighting. However, this study goes to show that it’s worth being conscious of our energy consumption and switching off unused lights, from both personal finance (saving money) and an environmental point of view.
“It was interesting to find out that the bathroom is the main room where people accidentally leave on the lights – perhaps we are slightly too bleary-eyed after our morning showers to make sure that we are being responsible with our energy consumption.”
Wasting Less Lighting
Though we will always recommend a wide range of smart lighting solutions to ensure you aren’t wasting any energy, there are many other things you can do to keep the costs down.
Hang plenty of Mirrors
You can double the amount of light in any room by allowing it to bounce off reflective surfaces. Hang a large mirror parallel to the largest window in your room. Or, if you’re dealing with a dark staircase, you can arrange smaller mirrors to help welcome the light.
Clean your Windows
This may seem obvious but cleaning your windows can have a massive impact on how much light makes its way into your home. The less dirt, grime and dust, the more sunlight can make its way into any room.
Supplement your Daylight
Put careful consideration into where you choose the place your light fixtures throughout your space. Indirect lighting aimed upwards can make up for a lack of light on the ceiling ad the daylight starts to fade away.
Be Mindful of Paintings
Art can really complete a room, but only when done so correctly. Save your large, dark artwork for rooms that are already blessed with bounds of light. If you cover a wall with paintings or posters, they will only make dark rooms even darker. This is because, instead of reflecting light, they will instead absorb it.
Colour Schemes
If you need to bring as much light to a room as possible, dark colours are certainly not going to be of any use. Brighter shades and tones such as whites or lilacs will help keep the room lighter for as long as possible. It also helps to paint the ceiling a lighter shade than the walls to help boost how the light bounces.
Smart Lighting
Going back to what we said earlier about smart lighting, there is plenty that you can invest in to ensure that your home has as much light as necessary. With our wide range of smart lighting solutions, you can be sure that your home will save plenty of energy in the long run.
Talk to ABM Electrical
Now you know the many ways in which you can get more light without wasting electricity, it’s time to invest in some smart solutions. At ABM Electrical, our team can deliver expert advice to ensure that you get the best products to suit your budget and requirements. Get in touch to learn more about how we can help.
