You can make a positive impact on our lives by making a commitment to conserve energy and protect the environment. Just by changing out your inefficient light bulbs with LED bulbs, you will make a difference.

ENERGY STAR is engaged in a year-long national campaign to educate people about the importance of using LEDs as a way to be green, and save some green too.

LED bulbs use 70-90 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and last at least 15 times longer. If every U.S. and Canadian household replaced just one bulb with an LED, nearly 7 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year would be prevented.

Do not be dissuaded by thoughts of high-priced bulbs. LED prices have come way down, now averaging around $2 per bulb, with some as low as $1. Combined with the energy savings, it does not take long for new LED bulbs to pay for themselves.

Make a difference by switching at least one incandescent bulb with an energy-efficient LED.

To see the latest LED bulbs and fixtures, visit an ALA-member showroom.

Choosing the right LED bulbs can be confusing. Following are a few tips to help you get the best bulbs for your fixtures.

• Compare sizes and shapes of your current bulbs with those at the store. Manufacturers are coming out with more and more LED bulb variations all the time.
• Check the lumens, which is required to be listed on the label. The more lumens, the brighter the bulb. For comparison, a 60-watt incandescent bulb is about the same brightness as an LED with 800 lumens.
• Consider bulb color, which is measured in kelvins (K) and shown on the label. For a warm glow, similar to an incandescent, look for an LED with a color temperature around 2700K. For a whiter light, get a bulb that is 3000K. A bright white bulb is 3500-4100K, and a bluer white light is 5000-6500K.
• Study the entire label to know if the bulb can be used outside and if it can be used with a dimmer.

To ensure you get the best bulb fit, talk to a lighting expert at an ALA-member showroom.

Learn more about light bulb choices from ALA online.

Lumens measure the amount of light a bulb emits. A bulb's lumens let you know how it performs as it comes out of the light source.

For comparison, a standard 60-watt indandescent bulb and a 9-watt LED will both emit about the same 750-850 lumens.

Quoizel

Find perfect lighting for your home at an ALA-member showroom.