God gave us light. Use it.

We are so accustomed to having lights on all the time, in so many parts of the house. Walking into a closet to grab a pair of shoes - flip on the light. Headed to the bathroom - flip on the light. Any room we walk into, we flip on the light - out of habit. It is not necessary, just a repetitive motion. If you are headed to the closet to pick out an outfit, you need the light. If you are just grabbing shoes, you probably don't (unless your closet is so large & deep, it would be impossible, in which case you most likely aren't reading this anyway). I am not suggesting you use the bathroom in the dark, but during the day, most homes provide ample light from windows. Turn the light on for grooming, but during the day, don't turn it on for a quick sit. I can shower in the morning with sunlight that comes in from the window. I have taken over 10,000 showers in my lifetime. I don't need much light to do it anymore. I certainly don't need much light for a bathroom activity that has taken place several times a day, all my life. I can do that in the pitch dark if I had to.



Turn lights off when you leave the room. Don't buy into an old myth that says it takes more electricity to turn the light on than to just leave in on. Generally speaking, this is not the case. If you are leaving a room for more than a minute or two, turn off the light.



THIS IS THE KEY: You have to get into the habit of asking yourself, every time you flip a switch, "Do I really need this light to do the activity I am doing?" Learn to use natural light when you can. Open your blinds and let the sun shine in. (Of course, this will be for another posting, but keep blinds closed on west facing windows in the heat of the afternoon.)



Seems like a small thing doesn't it? Remember, this is just a small step. It takes several electricity reducing measures to begin to see a noticable reduction in your bill. Every little bit helps, so turn out the light.