I may write about energy saving efforts, and eco-options, but one thing that I am terribly guilty of is leaving too many lights on in the house. On some days, it’s not really by any fault of my own. When the kids are up early and it’s still dark in the morning, the lights end up staying on until the sun comes out, and even then, I forget they were on in the first place.
I try to get better all the time. I actually enjoy having minimal lighting when I am alone, or writing and these summer days make it even easier.
There are new regulations that the Government of Canada regarding efficient light bulbs. By December 31, 2014, new regulations for light bulbs will be in place. You can read all about it on the Natural Resources Canada website. They are phasing out incandescent lights and you will likely be seeing more LED options at your lighting stores. LED lights last longer, are more environmentally friendly and use less electricity*. For more information about LEDs visit this link or this Government of Canada one. While it should be noted that LED bulbs are more expensive, they last longer and the other benefits are certainly something to consider. You can find Sylvania products at Home Depot, Lowes and Costco.
When Sylvania emailed me about doing a review and post about lighting, I thought it was a great idea. Not only to inform readers about the new lighting regulations, but also myself.
Check out this infographic that details more about energy savings through lighting and why it’s important:
That’s pretty powerful information. The LEDs are just becoming more readily available
Sylvania sent me two products to check out – a 12 watt LED light bulb and the Mosaic light strips.
A light bulb is a light bulb, right?
Not really. I replaced my CFL bulb that’s in my living room floor lamp. This is called my ‘reading lamp’ because it’s beside the couch that we all love to use to read. The lighting from the LED was lovely and it was nice not to hear the hum that would often come from the CFL. Not to mention the environmental issues with CFLs (and if one breaks!). I think we’ll be making more switches in the house.
Meanwhile, I also received the Mosaic light strips to try out. I couldn’t decide where to put them. I couldn’t put the one set in one of the kids’ bedrooms, because they other would be jealous. In the end, the perfect place for the strips was on our family room/play room bookshelf. That area of the room is lacking lighting to begin with, and with the fun features that the lighting strip offers, it was a neat spot for it.
Here are a few things I really like about the strips:
- They have extenders if you need them longer.
- They stick to a surface with 3M sticky strips.
- They are thin and hide well.
- They offer a fun selection of different lighting colours that can be changed for holidays, seasonal needs and so on.
- They were beyond easy to install.
- You can cut them to fit in the exact spot you want
- There is a remote control to turn on and off, rather than fumbling with a switch at the cord (especially since I hid the cord!)
- When the lights aren’t one, the cord is very hard to see!
In the pictures below, you can see the difference between some of the light settings on the book shelf. Don’t mind my messy game area. When the kids saw it, they loved it! In fact, the morning after I set it up, they performed a dance show while the lights were set to the ‘flashing’ setting. Turns out, I inadvertently created a dance club in our playroom. And I’m okay with that!
I’ll be keeping my eye out for more Sylvania LED lights for the house at various retailers.
Have you started to switch your lights to LEDs? Would you consider it? Did you know about the government regulations coming?
—-> You can follow Sylvania on Twitter and on Facebook!
*NRCAN document on LED lighting
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/oee.nrcan.gc.ca/files/pdf/residential/business/energystar/pdf/final-factsheet-learning-about-LEDs-09-1575-eng.pdf
****
Disclosure: I was compensated for this review and post, however, all opinions are my own. I encourage you to do your own research before finding the best lighting for you and your family. My kids definitely had a dance party with the lights the next day and seem to really like them. I am very interested in converting my own light bulbs to LEDs when given the chance after reading the information I have.
