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  In a previous article titled “How to cut down on your energy consumption and save money” I did not include lighting as a way of cutting down on your energy consumption as I felt that it was best to look at it as a subject on its own.

  When designing a new build you should be looking at day lighting, sunpipes and rooflights; Measures to bring in as much natural light into your home. You will also be looking at the function of each room in the house as each has its own particular lighting need or requirement.

  You would consider the following: -

• The general lighting of a room;


• Localised or task lighting i.e. concentrated light for activities such as reading, sowing and cooking;


• Accent or mood lighting to create atmosphere or to focus attention on certain objects or areas;


• The type of lighting best suited for the task;


• The type of light bulbs required for the job; and


• The energy requirement for the lighting.

  Light bulbs:

  What can I say about light bulbs without opening a can of worms?

  As I’ve mentioned in a previous post I have installed LED light bulbs in some areas of the house. I have also replaced some 60W incandescent light bulbs with 11W energy saving light bulbs. However the energy saving light bulbs come with all sorts of restrictions one of which is that it cannot be used with a dimmer switch. I also have a compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb in one room. CFL’s are being pushed as the lifesaver when it comes to saving energy.

   I find myself at odds with governmental policies to ban the energy-inefficient but electro-magnetically clean incandescent bulb in favour of the energy saving light bulbs, CFL’s and LED’s. Surely it should be up to you to choose what you use. But then we live in democracies don’t we?

  If energy-inefficient but electro-magnetically clean incandescent bulbs are to be banned surely they should also light bulbs that produce radio frequency pollution.

  Some CFL packages have a warning about the radio frequency pollution of these lights saying that the light may interfere with radio reception.

  This is something that you can test with a portable radio on AM. As you bring the radio close to an energy efficient bulb that produces radio frequencies the radio will begin to buzz. This electromagnetic interference (EMI) will be of concern to anyone using wireless technologies such as mobiles or wireless computers.

  CFL’s have also been found to produce high frequency radiation, which travels around household electrical systems and causes radiation throughout homes (and other premises). Because the high frequencies travel along the wire you can can also be exposed to them in other rooms of your home including the room that contains the CFL.

  However, the real problem is that these frequencies are making people ill. Three independent organisation in the UK that include the British Association of Dermatologists, the Migraine Action Association, and Epilepsy Action, have all reported illness among their members who have tried CFL’s. The most common symptoms are headaches, including migraines, fatigue, confusion, dizziness, ringing in the ears, eyestrain, nausea and skin irritations.

  Not only do we have human health problems associated with exposure to these compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)there is also the environmental problems these bulbs pose due to to the fact that they contain mercury, a neurotoxin that can cause kidney and brain damage.

  As long as the mercury is contained in the bulb, CFLs are safe from the environmental aspect. But eventually, any bulbs – even CFLs break or burn out and most consumers simply throw them out in the rubbish where they will end up in landfills and this poses a huge threat to the environment.

  And its just too bad if you should accidentally break one these new eco-bulbs. One study in the USA found that “immediately after the bulb was broken – and sometimes even after a cleanup was attempted – levels of mercury vapour exceeded federal guidelines for chronic exposure by as much as 100 times.

  So much for eco-bulbs. Obviously those legislating are anaware of the ecological and environmental problems associated with these bulbs or they are part and parcel of the climate-industrial complex and care more about money than the lives and environment of those that they represent.

  This is not to say that you should reject CFL’s out of hand but rather be aware of the risks associated with some of these light bulbs.

  After all, not all energy efficient bulbs are the same. They do not all contribute to dirty electricity and produce radio frequencies. Those that don’t include some CFL’s, some LED's and some halogen bulbs.

  Unfortunately a considerable number of bulbs on the market will make people sick.

  So before replacing your old incandescent bulbs for energy saving ones consider your lighting requirements and spend a bit of time reading about the replacement bulbs you want to use and before buying the product read what it says on the box.

  I hope that I’ve given you something to think about.

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