We recently observed the winter solstice. I often think this is the most optimistic day of the year, since after the solstice daylight hours start getting longer.
But for now, sunset is at 4 p.m. I don’t enjoy these short days, and I just know I’m turning my lights on earlier, adding to my energy usage.
According to Avista’s lighting tips online, lighting your home contributes to about 20 percent of your bill. I try to keep on lights in only the room that I’m in. If I leave a room, I turn out the light. But what if I just need to walk through a room, or hop in and hop out without spending a lot of time in that room?
This week, I found a super cheap way to fix this—a night light. The Avista Energy Guide, says that an LED night light can cost me an extra $0.03 a month. That’s not too bad.
I found a four-pack of LED night lights online. They are pretty utilitarian, as far as looks go, but they have a sensor on them that determines whether the room is dark or not. I also found one in the Energy Savings Kit I received at the Avista Energy Fair last year. When Avista offers one of these in the coming years, I highly recommend attending, as this kit has lots of items to inspire and help you.
I put a night light in my kitchen to light my way to the refrigerator to grab a snack. One is in the upstairs bathroom to guide me there in the middle of the night. And I put one in my dining room. This room doubles as my home office, where I keep my laptop. In the evenings, while I’m in the living room and suddenly feel a need for my laptop, I don’t have to turn on the overhead light to get to it.
I don’t have a lot of electrical outlets to spare—it’s an old house—but these little drops of light during the dark months can help me navigate through until spring.
Lisa, an Avista customer, bought her 1910 house because she loved the old-world character, some of which doesn’t make her house very energy efficient. Lisa is sharing her experience on taking some simple do-it-yourself improvements to inspire others to do the same. You’ll find her stories right here every Tuesday.