Little Bitty Light Bulbs

I may have become a little bit obsessed leaping into conservation mode.  I started evaluating everything we do to see what waste can be cut out.  So, let's talk utilities.

Our power bill is ridiculous.  As in, after food, it's our very highest expense.  Part of the problem is that no amount of hounding seems to get my kids to turn off the danged light.  If they get up during the night for a potty break (and invariably, someone does) I can plan on every single light in their path being left on.

I've tried to break this habit.  I've even tried automating it with motion sensor switches.  Let me describe how that went.

They have switches set to automatic, as pictured in this switch I'm in the process of replacing in our remodeling project.  But then someone wants to be in whatever room longer than the half an hour time limit, so they set it to on.  And on it stays.  So, I think I'm clever and remove the plastic slider on the switch, leaving only an inconvenient, tiny hole to change the settings - right about lego size.  They stick a lego in there to turn it back to on when I'm not looking.

I don't walk around with lego parts.

I have to go hunt down something small to switch it back to automatic, grumbling to myself about how put out I am.  It's debatable if the switches have not ended up actually costing me money, since sometimes I don't have time to hunt down a tiny part so the light is left on.

I hate the florescent high efficiency lights.  In my house, they last for a shorter period then traditional light bulbs, cost twice as much, and aren't nearly as bright.  Maybe there's something wrong with my house, but I'm not getting 8 years out of those bad boys.

But then I saw these puppies at Costco two weeks ago.  $11, and they are LED's, so they use just a tiny bit of power.  They are supposed to last 22 years, and I'm inclined to believe that, since LED's never seem to go out.  We screwed them in, and they are actually slightly brighter than our old lights.  How cool is that?

LED on the left, old fashioned on the right.

We decided that we'd buy a set every paycheck, and eventually replace the whole house.  I don't know how it'll impact our power bill, but I'll be sure to report that as soon as I get  a months worth of use.