This post is the second in a series on energy-efficient lighting. We’re reviewing all kinds of spaces in homes and businesses to help you save energy.

Here are a few simple suggestions to save energy and hard-earned cash with your restaurant lights: 

Update Your Light Bulbs

Still using standard incandescent light bulbs? The fastest, simplest thing you can do to save energy is to update them. Whether they’re the ubiquitous A19 lamps, reflector lamps for your track lights, chandelier light bulbs in hanging fixtures, or decorative globe lights in the bathroom, you have tons of new energy-efficient options:

Do you find energy conservation confusing? You're not alone. According to a recent study, Americans are by-and-large misinformed about what household appliances consume the most electricity. As a result, homeowners who wish to cut down on the energy they use in their home electrical work might find themselves spending time and resources to improve efficiency in areas where they won't see big gains. Read on to learn more about where most of our energy goes and how you can get the biggest payback for your conservation efforts.

The Failings of Cognitive Accessibility

In general, Americans tend to overestimate the amount of power that is devoted to common home devices like computers, television and lighting, while underestimating the amount of energy that is consumed by bigger ticket items like heat, air conditioning and hot water heating. That's because we confuse the amount of time we spend actively using a specific device with how much power it uses.

“Consumers tend to use the frequency with which they think or interact with a given energy source as a proxy for its consumption,” Ohio State University psychology doctoral student Dan Schley, lead author of the study, said to the Washington Post. For example, someone who spends eight hours a day working on a computer might naturally be inclined to think that device is what's driving up the electricity bill.

How to Make Your Actions Count

However, it turns out that the energy consumed by common electronics is dwarfed by what goes into major appliances. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a whopping 48 percent of energy in the average home goes toward heating and air conditioning. The hot water heater takes the next largest individual chunk, at 17.7 percent. The refrigerator uses 13.7 percent, with all other appliances and electronics accounting for about 21 percent of the total.

The upshot? If you really want to cut back on consumption in your home electrical work, you need to target the biggest guzzlers. That means making interventions like installing smart thermostats, turning down your water heater temperature and beefing up the insulation in your home. The simplest, most effective change that most families can make is to bump the thermostat down a few degrees in the winter and up a few degrees in the summer.

Don't Neglect the Small Stuff

That's not to say you should ignore simple behavioral changes that can save money in other areas of your home electrical work – things like unplugging devices when they aren't in use, installing energy efficient cable boxes, using the power-saving settings on your computer and turning off the lights when you aren't in the room. Just treat these items as the appetizers and desserts of your energy-saving strategy, rather than the main course.

If you need help identifying the largest loads on your home electrical work, arrange for a visit from an expert electrician today.

Are you in need of an electrician in Norwalk Iowa?  Call Custom Electrical Services!  We offer straightforward pricing and 24 hour service!  Our electricians in Norwalk have the training and skill needed to complete the simplest of task to the most lavish.  Note sure what your project will cost?  Our Norwalk, IA electricians can come to your home or business and provide you with a straightforward price.  We charge by the job not by the hour so you know upfront what the cost will be and not have to worry about the time it takes to complete.  You know your project will be in the best hands possible when choosing Custom Electrical Services.  We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee and a 5 year warranty.  Custom Electrical Services holds an A+ rating with the BBB.

We take our job serious.  We understand your home is your castle, our electricians will respect you and your home.  Do you know who will arrive for your electrical project?  Our electricians undergo a thorough background check and drug screen.  They wear the seal of safety which is performed by an independent 3rd party.  Our electricians take this certification serious and wear the badge with pride.

Ron Mealey founded Custom Electrical Services in 2005.  Working out of his home in Norwalk with no employees, Ron grew the company to one of the leading residential and light commercial contractors in the area.  To date Custom Electrical Services does over 5 million dollars in sales, wires over 300+ new homes and performs over 3,000 service calls each and every and is still growing.  Custom Electrical Services employees around 24 people.  Ron is a member of the Norwalk community and has Custom Electrical Services home office and warehouse located in Clive, Iowa.  Custom Electrical Services is a member of the Norwalk Chamber of Commerce.  Our electricians in Norwalk, participate in the annual 4th of July parade each and every year.