The Incredible Benefits of ENERGY STAR Products

Most people work very hard to stay within a monthly budget. We calculate our expenses, try to save on groceries, monitor our overall spending and work to save money. However, we often don’t realize that there are some very easy ways to save money right in our own homes. One such simple way is with our lighting. By using products that are Energy Star qualified, we can significantly reduce our monthly electricity bills. It is, therefore, important to shop for products that have received this important rating. OnTrackLighting.com is one great place to find such products for all of your lighting needs.

Three-Light Acanthus Ceiling Fan

Energy Star is a program that helps to cut monthly electricity costs both at home and at work. This simple and easy-to-follow program has the potential to save the average home-owner a great deal on their current energy expenses.

Energy Star is a joint venture by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. For more than a decade, Energy Star has been giving companies and consumers the technical information and tools they need to choose energy-efficient products. They have partnered with over 8,000 private and public organizations and helped these companies save $12 billion dollars in 2005 alone!

Three-Light Athenia Pendant

In order to receive the Energy Star label, a product must deliver the same or better performance as a comparable model while using less energy and saving money. Believe it or not, the typical home gives off more greenhouse gas emissions than the average vehicle, and greenhouse emissions can be lowered by 30% with Energy Star products. For light fixtures and bulbs, Energy Star products save 66% more energy than regular light fixtures and bulbs. Through the simple task of purchasing Energy Star light fixtures and light bulbs, you can save on your electricity costs at the end of the month while also helping the environment.

Take a look at the practical impact that this can have if you just changed five of your highest use fixtures or the light bulbs in them to ones that carry the Energy Star label. The highest use fixtures in your house are typically the kitchen ceiling light, the living room table and floor lamps, the bathroom vanity and the outdoor porch or post lamp. If every American home changed these five fixtures or bulbs to ones that have earned the Energy Star, every single family would save about $60 a year in energy costs. Together, the country would save about $6.5 billion each year in energy costs and would prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to what is emitted from more than 8 million cars. This is only if you change five fixtures or light bulbs in your house; imagine the effect if you changed over an entire house or business!

Fluorescent light bulbs, home light fixtures and ceiling fans are three of the many products that can earn the Energy Star label. Compact fluorescent light bulbs with the Energy Star label use 2/3 less energy than the standard bulb while providing the same amount of light and lasting ten times longer. You can save $30 or more in energy costs over the lifetime of each individual bulb. These bulbs produce 70% less heat which means that they are safer to operate and can cut costs in the house associated with home cooling.

Light fixtures that qualify for Energy Star approval use 1/3 less energy than traditional lights. They also distribute the light more efficiently and evenly than standard lights. They carry a two year warranty, which is double the regular industry standard, and they come in hundreds of lovely styles and sizes with many convenient features and hard-wired options.

Finally, ceiling fans and lights that have earned the Energy Star label are approximately 50% more efficient than regular ceiling fans and lights. They have improved motors and blade designs that can save you $15-$20 every year on utility bills. If you use Energy Star lighting in combination with the Energy Star fans, you can increase your yearly savings even more.

By using Energy Star products for a house or business, you can expect to save about a third on your energy bill and a third on greenhouse gas emissions. The Energy Star products, including fluorescent light bulbs, light fixtures and ceiling fans, are often priced the same as other products that don’t qualify for the Energy Star label. They are just as stylish and beautiful, with the dramatic added bonus of cutting down on your monthly expenses and helping the environment.

OnTrackLighting.com is proud to offer affordable and beautiful lighting options that meet the Energy Star rating.