Since its invention more than a century ago, the light bulb has undergone tremendous developments and now people can choose from wide variety of much more energy efficient products. Each different light and bulb type offers different benefits, so the choice can become quite overwhelming. Fortunately, with the following five really simple tips, you will save yourself a lot of hassle:

Tip #1 – Check the Bulb’s Fitting

If you think that light bulbs come with just a few fittings, you can’t be far from the truth – there are dozens of fittings available, so the best thing to do is to simply bring the old bulb. If that is not possible, double check whether the fitting will match.

Tip #2 - Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) vs. Halogens vs. LED Lights

Energy efficient light bulbs come in three main types – compact fluorescent lamps, halogens and LED lights. Halogen lights are the most energy consuming option among all three and they also have the shortest lifespan. LED lights and CFL have rather similar energy saving capabilities, but the light produced by LED lights is much better. The best choice of all three are the LED lights, which can be expensive to buy at first, but they last for up to 25 years and also consume 90% less energy than traditional light bulbs, so the investment really pays off.

Tip #3 – How to Get the Right Brightness and Colour

Previously the brightness and colour of the light produced by an electrical bulb was determined by its power, measured in watts. However, today all types of energy efficient light bulbs consume less energy, while at the same time providing brighter light. The brightness of a light bulb is measured in lumens. To help make the choice easier, consider that light bulbs with brightness of between 1500 and 3000 lumens is suitable for living room for example, while around 400 lumens is suitable for bed-sized lamps.

Another important factor to consider when selecting energy efficient light bulbs is the colour of light, which is measured on the Kelvin scale. Although, it’s commonly used to measure temperature, when it comes to energy efficient light bulbs it’s often referred to as colour temperature. To help get better understanding - the light produced by traditional light bulbs is around 2700K on the Kelvin scale, while candlelight is between 1500K and 1600K.

Tip #4 – Choose the Right Shape

The reason why energy efficient light bulbs come in such wide variety of shapes is that each one of them offers different angle and spread of the light. Bulbs in the shape of a globe spread light over 360 degrees, making them perfect for the living room. The choice of light bulb’s shape depends entirely on your needs and preferences. In some cases it is wise to consider how the bulb will look when switched off.

Tip #5 – Always Buy the Best Quality

Now with all details already taken into consideration, it’s time to decide what brand or quality grade of energy efficient light bulbs you will purchase. No matter whether you decide to go for CFL, halogen or LED lights – always choose the best you can afford. Energy efficient light bulbs give you great savings in the long run, so the better quality you buy, the more you will be able to use them.

What’s Next?

Once you purchase your new energy efficient light bulbs, you will need to have them installed at your house. For safety purposes, it’s highly recommended to hire professional contractor, especially if there are some adjustments that needs to be done to the electrical wiring installation. You can have this done with just few clicks online at websites like Tenlist.com and Angie’s List.