Saving electricity does a lot for the environment. Only a fraction of the power created in the United States is from a renewable energy source, such as solar, wind and water, which leaves the bulk of the generation from coal and natural gas.

This translates to potentially ecologically unfriendly mining and deforestation, as well as pollution from burning the fossil fuels. Until renewable energy becomes a mainstream, cost effective way of making electricity, we are going to have to save electricity ourselves. That gave me a bright idea. (Ok, thats a bad pun, I take full responsibility). Switching from standard to a different type of light bulb can save considerable energy over time.

1. CFL bulbs. You have seen these little pig-tail-looking light bulbs in the stores for years and probably thought about buying them. Most likely, you saw their price and thought, eh, Ill just stick to the ole faithful. The bulbs cost more than standard bulbs, but use about 1/2 the energy and last considerably longer about 10,000 hours.

In fact, it is estimated that they pay for themselves after the first 500 hours. So, a small investment in the beginning can lead to big dividends in the end. You end up saving not only electricity and the environment, but money as well.

2. LED bulbs. These are still relatively new to the market, but they are the future of lighting technology. Light emitting diodes have been around for decades and most of the buttons you see in sci-fi movies and on electronics come from them. They dont heat up much, which is a definite plus for electronic equipment.

Previously, these bulbs didnt give off a significant amount of light, so were never really used for lamps or other light sources. Recent technological advancements have changed that. These LED bulbs use even less energy than CFL bulbs and last even longer. And, yes, they are also more expensive than CFL bulbs, but its an investment.

Saving electricity and creating a green home isnt as difficult as you might think. You dont have to replace all of your bulbs at once. Just one or two at a time will help and, before you know it, they will all be replaced and youll be living green.

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