Whats the best way to save electricity on lighting despite fewer hours of daylight?
In these darker months, the No. 1 thing you can do to save money on your lighting bills, experts say, is switch from incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs. CFL bulbs can reduce your lighting energy usage up to 75 percent. Still, some consumers worry about potential mercury exposure if the bulbs break and are bothered by the harsh white glow of fluorescent bulbs. Some of these concerns are allayed by widely available plastic-coated, shatterproof CFLs and bulbs on the lower end of the lighting spectrum that are designed to mimic the warmer tones of standard incandescent bulbs. CFL bulbs, however, cannot be thrown out in the regular garbage. Instead they must be recycled properly through municipal hazardous-waste collection programs or brought to participating Ace Hardware, Home Depot, Ikea and Lowe’s stores. The EPA offers recycling locations on its Web site. I like saving money by cooking cheaper cuts of meat in a slow-cooked stew. Are slow cookers the most energy-efficient wa
