The first and easiest way to make a difference is to change some light bulbs.  Going back a few years, the CFL (compact fluorescent light) was not a very good choice. A lot has changed since then and CFL bulbs now make great substitute for standard incandescent light bulbs. They are so good in fact, that you may find you even need less bulbs than a fixture calls for.

As far as savings, consider this; I just replaced 14 - 60 watt incandescent bulbs with 14 - 13 watt CFL's. Thats a total savings of 658 watts. Pretty impressive, don't ya think? Since electric rates vary all over the country it's hard to put an exact dollar figure on it. To put it in perspective though, if it cost you $1 a day before you changed the bulbs, it would now cost about 25 cents.

You will want to try and concentrate on the lights you use most to have the largest impact on your bill. There is more you can do to help lower your electric bill. If your hot water heater is electric, consider lowering the temperature a degree or two. You probably won't notice a difference at all.

Set your computers in the house to go into hibernation when not in use, and the monitors to shut down.

These are just a few very easy things that you can do to lower your electric bill. Best part of all is while you are helping yourself, your helping the earth by being a little greener.

     A good example of this is a kitchen. Countless times I see plans for kitchen lighting that include only one switch. There are plenty of times you will want your kitchen fully illuminated, but not all the time. Most rooms have a focus point, a point where most of the activity takes place. In a kitchen this is usually the sink area. It is for this reason I would choose to separate that section of lighting on a separate switch. It is both economical and convenient.

     Pendant lights or recessed lighting over an island are another place I like to incorporate separate control. Since they are centrally located, they are a good choice for lighting to enter the room.

    The main point is you can be very creative and make a good lighting plan into a great one by simply add control options. More Lighting Tips

     As with most lighting plans a combination of two or more light sources gives you the best outcome and most versatility. Recessed lighting is a very good choice and can, in most cases, be used exclusively. This can be done with a little creativity to avoid that commercial look of rows of symmetrically placed recessed cans.

     Switching controls for the lighting layout are almost as important as placement. If you have a row of lights in front of an area where a TV will be placed, you will want to be able to control those separately to avoid a nasty glare and make viewing the TV uncomfortable. Perhaps there is a row over a couch or seating area or in the center of the room. All these different scenarios call for separate switching.

     I usually advise my customers not to make the lighting layout in a living room or den revolve around the furniture layout. If money is no object, then it's fine, but in most cases a general lighting plan is a better choice. The main reason is we tend to change our furniture around and that could leave the ceiling lighting in all the wrong places. You can however use a focal point. There is usually something in a room that won't change. It could be a fireplace, large window or even the TV entertainment center. Using one of these can help determine how to set the lighting up as well as how to control it.

    Meeting with each trade individually will be a benefit to both you as the customer and the GC. Proper planning can eliminate a slew of problems later on as the job progresses. My normal first meeting with a customer comes before I start to do the rough in. I will ask a lot of questions and listen closely to the answers. Some of the questions are related to how much light you like to have, the types of lighting you prefer, is there a designer or decorator involved in the project. If there is I want to have them included in a meeting at some point early on. We need to discuss any special needs the customer may have.

    After the basics are covered we need to walk the entire house or area where the work will be preformed. Some of the things to discuss at this point are receptacle locations, lighting locations, switch locations and any other extra items such as cable TV, telephone, data, video and sound. In my opinion, every new house today should include a bundled wire run to at the least one location in every room. A typical bundled cable includes 2 coax cables for TV and video, a cat 3 for telephone and a cat 5e or better for networking. Outside lighting should be discussed as well. A finished kitchen plan should be available as well as all the appliance cuts.

    At this point we can do the electrical rough. Once it is complete or in progress additional walkthroughs should occur to avoid any misunderstandings or mistakes. This little bit of extra time spent can help a job go so much more smoothly than it would otherwise.

    First, let me introduce myself. My name is Paul Forte and my business is Forte Electric Inc. I am 46 years old and have been in or around this business my entire life. My dad is also an electrician which would explain my exposure to it. Over the years my passion has gravitated toward lighting and lighting design. As I was typing that sentence, the light bulb in my office just blew out, how ironic. So now your probably wondering, okay Mr. lighting designer, you only have one light bulb in your office? Well actually no, there are actually also 4 recessed lights. I tend to use only one most times.

    Giving yourself options is one of the elements of any good lighting design. You want to be able to have as much control over the lighting as possible. This can be easily achieved through the use of multiple switches and dimmers. I like to have subtle light when I want it and bright light when I need it. This is in a nutshell what this blog is all about.

    My goal is to share the things I have learned and continue to learn every day. For the most part it will be related to lighting, electricity and construction in general. This is at least what I envision, but like most things it may evolve into something more.