When considering ways to lower home energy use and save on your electric bill, don’t forget to evaluate your home’s exterior. Progress Energy Florida encourages customers to think “outside the box” to cash in on energy savings by following tips for outdoor spaces.

• Install motion sensors on outdoor light fixtures and you won’t have to remember to turn off the porch light before you go to bed. The outdoor porch or post lamp is one of the most used home light fixtures, and is the perfect place to install energy-efficient lighting products.

• Replace the bulbs in exterior fixtures with energy-efficient compact florescent bulbs (CFLs). Not only do they use 75 % less energy, compact florescent bulbs last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Try LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs for even more energy savings. A typical LED bulb uses less than 0.1 watt to operate and will last 50 times longer than an incandescent bulb – up to 10 years when used 12 hours a day.

This article appears in Apr 14-20, 2010.