Meet Lighting Automation: The Beginner-Friendly Fix for Wasting Electricity on Empty Rooms Daily
Learn how lighting automation can shut off forgotten lights, simplify your routine and make your home more efficient.
Homeowners looking to trim electricity bills are turning to lighting automation as a low-effort way to stop wasting energy in empty rooms. Here is what beginners should know about the devices, the rooms that benefit most and the payoff beyond a smaller utility bill.
How does lighting automation save energy in empty rooms?
Lighting automation saves energy by shutting lights off when rooms are unoccupied and by giving homeowners remote and scheduled control over every fixture. That eliminates the everyday problem of lights left burning in closets, basements or hallways for hours.
According to ADT, residential lighting consumed about 129 billion kilowatt hours in 2016, or about 10 percent of the total electricity used in the residential sector. ADT writes that “one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce electricity consumption is to switch to LED light bulbs,” noting that LED bulbs “use up to 80 percent less energy than other bulbs and can last up to 25 times longer.” Pairing efficient bulbs with automation compounds the savings on both fronts.
What smart lighting devices should beginners start with?
Beginners can build a full automation setup from five basic device types. Motion sensors trigger lights when someone enters a room. Occupancy and vacancy sensors handle both on and off automatically or only the off step, depending on the model. Smart bulbs, smart switches and smart plugs for lamps round out the toolkit and each can be added one room at a time without rewiring.
Energy Star notes that “smart lighting can be controlled remotely or on a schedule,” adding that it “can also be controlled to tune light color for optimal circadian rhythm with daylight in the morning and soft warm light at night.” Smart switches, Energy Star says, “are also a great way to control lights remotely to save energy.”
Which rooms should you automate first for the biggest payoff?
The best starting rooms are the ones where lights get left on the longest. That typically means the garage, laundry room, basement, closets, pantry, bathrooms, hallways, kids’ bedrooms and the home office.
These spaces share a common pattern. People walk in, flip a switch and forget to flip it back when they leave. A motion or vacancy sensor removes the human step entirely. Closets and pantries are especially easy wins because the fixtures usually run on a single switch and the room sits empty most of the day. Automating a kids’ bedroom light with a schedule also handles bedtime cues, with Energy Star pointing out that when “your kids lights are red it’s time for bed.”
What are the benefits of smart lighting beyond saving energy?
Smart lighting delivers several benefits beyond a smaller power bill. The main ones are convenience, better home security while you are away, hands-free lighting, nighttime safety, accessibility for anyone who has trouble reaching a switch and circadian lighting schedules that shift color temperature through the day.
Energy Star describes the everyday appeal this way. “It’s nice to not have to get out of bed when you realize you forgot to turn off lights in your house at the end of a long day. It can also come in handy with your voice assistance for a no-hands way to light up a pathway or room, especially when your light switch is not in a convenient location.” Scheduled lighting while traveling can also make a home look occupied.
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