Even though Earth Day has passed, helping keep our planet green should be a year-round consideration. While there are plenty of ways to conserve energy, I hadn’t considered the benefits of dimmer switches. If you’re like me, I only thought of dimmer switches as a way to create mood lighting. But did you know that, on average, if you dim an incandescent or halogen light bulb by 25% you can save up to 20% electricity?

This chart from Leviton shows the energy savings* for various bulbs:

*Energy savings may vary.

Here are a few of the other benefits to dimmer switches:

• Cost savings – The life of a light bulb can be significantly extended when used with a dimmer
• Stress reduction – Studies have shown that dimming the level of light for an hour before bedtime can help promote sleep and reduce stress
• Safety – Having some source of light for anyone getting out of bed in the middle of the night is important to reduce the risk of falling.

It’s important to note that not all bulbs work with all dimmers.  Pairing dimmers and bulbs which are incompatible can result in lights flickering and fluttering, limited dimming range, slow start-up, and inconsistent illumination. 

Leviton provides a wide range of dimmers which includes Universal Dimmers.  Universal Dimmers are designed to control incandescent, halogen, dimmable LED and dimmable CFL bulbs. They offer full-range dimming, smooth start-up, and eliminate flickering and fluttering of lights. When using LED or CFL bulbs with a dimmer, be sure that the packaging on the bulb indicates that it is DIMMABLE. Most dimmer and bulb manufacturers provide bulb compatibility information on their websites that can be referenced to ensure that the brand/type of dimmer chosen will function properly with the bulb selected.

Click here to interact with the Leviton Energy Savings Calculator.