In the 70s, President Jimmy Carter told America it was time to turn off their lights. Not making this a political blog and discussing Carter overall, Jimmy Carter’s comments on energy are exactly what people are prioritizing today. Turning things off when they aren’t in use makes financial sense. Energy costs money, so why waste it?

We know someone who thinks Global Warming and such are a crock, but even they are pro energy efficiency for financial reasons. So, whether you are in it for the money, or the loftier planet-saving, or something in between, wasting less energy seems like a good thing. We have previously discussed energy saving power strips that shut things off when not in us(link).

Now, we’re going to cover some other switch types for shutting off your power. We’re focusing on lights, but there are other things that can be hooked up to such switches.

Let’s start with countdown timers. We use a countdown timer for the bathroom exhaust fan…which is coincidentally a good way to time limit your showers. You press a button, and the light/fan/etc is on for a period of time. The one we use has 10-20-30-60 minute buttons. Where can this feature be used to good effect elsewhere?

The other equivalent option is the occupancy sensor. It detects movement in the room. These things are often made fun of, because if you stay too still for a period of time, they tend to turn off. But as long as you move regularly, it should be fine. Positioning is important though, as the sensors have defined range.

These two options are the cheapest way, other than remembering to flick the switch, to turn off your lights. Sure, it costs money to get them…but remember the reward. Stay tuned.