Different ways of lighting

[tracylee]

I am looking for ways to cut down our electricity use and one idea is to unplug all our lights in the kitchen and dining room and use oil lamps instead. We are renters so total off grid is not possible and neither is solor lighting.
I worry about EMF but am also worried about the fumes caused by oil lamps. Any thoughts?

God Bless

[Danaus29]

Oil lamps were used for thousands of years with few incidents. (tipping one over would be a huge mishap though) Granted back when oil lamps were in common usage houses were much less airtight than they are today. You could always invest in a battery operated carbon monoxide detector just to be on the safe side.

[Maura]

Are you sure the expense of oil lamps would be less than electricity? I’d be looking at large appliances. When we bought a new refrigerator the savings in electricity paid for the refrigerator in about two years.

[hyenas]

Buy some solar patio lights and bring them inside at night. They also sell self-contained solar lights. Just search on amazon.
If you're doing this to be frugal though, light bulbs use such a tiny amount of energy that I wouldn't bother.

[kasilofhome]

I have only five light bulbs in my whole house and I live underground. You really due get used to low lighting. Been living like those for five years often time only three more one 1200 square feet all open studded for walls and support but that is it. Also using mirrors seems to increase the light.

[o&itw]

A regular # 2 burner oil lamp will put out about the same amount of light as an incandescent night light (4w), enough to get around, but hardly enough to read, sew, etc with. An Aladdin lamp puts out the equivalent of 60 to 75 watts of incandescent light, but it also puts out a terrific amount of heat; fine in the winter but not so great in the summer.

At $4 to $5 for a gallon of K-1 Kerosene, I doubt if one is saving anything over electric bulbs, especially if they use cfl bulbs. I love oil lamps and at one time had a large collection, but they are not efficient. If it is a budget thing, I think a judicious use of your light switch would save the most money.

In the summer, it is light from about 6am to 8pm. Planning you life around available sunlight can be a great help. The energy lost due to the inefficiency of any light source is given off as heat, and in the winter that is not "lost" as it goes to heating your house. In the summer, the energy lost to heat production is not only wasted, but it is a double whammy because you will be using extra energy in the form of fans or air conditioning to get rid of it.

For instance, a 100 watt (standard) incandescent bulb is putting out 5 watts of light and 95 watts of heat. In the summer you are not only wasting that 95 watts of electricity, but if you have air conditioning, you are paying to get rid of it. So, if you have an air conditioner that is 50 % efficient, it will take 190 watts of energy to get rid of the heat from a 100 watt light bulb. Add that to the energy loss of the bulb, 95 watts, and you end up wasting 285 watts of energy to get 5 (true) watts of light.

In the summer, the only time one normally needs light if they budget their day, is in the morning which is the coolest part of the day. Take advantage of mother nature. Regrettably oil lighting is even less efficient than electric lighting.

[Forcast]

oil lamps are unsafe if you have to carry them around. Kids and cats seem to find mine and knock them over. I went around and unplug everything that I did not us, then started to unplug coffee and mirowave ect when not in use. got the new bulbs and make everyone turn lights off when not needed.

[gweny]

I recommend LED bulbs, Box fans to increase air flow, door draft stoppers (also heard them called door socks), insulating foam tape in all crevices, turn down the thermostat on HVAC and water, hand wash/dry dishes and laundry, and unplug all electronics when not in use.
All of these things put together can save you thousands (at least hundreds if you've got a small place) and all of them can be removed / work for renters.

Oil lamps will not save you any money but are a good thing to have around if SHTF or if the power goes out.

[Freeholder]

I've lived with oil lamps (in Alaska, where winter nights are long and the days are very short). I could do it again if I had to, but as someone else noted, it's difficult to read or sew by their light. Also, the light flickers and if you are trying to read or sew or do any fine detail work, you may end up with a headache.

I agree with the suggestion to get portable solar lights, charge them during the day for use after dark. Also, look around and see what 'ghost' loads you may have (night lights, your computer, microwave, clock on the stove, etc.). Unplug those, or put them on a power strip and turn the strip off when you aren't using them.

Kerosene isn't cheap; lamp oil is very expensive (lamp oil is essentially kerosene with scents added; kerosene doesn't smell very good when it's burning). The oil lamps used before kerosene (before the mid-eighteen hundreds approximately) burned grease, which didn't smell all that great, either. They were called betty lamps, or grease lamps, and were what the poor people used for light, since they couldn't afford candles. If they ran out of grease, or needed their grease for other uses (such as for making soap) their only light after dark would have been from the fire in the fireplace. Aren't you thankful for electric lighting?!?

Kathleen

[TnAndy]

Yes Kathleen...electric lighting is one of my favorite things about the 20th century !

Indoor plumbing and electric refrigeration run a close second.

Tracylee:

Spend your money on LED bulbs. Take the regular bulbs your landlord provided, out, replace them with the LED bulbs, set the landlord's bulbs aside. When you move, swap them back, and take your bulbs with you.

It will be far cheaper than using oil lamps, and far safer.

Lighting is normally a fairly small portion of the electric bill, so don't expect a huge savings. You need to look at other areas if you want to make big cuts in your bill.

--Set your thermostat higher in the summer and lower in the winter if you use any form of electric heat. Make SURE air filters are clean/replaced if system is forced air.

--Take shorter, cooler showers if water is heated electrically. Wrap the water heater with a an insulation blanket if electric. Turn the thermostat down to 120 if you can access it.

Those two are the big users of electric power. If you can use them less, you'll really see a difference in your bill.

In the kitchen, use a crock pot more than electric stove. Buy/use a small countertop toaster oven rather than use the main oven if electric. Pull the fridge out, and make sure the coil/compressor area in the back is clean. Dust can build up on them and make the fridge work harder.

Turn your computer off when not actually in use. Some desktops use as much power as a small refrigerator ! Use power strips, or actually unplug things like TV's/satellite/cable boxes when not in use. Even when off, these often use a fair amount of power in 'standby' mode.

Most folks can cut a significant portion of their electrical use by taking simple steps. This is actually the first step before ever installing any solar power even if you owned the place.

[Dixie Bee Acres]

As others have mentioned, doing without electric lighting, and going with oil lamps isn't a solution to save money on electricity.
I agree, solar patio lights, brought inside in the evening is much better than oil lamps.
Also, power strips. My tv, dvd player, and antenna controller are all plugged into one, when not in use, unplug power strip. Same thing for computer.
Get wind-up type alarm clocks, pitch the digital.
Unplug microwave when not in use. I don't even have a microwave anymore.
Replace light bulbs with LEDs.

[vicker]

Cable TV boxes are the second biggest electricity user, behind A/C, in most homes.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-...ry.html#page=1

Disconnect it from the power source when not in use. Don't just turn it off. Many appliances such as those boxes and most microwaves use considerable power even when not in use. Use power strips that you can switch off or unplug them when not in use.

[highlands]

We used to have propane lights. I would suggest not going the way of burning things for light. If you do then have very good ventilation, in winter too.

Instead go with LED lights. We have had LED lightning for over a decade. It is all we have in our home and in our butcher shop. The new LED lights are extremely good and uses very, very little power.

[tracylee]

I need to clarify some things. First we have been renting this place for 18 years so there are no light bulbs that belong to the landlord. Our big issue is that my husband works to hard for the money to just throw it away. I have fluorescent lights in the kitchen that don't work in the summer ( the hummidity). We burn wood so there is no thermostat to set back and we shower outside in the summer using rain barrels. Most of the cooking is done outside on the grill and other than the computer ( that get shut off everyday) we have no other technology that is plugged in.
I am just tired of giving my husbands hard earned money to those greedy hands shoved deep into our pockets. We do not enjoy the modern conviences that most people do and want to get rid of some of it.

[Dixie Bee Acres]

I understand what you are saying, but what many are trying to point out, oil lamps will cost more to use, be very poor light source, and produce heat, compared to other types of lighting.

[agmantoo]

You need to get a thorough understanding of what makes up the dollar content of the power utility bill. Once you have that you can start impacting the items that make up the power consumption. MY first thoughts are how do you heat water? How old is the refrigerator? Do you have a well? If so, what type and size of tank is on the well, bladder or conventional? Any leaks? Do you provide water to livestock? If so, are they wasting water? Are you paying for a security light? Will you landlord pay for additional insulation? Remind him he can deduct that from his tax and that you can better pay the rent with money you are wasting. Additionally are you paying credit card interest? Do answer the last question. If you are get rid of the payments. The intent should be to save money any place you can, not just on electricity.

[LincTex]

Make sure you get "Warm White" LED's... I don't care at all for the "Cool white" or "blue white" light.

A 60 watt solar panel, a couple golf cart batteries, and some good 12 volt LED bulbs will give you a LOT of light for not much money.

[Nate_in_IN]

Does anyone know of an alcohol burning lamp used for light? I understand the cost of Kerosene is more expensive then electricity, but I can make alcohol from the waste around my homestead. I just haven't found a device which says it will safely burn it.

[mnn2501]

Originally Posted by tracylee

I am just tired of giving my husbands hard earned money to those greedy hands shoved deep into our pockets. We do not enjoy the modern conviences that most people do and want to get rid of some of it.

You will be spending more to light with oil.

[tracylee]

We believe in total debt free.