Paint and decorate in light colors. Dark colors absorb light. Light colors reflect light. The lighter the colors you use, the less artificial lighting is required to illuminate the area. Check your lamp shades.
Many shades are decorative but absorb light or reflect it in the wrong direction.
Without us attempting to be your interior decorator, you may consider switching to a more efficient shade in a lighter color. According to the EPA, individual consumers can save up to 40 percent on their energy bills by looking for the Energy Star label when buying appliances, heating and cooling units, and computers. Under the program, borrowers automatically qualify for higher loans if they plan to make energy-efficiency improvements, with no additional cash down payment or appraisal required. Modern buildings designed to harvest daylight, typically use 40 to 60 percent less electricity for lighting than do conventional buildings. If you replaced four incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, you d save the equivalent of 2,400 lbs. of coal over the life of the bulbs, according to the Bonneville Power Authority.