While lighting may not cost you a huge amount on your bills, (a rough estimate is between 10 and 15%) you can still make a significant saving by using natural light as much as possible. If done well, you can not only save on lighting but also on heating and air conditioning bills. There are a number of tips to help you get the most out of the sun without remodeling your house!

The key factors you will need to pay attention to are intensity and duration. How strong the sunlight is and how long a room is exposed to it. While the differences this can cause are most obvious during winter and summer, the direction a room faces can also have a more subtle impact. The list below gives a rundown of how different rooms are affected; if anyone’s reading from the southern hemisphere, then switch north and south. (I probably didn’t need to tell you that)

• North facing rooms only get reflected sunlight and tend to get the least number of hours. This meaning that light is not only less intense but the room is likely to be colder and darker than other rooms. Interestingly artists find north facing rooms the most useful as they give a truer light than other rooms.
• South facing rooms in contrast tend to get more intense sunlight for more hours, making them warmer and brighter.
• East facing rooms get direct sunlight in the morning and reflected sunlight in the afternoon. This means they will be the brightest and warmest rooms early on in the day.
• West facing rooms will only get reflected light in the morning, but by mid-afternoon will be receiving direct sunlight, meaning that they will warm up in the afternoon and evening. They tend to be warmer than east facing rooms as they sun is more intense after midday.

The easiest way to get the most light into your house is simply to ensure that your windows are cleaned regularly. This will help prevent the build up dust from blocking light and infrared heat passing through the windows.

In winter and cold day you should always try to leave your blinds or curtains open. The more exposure you get the warmer your rooms will be. In summer you may find that you are getting a bit too warm, so Venetian blinds or sheer curtains offer a great way to shade a room, whilst still letting sufficient light in. With Venetian blinds you should tilt the slats so that light is reflected onto the ceiling, which will then reflect the light downwards without increasing heat gain.

Mirrors and light shelves can be used to reflect light deeper into the house and if they are well placed can make your room appear larger. They can also help to avoid the ‘cave effect’ caused by the contrast of bright sunlight near the windows and a dark back of the room.

Painting a room with light colours or reflective sheens will increase the amount of light reflected by the walls and ceilings, making sunlight more reflective.

In general the more you can do to disperse sunlight into your house the more effective it will be. You can also help this process by either removing objects blocking the light, or using them to reflect it to where you want it to go.

Daniel Frank is a UK blogger who is interested in a variety of green and design issues. He is currently writing on behalf of http://www.wooden-blinds-direct.co.uk/