Easy ways to reduce light pollution around your home

Here are some quick and easy actions you can take to reduce the impacts of light pollution around your home.

Close your blinds at night

As darkness falls and you start turning lights on in your home, close your blinds or curtains to prevent the light from leaking through your windows and lighting up the outside world.

Turn out nonessential lighting

Take a walk around the outside of your home and turn off any lights that aren’t being used. This will reduce excessive light, and will also lower your energy usage and electricity costs!

Use motion sensors/timers on lights

Consider installing a motion sensor or timer on lights that are essential but don’t need to be on all night (a porch light, for example). This will allow lights to turn on when they’re needed, instead of wasting energy by having lights on when no one is around to use them.

Choose warm-coloured bulbs

White LED light bulbs (often labelled “cool white” or “daylight”) contain large amounts of blue light, which is harmful to our health and sleep. Choose warm-coloured, yellowish LED light bulbs that are labelled “soft white” and that have a Correlated Colour Temperature of 2700K or lower. You’ll likely find that these types of bulbs have a much softer, golden glow.

Aim lights downward

What use is a light that shines upward into the sky? Aim your lights downward so that they illuminate the intended area.

Shield lights

Choose light fixtures that have full cut-off shields, which control the direction of the light instead of allowing it to shine every which way. You may also be able to buy glare shields for your existing fixtures.