Whether it’s spending less at the gas pump, driving an electric vehicle, bringing reusable bags to the grocery store, or turning down your home’s thermostat while you are away, people everywhere are looking for ways to reduce their environmental footprint and promote energy efficiency.

In addition to supporting “green” practices, one simple way to boost energy efficiency within your home is to install light timers or time switches to your lights and energy-heavy appliances.

As the name suggests, light timers are devices that can turn off a particular light (or lights) after a particular amount of time has passed or at a particular point in the day or night. According to the Department of Energy, timers are a great way to both automate your lights, save money, and conserve energy.

There are two main types of timers to choose from: manual timers, which are generally used for portable lights and lamps, and digital timers, which are generally used for installed indoor and outdoor lighting. Depending on the lights you want to control, different types of timers may be better than others. We recommend that you do your research to determine which timer switch will work best for your needs.

To make the most use of your timers, you’ll need to determine when these timers should be set to turn on and off. This depends a lot on your daily routine, such as when you’re usually asleep or out of the house.

This also depends on the time of year. In the springtime, the days are much longer than in the winter, therefore, you will need to adjust your timers based on the amount of daylight hours. Simply change the time settings according to the season to automatically switch on the lights as soon as the sun goes down.

Additionally, you can set light timers to automatically turn off TVs, lights, computer chargers, and other devices so they’re not running 24/7. Timers, in general, should prevent appliances, lights, devices, and other sources of energy from turning on when they’re not needed and ensure that these items aren’t left running for extended periods of time.

Homeowners usually stick to a daily schedule and are aware that certain appliances, lights, and devices will not be used during specific times of the day. Using time switches to operate them can result in significant convenience, and energy and cost savings. By installing light timers, you can sleep peacefully knowing that you aren’t using any unnecessary energy and you’ll notice instant savings.