Top LEDs and CFLs for the Dark Days Ahead

Daylight Saving Time has its critics. But for the sleep-deprived, it’s hard to argue with the appeal of gaining an hour of sleep on Sunday, November 1, as Daylight Saving Time ends. Until you remember that for the next few months it will be dark when you wake up, dark before you sit down for dinner, and dark when you walk the dog after you eat. Time to turn on the lights. Lights are on longer in the fall and winter, whether people need more light for reading and cooking or to lift their mood. And while some turn off lights when they leave a room, a walk through my neighborhood tells me otherwise—some homes are lit up, floor to floor. That's a lot of electricity being used, especially considering that the average home has more than 40 light sockets, according to Energy Star.