If you are one of the many who believe that dimming the lights is saving electricity, you may be wrong. What's worse is that those old dimmer switches can use more energy than having the light controlled by an on/off switch. The old style switches simply put a resistance inline with the bulb turning the excess energy into heat behind the wall. The newer switches actually turn off the lights for a portion of the time based on the position of the switch. This cuts the power several times per second giving a dimer bulb and an energy savings. If you have older dimmer switches and wish to save electricity, consider replacing them with modern solid state switches. Note that not all lights can be dimmed - the CFLs are not well designed for this and not only may they not work, you can seriously shorten the lifespan as they cycle on and off.
