There were nineteen 40 watt bulbs, which was around 800 watts. There were replaced by a total of six 13 watt bulbs, for about 1/8 of the energy usage.
We have now removed both ceiling fans, which were pretty clean on the outside but filled with dust inside. Also, there was a nice reminder of how dirty our ceilings were with each light removed.
And yes, all those brown fuzzy clumps are made of dust and dirt. That is the same substance we saw inside of our vents, except more of it. I don't think I even took a picture because I immediately vacuumed whatever I could see. We had all the venting cleaned, disinfected and treated with a mold killer. But back to lights: each light has taken longer to install because everything needs to be cleaned and painted. Even the wires were fuzzy.
Aside from the bathrooms, we only have one original light fixture remaining in the dining room. It's a gold and glass light on a chain, but we raised it close to the ceiling. I think if we had left it lower, we would have replaced it too. For now it's out of sight, out of mind.
