With rising gas prices resulting from forces in the middle east and catastrophic results from Hurricane Katrina, natural gas consumers are frantically seeking means of conserving energy and reducing costs, especially in light of recent announcements by the Department of Energy that heating costs may rise as much as 71% this winter for the gas belt region.

Most have never considered, when looking at a luminescent gaslight, how many dollars are being eaten away, but many homeowners associations have, who are requiring members with outside gaslights to cap off gas service or convert to electricity.

While this may sound oppressive, if gas prices stabilize at the 71% increase, consumers may burn $400 a year in natural gas for only one gaslight. This week the Department of Energy announced consumers will pay over $350 more this winter to heat homes.

These announcements have sent many homeowners and city government officials on a scavenger savings hunt, attempting to reduce costs however necessary.

While many homeowners are unwilling to cut off service completely to outside yard lights, desiring the charm, security, and historical beauty gaslights provide, this hasnt stopped them from seeking alternative sources of energy to maintain such beauty, especially since by converting to electricity consumers spend less than $20 a year. A small price when considering natural gas lamps burn dollars, day and night.

But, the hunt for available market products may prove frustrating, since conversion products are not readily available in most local department and hardware stores. A quick trip to the Internet, however, may provide all the resources consumers seek, and then some.

Theyll be met with various online stores, offering a variety of conversion models. Home improvement consumers and contractors will find everything from copper to plastic made bulb sockets, and a variety of wattages. And even that can prove frustrating since most homeowners dont know exactly what they are looking for. Researching products, before buying, will certainly provide the in depth information consumers need to make intelligent buying decisions.

One of the best companies seems to be Charmlite.com, based in Anderson, Indiana, who not only tout a 25 year manufacturing history, but have installed lights from Saint Louis, through Indiana, to Washington D.C. Not only do they have a reliable track record, they recently re-engineered their product when prices began to skyrocket earlier this year, and the results have proved revolutionary to the residential lighting industry.

Earlier this year, Charmlite owner, Mark Young, a leader in the gaslight conversion market, began a quest to perfect his product, seeking long-term customer satisfaction, product reliability, and lifetime use of the product, without replacement.

Young contracted with Ripley Photocontrols, a subsidiary of Southconn Technologies, who spans a 60-year manufacturing history of lighting and switch technologies. RP adapted the eye of Charm-lites dust to dawn control, using Quad Gate Technology, assuring proper functioning, increased durability, power and strength, resulting in the type of product enhancement Young was looking for.

Charm-Lites dusk to dawn eye has a 24-volt photocell (AC or DC), which ensures consumer safety, and incorporates surge protection, which means conversion components remain safe. The new design has retained that same low voltage feature.

The circuit, however, was adapted from the same circuit found in every commercial streetlight across the nation, providing a type of power to Charm Lite that is unsurpassed in the marketplace.

What this means to Charmlite is when consumers buy our product they are assured durability, longevity, and the strength tested and assured by the commercial lighting industry, explained Charmlite Owner, Mark Young.

This type of power is now available to the residential user, which means one dusk to dawn control is now capable of operating 10 lights from one switch.

Young added this type of power is an important enhancement to residential users, who previously didnt have access to this type of power.

It is also an important advancement for Young, who can now offer Charm-Lites to historical cities, seeking a means of reducing natural gas costs. Such cities are scattered across the Midwest and East Coast, who may not have converted lights, due to the strength needed to operate old model streetlights.

Youngs advancement in dusk to dawn lighting is not only important for durability and longevity, but also crucial to energy conservation. Because the dusk to dawn technology utilizes internal switches, light is only utilized during night hours, which means consumers are saving money not only on gas bills, but also electric energy bills. The low wattage, frosted bulbs, closely resemble the natural beauty and soft glow of gas lighting, while utilizing only a small amount of electrical energy to operate.

Another important feature is the copper bulb socket, which means the product will not melt, corrode or displace over time due to extensive weather damage. The MOV surge protection in the transformer also safety-guards consumers homes from lightening surges.

Some consumers want 110, because it easily adapts to their homes, but that type of wattage is too high to provide the safety and security consumers need to ensure proper functioning of their homes, said Young.

High wattage electricity to gas lamps, in effect, creates a lightening rod in consumers front yards, and could electrify, sending surges of energy through homes and corroding major appliances.

For homeowners with a lot to lose this winter, seeking means of conserving energy and reducing costs, such a conversion technique as the gaslight tip is certainly worth investigating.

For more information about Charmlite or its products visit www.charm-lite.com, or email charmlt@yahoo.com.