Lighting system with a device for reducing system wattage

A lighting system having a high pressure gas discharge lamp intended to be operated on a stabilization ballast further includes a low loss device to reduce the current through the ballast and lamp, thereby reducing system wattage for energy savings. For a lead-type ballast, the current reducing device is a capacitive device in parallel with the discharge lamp. For a lag-type ballast, the device is an inductive device in parallel with the lamp. The device may be in a housing connected between the lamp ballast and the lamp, or may be included within the outer envelope of the discharge lamp. This enables an existing system to be easily retrofit without disturbing the existing ballast.