Compact Florescent Light Bulbs

If you want to change the world (or a small part of it) and help your budget…change your light bulb!

The Union of Concerned Scientists says that if every U.S. home in replaced one regular incandescent light bulb with a compact florescent light bulb, it would save 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants—the same as taking 7.5 million cars off the road.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says Americans would save enough energy to light at least 2.5 million homes for a year and would save consumers $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb.

A compact florescent light bulb saves at least two-thirds energy compared to a standard incandescent bulb and will last up to ten times longer. They also generate 70% less heat, so they are safer to operate and can also reduce energy costs associated with cooling homes and offices.

Most people save about 20% on their electric bills when they replace all their standard bulbs with compact florescent bulbs. To save the most, the EPA recommends replacing standard bulbs in areas where lights are used frequently and left on for a long time (like your porch).

To make sure you get the same amount of light when replacing standard bulbs, check the lumen rating (the measure of light the bulb puts out). Wattage ratings can be a bit confusing because compact florescent light bulbs typically use about one-quarter of the wattage to produce the same amount of light. Replace a 60-watt bulb with a compact florescent light bulb of about 15 watts.

Compact florescents are available in many sizes and shapes to fit in almost any fixture inside or out. They also come in different color “temperatures.”

Environmental Defense has an easy-to-use website to search for the compact florescent light bulbs according to where you want to use them or by shape, brightness, or color of light. It also contains user reviews, and side-by-side photos of energy-saving compact florescent light bulbs with traditional bulbs to help determine whether the new bulbs will fit.

Source: http://environment.about.com/od/greenlivingdesign/a/light_bulbs.htm.

For more information, visit www.environmentaldefense.org.