CFL - Saving money by changing your light bulbs

We are becoming a greener and more conscientious society, each looking for ways to do our part and to save energy and money as well. One of the easiest ways to do so is by changing old style incandescent light bulbs to the new fluorescent style light bulbs.

Top Reasons to Switch:

90 billion pounds of greenhouse gases could be eliminated if fluorescent bulbs were used throughout America.

Each replacement bulb typically saves consumer $30.00 per bulb over the shelf life of the bulb.

The new fluorescent light bulbs produce significantly less heat than a standard light bulb, contributing to savings on cooling cost and fluorescent bulbs generally last up to ten times longer than the average incandescent light bulb.

Electrical cost associated with lighting a home or office averages about a quarter of the total electric bill, any reduction in use can be a significant savings. It is recommend that all bulbs be replaced, but if that is not possible, replacing incandescent lights in the area with the highest traffic pattern areas, such as the kitchen and living room, will result in savings on the total electrical costs. For example, the average resident of Massachusetts pays 18 cents per kilo-watt hour, if 10 standard 60-watt bulbs were replaced by 15-watt fluorescent bulbs the savings over the life of the bulb would be $450.00 and would reduce 3,698 pounds of C02 production. In Florida the savings would be $ 300.00 with 4,016 pounds of C02 reduction.

Choosing the correct fluorescent replacement lights is also important. Fluorescent light bulbs coming in a wide variety of watts and lumen ratings, reading the package will ensure you get replacement bulbs that are equal to the older bulbs. A typical old incandescent 60-watt bulb should be replaced with a fluorescent bulb of 15-watts.

New fluorescent bulbs come in a wide range of shapes, sizes and wattage and there is a design to fit most standard fixtures. They are also available with dimmer capabilities, 3-way service and indoor/outdoor varieties.

The only downside is that the new compact fluorescent light bulbs use a small percentage of mercury, which is toxic and has been proven to be a known carcinogen. It is highly recommend that all fluorescent light bulbs be properly recycled to reduce risk of exposure and special care needs to be taken in the event of breakage.

Recycling burned-out CFs does not have to be a difficult task and there are many options available today. Many local Home Depots have recycling programs in place. Calling 1-800-CLEAN-UP is a great way to get a list of local recycling locations as well as visiting lamprecycle.org and earth911.org.

With all of the lighting options available today it is easier than ever to do our part for a greener, healthier global society.

Remember to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible and always turn out the lights when loving a room. The changes are simple, but the rewards can be great!