Use compact fluorescent light bulbs to replace ordinary incandescent light bulbs, and you will be taking a significant step toward reducing greenhouse gases and overall fossil fuel use. If every household in the United States replaced just one light with an ENERGY STAR compact fluorescent light bulb, the energy saved could light 3 million homes for one year, save about $600 million in energy costs per year, and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions in a single year.
It's hard to believe that simply switching from an ordinary light bulb to a compact fluorescent light bulb could have such a positive and powerful impact. The fact that it is so simple actually makes it a challenge to convince people that it works. However, Congress recognized the benefits of compact fluorescent light bulbs, and so in 2007, it passed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which has a section ordering the phase out of incandescent light bulbs to begin in the United States in 2012.
Here are some of the impressive benefits offered by compact fluorescent light bulbs:
- Compact fluorescent light bulbs last up to ten times longer than incandescent bulbs. Generally, an incandescent bulb lasts less than 1,000 hours (about one year of use at three hours per day), while a compact fluorescent bulb lasts about 10,000 hours. So, if you stall a compact fluorescent light bulb into a lamp on your child’s first birthday, that same light bulb will most likely be casting light on his or her sixth grade homework ten years later.
- Compact fluorescent light bulbs save you money. Although they initially cost more than incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent light bulbs pay for themselves in reduced energy costs within a few months’ time. As the cost of compact fluorescent light bulbs keep coming down, the savings will increase. You can use a handy formula to compare the cost savings between an incandescent bulb and a compact fluorescent light bulb based on energy costs in your area.
- Compact fluorescent light bulbs use 65 to 75 percent less electricity than incandescent light bulbs and thus are more energy efficient. Here's why: Incandescent bulbs create light by heating a filament inside the bulb, which requires a lot of energy, while compact fluorescent bulbs contain a gas that produces invisible ultraviolet light when the gas is stimulated by electricity. Because compact fluorescent bulbs (and regular fluorescent light bulbs) don't use heat to produce light, they are much more energy efficient than traditional incandescent light bulbs. That's why you can replace a 60-watt incandescent bulb with a 15-watt compact fluorescent bulb and get the same amount of light.
- Compact fluorescent light bulbs produce about 75 percent less heat than incandescent bulbs, so they are safer to operate and can help reduce energy costs associated with cooling your home.
When compact fluorescent bulbs were first introduced in 1980, they cost about $25 each and required about ten minutes to reach full illumination. Today's compact fluorescent bulbs can cost as little as $1 when you buy a multipack, and they provide instant, clear, highly energy efficient light. Are you ready to make the switch?
- The next time you need to replace a light bulb at home or in the office, reach for a compact fluorescent light bulb. Compact fluorescent light bulbs can be used to replace incandescent and most halogen light bulbs.
- If you need to replace a dimmer switch bulb, purchase a compact fluorescent light bulb made specifically for dimmer lights.
- Install compact fluorescent light bulbs in hard-to-reach areas, such as high ceilings, hallways, and stairways.
- To get the most benefit provided by compact fluorescent light bulbs, install them in areas where you typically leave the lights on for an extended period (more than 15 minutes), such as the kitchen, family room, living room, and porch. Frequently switching compact fluorescent light bulbs on and off can reduce the life of the bulb.
- Compact fluorescent light bulbs contain about 4 mg of mercury compared with about 500 mg found in conventional mercury thermometers. If you break a compact fluorescent light bulb, use a wet rag to wipe up and collect the glass and place the rag and pieces of bulb in a plastic bag for disposal. Dispose of broken or expended compact fluorescent light bulbs at your local Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection site. You can find your local HHW site at earth911.org, or contact your local municipality for information on household hazardous waste collection in your area. Some retail outlets that sell compact fluorescent light bulbs offer safe disposal or recycling as well, including Home Depot and Ikea stores.
- Take the pledge to save energy and help reduce the risks of global climate change by replacing at least one light in your home with an ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulb.
- Encourage others to install compact fluorescent light bulbs. Use of compact fluorescent bulbs is very helpful for older people or anyone who has difficulty replacing their light bulbs, especially in hard-to-reach places like in ceilings, stairways, hallways, and outdoors.
Notes:
- Compact fluorescent light bulbs can be used in enclosed fixtures that are not completely recessed. They should not be used in totally enclosed recessed fixtures, because the heat they produce—even though it is much lower than that produced by incandescent bulbs—can cause a fire.
- Most compact fluorescent light bulbs can be used outdoors, but be sure the bulbs you buy have been rated for outdoor use.
Replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs is one of the easiest and more effective acts you can do to protect the environment. Have you seen the light?
