Many people do not know about the light bulb phase-out that began with 2007 Clean Energy Act. As part of the legislation, new energy efficiency standards for saving energy will make wasteful light bulbs obsolete by 2014. Mandatory phase-outs will begin in 2012.
Save on Lighting Energy with CFL Light Bulbs
The first CFL’s were introduced to the public in 1990. The bulbs were expensive (at $25 each), too big for many fixtures and they threw a dim light. Now, a new CFL is at hand. The new CFL uses one-third the electricity of incandescent bulbs of equivalent brightness and will last up to nine years. The new bulbs are smaller, far cheaper (about $5 each) than the original CFLs, and more powerful than ever.
A standard 60-watt incandescent light bulb costs an average of $0.17 per month to operate. A 15-watt CFL, equivalent to the 60-watt incandescent bulb, costs an average of $0.04 per month. Considering a normal household uses from 40 to 60 bulbs, this savings could run as much as $750 to $1,000 over a period of a year!
Testing on CFL Light Bulbs
A test by Popular Mechanics on the new CFL in comparison to a standard 75-watt bulb showed the findings were in favor of the new CFL bulb. Popular Mechanics was flooded with inquiries regarding questions about the mercury in the CFL bulb and the “recycling” issue. The recycling of the CFL bulb is still in question, but in the US, Home Depot and IKEA are the first to make CFL recycling options available. The EPA estimates that less than 2% of users actually recycle the bulbs and, as a result, proper disposal and recycling continue to be mounting concerns.
Wendy Reed, manager of the EPA’s Energy Star Program, quoted in an article by Elizabeth Shogren, All Things Considered, [NPR.Org, February 15, 2007] said, “Even though fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, using them contributes less mercury to the environment than using regular incandescent bulbs. That is because they use less electricity, and coal fired power plants are the biggest source of mercury emissions in the air.” Reed says the EPA has been prodding other retailers, such as Wal-Mart, to do more.
Tips for Saving on Lighting
Other than the bulbs used, here are some tips for saving energy with lighting:
- Keep light fixtures clean. Dirt can absorb as much as one half of the light given off by fixtures, tubes and bulbs.
- Turn lights off. Lighting controls provide security lighting when not home. Clock timers can turn lights in the home on and off automatically at preset times. Timers, motion sensors and photo sensors are ways to save energy.
- Turn lights off when leaving a room. Leaving them on unnecessarily adds to the electric bill.
- In case of work in a particular area, like an office, make use of task lighting instead of lighting the entire room.
- Use CFL bulbs in high use areas as living rooms, kitchens and outdoor night lights where energy savings will be the greatest.
Savings on electrical energy by using CFL light bulbs is important as lighting is the fourth largest electrical consumer in a home. Homeowners should do everything possible to conserve energy, save money and help our Planet Earth.
Beverly Bright - Beverly worked in industrial/commercial Architectural Drafting and Design for 35 years and owned and managed her own business for 17 of ...
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