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Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

 

Environmental Impact

If every household in the United States replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an Energy Star® qualified compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that it would remove enough pollution from the air to equal removing one million cars from the road. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

CFLs are Cooler

Incandescent bulbs put out a lot of heat. Typical surface temperatures can range from 150 to more than 250 degrees. The heat introduced into your home by a regular light bulb causes your air conditioner to run longer. CFLs operate at only about 100 degrees, reducing the demand for air conditioning in the summer and providing a certain amount of safety from hot light bulbs.

Long Term Savings

The price of CFLs has dropped significantly in the last few years. While a traditional incandescent light bulb may cost $1.00 each, CFLs sell for between $4.00 and $9.00. Energy-efficient bulbs may cost you more initially, but they save you money in the long run by using one-third to one-fourth of the energy required by a conventional light bulb to produce the same amount of light.

While CFLs use less energy than a standard, incandescent light bulb, they may last four to eight times longer. A 100 watt incandescent bulb produces about 1,500 lumens (measure of light output) and burns around 1,000 to 1,500 hours. A 27 watt CFL may produce about 1,500 to 1,700 lumens and burn 10,000 hours.

The benefits of compact fluorescent bulbs are clear: lower operating costs, longer operating life and more efficient use of energy. (Federal Trade Commission - Facts for Consumers)

When you next replace a light bulb, consider using a compact fluorescent bulb. If you are a customer of a Florida investor-owned electric utility, to estimate your average annual savings if you replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, use our Florida Energy Savings Calculator.