Changing out older incandescent bulbs for an energy saving fluorescent bulb is one of the most simple ways to start saving energy. The common name for these bulbs are compact fluorescents. Yes. they can be expensive, but only if you buy one at a time. Don’t buy single compact fluorescent bulbs, buying in bulk can save you as much as $2.00 to $3.00 per bulb.
Reducing Energy Costs for some my seem a little overwhelming. All this talk about Solar, Wind and Thermal can be confusing to the average person. Below you will see the benefits of using compact fluorescent’s as a simple way to start reducing your energy cost .
Replacing your existing incandescent bulbs with super efficient compact fluorescent bulbs is one of the easiest ways to start Reducing Energy Cost immediately and anyone can do it. The best way to purchase CFL bulbs is in bulk, they’ll average around $1.75 to $2.50 each in bulk. The cost will also depend on the brand you buy. GE, of course is one of the top rated brands and has a decent price in bulk.
Is the high cost worth the the trouble? I think it is, I’ve replaced all of mine. But, you can buy a 4 pack of incandescent bulbs for $2.00-$3.00. Well, keep in mind that each compact fluorescent bulb replaces the life of 8 incandescent bulbs. That’s a saving of $5.50 just on bulbs. A compact fluorescent will save you an average of $38.00 per bulb life span according to the folks at GE.
Let’s look at the five year average:
If each compact fluorescent can save you and average of $38.00 and the average household has around 20 bulbs. The yearly savings would be around $152.00 per year for just one Energy Reducing Idea.
According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy the life span of a compact fluorescent bulb can be affected by the number of times it is cycled, meaning turned on and off. So if you leave a room a plan to revisit that room within the next fifteen minutes, it’s best to leave the light on. You will still be reducing your energy costs using the compact over incandescent, even though you leave the light on longer. Just don’t leave the lights on for hours……
GE claims their 13 watt CFL bulbs are guaranteed to last 8,000 hours based on a 5 year consumer average of 4 hours per day. Nothing is mentioned by GE about the number of cycles affecting the life span of their bulb. Each manufacturer has different specifications, so make sure an read each life span claim on the product packaging before buying. Amazon is a excellent place for customer ratings before you purchase.
Benefits of Compact Fluorescent over Incandescent Bulbs:
1. Saves an average of $38.00 per bulb
2. Uses a quarter of the Energy of an Incandescent
3. Produces more light per watt than Incandescents.
4. Produces less heat, 80%-90% less.
Benefits of Incandescent Bulbs over Compact Fluorescent :
1. Produces heat for applications where heat is needed by light, ie; non insulated well houses.
2. Color rendition is far better than CFL, however CFL’s have made lot’s of improvements in this area.
3. They look better, I personally think CFL are ugly. So if you like decorative lighting, CFL’s are not for you.
Compact Fluorescents Can Only Do So Much, Learn How You Can Cut That Energy Bill In Half at www.reduce-energy.info
DW Cannon is an Energy Guru who loves to shares energy news, especially important energy saving tips….
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