At one time or another in all of our lives we have had someone tell to “Turn off all these lights” (lol we all just heard our moms huh) The need to illuminate our homes when the sun goes down is inevitable but with new lighting technologies we can reduce lighting energy use in our home by 50% to 75%. This month we will be posting some awesome “Turn off all these lights” products and tips that can help you save.
Lets look at some $$ saving lighting that will change the way you look at light bulbs and start you on the path to an energy efficient household and a lower electricity bill.
Energy Saving Lighting: CFLs
In homes and offices, 20 to 50 percent of total energy consumed is due to lighting [source: wikipedia:energy consumption]. This is not hard to believe when you consider that one 100 W light bulb, used just 6 hours a day, can cost over $25 per year to use (.12/kWh). So how do we lower the cost of lighting? Get efficient with CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) bulbs. These highly efficient and energy saving bulbs can be found in most stores where light bulbs are sold. The best part is, they are a direct replacement for your regular incandescent bulbs, no tinkering needed.
Incandescent vs. CFL Usage
| Incandescent | vs | CFL |
| 40w | = | 10w |
| 60w | = | 13w-15w |
| 75w | = | 20w |
| 100w | = | 26w-29w |
| 150w | = | 38w-42w |
| 250w-300w | = | 55w |
[Source: General Electric]
CFLs Are Awesome:
Here is why:
- 1. Replacing a standard 60-watt bulb with a 13-watt CFL can save a single household $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb
[source: General Electric].
- 2. CFLs use significantly less energy — 75 percent less energy than incandescent light bulbs [source: HowStuffWorks.com].
- 3. A US article stated “A household that invested $90 in changing 30 fixtures to CFLs would save $440 to $1,500 over the five-year life of the bulbs, depending on your cost of electricity. Look at your utility bill and imagine a 12% discount to estimate the savings.” [[Source: Wikipedia]
Ultimately the main benefit is that your household requires less energy which results in a lower electricity bill.
The Price of CFLs
The main downside of CFLs is price. CFLs tends to cost more than your average incandescent bulbs but the savings over time, more than covers the cost to purchase them. Often times, retailers will have deals on CFLs specifically to support more energy efficient living. See your local retailer for pricing of CFLs.
Using CFLs
When you have made the switch to CFLs, you can expect to save some money on your electricity bill but remember they are not your average light bulbs and therefore need special care in disposing of them. When your CFL bulbs go out, they need to be disposed of by recycling them [IKEA and Home Depot offer free recycling] or disposing of them at the correct facility. According to HowStuffWorks.com, start by calling your local waste management authority. You can also call 1-800-CLEANUP, a service provided by Earth911 that allows anyone with telephone access to search the organization’s database of 100,000 recycling and hazardous waste collection locations for more than 170 different materials.
Wrapping it up
Bottom line, energy saving lighting is here and if put into place, it can save you money on your electricity bill. Though they cost more and require special disposal (recycling, etc.), the benefits of CFL bulbs are real and overtime, CFL bulbs will pay for themselves in the energy they save.
If you would like more information about CFL bulbs, visit the following websites:
Thank you for reading our post about energy saving lighting. If you would like to sign up for electricity, visit TexasPowerOnline.com or call us at 1-866-744-6366.
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