September 2006

Super Bulb

A little compact fluorescent saves big bucks

What if you could save $40 just by changing a light bulb?

With compact fluorescent (CF) light bulbs, you can. And they’ve been greatly improved since they were first introduced in the early 80s.

The first CF bulbs were bulky, making it difficult to retrofit lamps because the bulb wouldn’t fit inside the harp (the wire frame that holds the shade). But with advances in ballast technology, both the size and startup speed of CF bulbs are better.

Other improvements are better color rendition, making them more acceptable in uses that don’t require critical color accuracy, and lower prices. Many discount and home improvement stores now carry models in the $2 to $3 range. If you buy in bulk during a sale, they may be as low as $1.50.

There are several advantages to using CF bulbs:

•Save money. The average CF bulb requires one-third to one-fourth the energy of an incandescent bulb. Over the life of the CF bulb, that can translate into as much as $40, depending on the size bulb you replace.

•Less heat. Regular bulbs only use ten percent of the electricity you buy for light. The other 90 percent is wasted as heat. CF bulbs produce much less heat, reducing your air conditioner’s workload.

•Convenience. Since CF bulbs last ten times longer than regular incandescent bulbs, you won’t be changing blown bulbs nearly as much. That’s especially nice in hard-to-reach fixtures. Even though the CF costs more upfront, you’ll have to buy ten regular bulbs to last as long as one CF.

•Less pollution. You’ll throw away ten regular incandescent bulbs to one CF bulb. Every time you replace one regular bulb with a CF, you’ve avoided the use of 500 pounds of coal.

See how you can join with other Walton EMC customer-owners in pledging to use CF bulbs to save money, energy and the environment.

An Eye Opener

Recessed lights are popular in new homes. Let’s look at a typical family room and see what the savings might be by switching to CF bulbs.

Number of recessed lights:  12

Number of hours of light:  10,000

Number and wattage of incandescent bulbs:  120 at 65 watts ea.

Number and wattage of CF bulbs:  12 at 15 watts ea.

Cost of electricity:  7¢/kilowatt-hour

Total cost with incandescent indoor floodlight bulbs

$360 (120 bulbs at $3 ea.) + $536 (7,800 kWh at 7¢ ea.) = $906

Total cost with indoor CF floodlight bulbs

$120 (12 bulbs at $10 ea.) + $126 (1,800 kWh at 7¢ ea.) = $246

$660 saved by using CF bulbs

More Information: Walton EMC

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