This week’s Tuesday Tip, changing out incandescent bulbs to CFL’s! Many years ago, I purchased one CFL bulb, wrote the purchase date on it with a Sharpie and decided to see how long it would run before I’d have to replace it. That was in 2001, that bulb died just last year (2009). It lasted 8 years! CFL bulbs have come a long way in terms of the quality of light they give off, they even offer dimmable bulbs for lights on a dimmer switch!
Tip #10: Change your regular bulbs to CFLs.
CFL bulbs save you money in the long run.
- CFL bulbs use less energy than regular incandescent bulbs and give off less heat. Last summer, I decided to switch out all of my light bulbs to CFL’s. I was trying to reduce my electric bill, which over the summer seems to sky rocket due to air conditioner use. Switching out all of my bulbs saved me over $30 for the summer in electricity (CFL bulbs use 60% -80% less energy!). I also noticed a huge difference in the minimal amount of heat they gave off. On my desk alone, my old light bulb in my desk lamp made me sweltering hot in the summer months. Now, there is barely a hint of heat radiating off the bulbs, meaning I don’t feel the need to turn on the air as soon.
- CFL bulbs last longer than incandescent bulbs. Though they are coming down in price, CFL bulbs do cost more than a traditional light bulb. However, the trade off is the longer lifespan of the bulb. Many CFL bulbs have a lifespan of 4-7 years, reducing the cost of replacing them over time.
CFL bulbs are good for the environment (in a sideways kind of way).
- CFL’s use less energy. The biggest “green” reason for using CFL bulbs is the reduction of energy, meaning less fossil fuels are burned. For those naysayers who contest their “greenness”, there is some question about the mercury in CFL bulbs. Yet according to a Treehugger article on CFL bulbs, the minimal amount of mercury contained within the bulb isn’t dangerous enough to say they aren’t a green option. And because so much less fossil fuel is burned throughout a CFL’s life time in comparison to incandescent bulbs, they are by far the winner.
Have you switched out your bulbs to CFL’s? Do you use any alternative lighting sources?
6 Comments
During a mini-vacation, we stayed at a cabin last summer. The cabin had a CFL bulb in a lamp by our bed. I like it for reading so when I got home, I swapped out our downstairs light that stays on the entire night with a CFL bulb. The whiter (less yellow) color doesn’t bother me, but my wife hates it. I think it’s a matter of getting use to it. Over time, I’m hoping my wife begins to get use to it!
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@Money Reasons – CFL bulbs now have a few colors to choose from, but they are still sort of white-ish, blue-ish in color. I think it does take time to get used to them, so maybe you’re wife will eventually be OK with them. 🙂
I switched over to CFLs in my house and they really made the difference in my electricity use. My tip is to wait until your conventional bulbs burn out before you replace it with a CFL. I didn’t do that in my bathroom. One day I flipped on the lights when I walked in the room and all of the CFLs went out at once! I left was bumping around in the dark trying to find the door.
You can buy them at Dollar General or Family Dollar. I did a little happy dance when I realized that they carried the same brand of CFL bulb for less than the same brand at Target.
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@Condo Blues – Thanks for sharing that story! It’s great when you can save money on CFL bulbs.
I’ve been switching to CFLs as our old incandescents burn out. However, they definitely don’t throw off as much light as the “old kind” do, so it’s been difficult for me to get used to the different kind of light. If they’re in a ceiling fixture, it’s fine, but for a reading or table lamp, it’s so-so.
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@Rainy Day Saver – I agree with you on the reduced amount of light CFL’s give off. The only room we’ve noticed a problem in is our kitchen, the CFL bulb made the kitchen pretty dark. However, CFL’s worked in every other room in our house. We have lots of windows to thank for that!