On average, Lighting, accounts for 10% of a typical home's electric usage. Regular incandescent bulbs are cheap but very inefficient. In addition, these light bulb types put out a lot of heat which increases cooling loads.
Switching to Compact Flourecent Lamps (CFL) is an easy and cheap way to save money on electric bills. CFL's use 1/4 the amount of electricity, and put out less heat. Replacing incandescent bulbs with CFL's has one of the fastest returns on your money of any energy saving investment. After replacing 16 of these bulbs in my home, I saw a CFL energy savings of about $10 a month on my electric bill.
| Lamp Type | CFL | Incandescent |
|---|---|---|
| Picture |  |
 |
| Usage (Watts) | 13 W | 60 W |
| Lumens | 825 | 540 - 800 |
| Heat Output | 44 BTUH | 200 BTUH |
| Annual Usage* | 18.98 kWh | 87.66 kWh |
| Annual Electric Cost** | $1.90 | $8.76 |
| Cost of Bulb | $2.50 | $1.00 |
| Life of Bulb | 8,000 hrs | 1,500 hrs |
| Cost per 8,000 hrs | $12.90 | $53.33 |
*Based on 4 hours per day average usage.
**Based on $0.10 per kWh.
Grand Savings of $40 over the life of the CFL.
You also get the added benefits of a slightly lower cooling bill, and less frequent bulb replacement.
Where to use CFL's
- Any normal 120V light socket
- Lamps and other light fixtures
- Lights that are on for long periods of time
- Inside and Outdoors
Where not to use CFL's
- On dimable switches
- In three way lamps
- Security lights with photo sensors
- Lights that get turned on and off frequently
- Applications which require full luminance immediately