Savings with Just a Few Good Turns of a Compact Fluorescent Energy Saving Light Bulb

Compact Fluorescent Bulb
Save as much as $120 a year by
upgrading 10 standard 60-watt
incandescent bulbs and 5 100-
watt bulbs with equivalent CFLs.

Replacing your old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs with high-efficiency compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL’s) is a fast, effective way to save energy and lower your monthly electric bill. In fact, if you have Dr. Energy Saver replace your inefficient incandescent lights with CFLs, it will pay for itself faster than any other home energy upgrade.

CFLs Save in Several Ways:

  • Greater efficiency. CFLs are about 75% more efficient than incandescent lighting at converting the electricity you pay for into light (see sidebar)
  • Longer life. A CFL will last about 10 times longer than your incandescent light bulbs.
  • CFL’s are Cool. A typical CFL operates at just 90degrees vs. 350degrees for incandescent bulbs. Heat has always been an inefficient by-product of incandescent technology. With CFLs, you’re not paying for extra electricity that gets converted into heat instead of light. 

When does 13=60?

Check out how little electricity a CFL requires to produce light equivalent to common incandescent light bulbs:  
  • 13-watt CFL = 60-watt incandescent
  • 18-watt CFL = 75-watt incandescent; and
  • 26-watt CFL = 100-watt incandescent

All Shapes & Sizes

CFL Light Bulbs
CFL light bulbs come in various shapes and sizes.
Because CFL’s operate on a different technology than incandescent lights, they look different too. The most familiar CFL is a small spiral version designed to screw into a standard light fixture. But quite a few other fluorescent bulbs are also available. Dr. Energy Saver has a full selection of CFLs to meet all your lighting needs.

Do the Math

You could save as much as $120 a year if you have Dr. Energy Saver upgrade 10 standard 60-watt incandescent light bulbs and five 100-watt bulbs with equivalent CFLs. Over the life of your new CFLs, you could save more than $650!

Safe Handling is Important

A CFL contains a tiny amount of mercury, which can be toxic to humans and to the environment. There’s no danger of exposure unless a bulb is broken, so it’s smart to treat the CFLs in your house with care to avoid breaking a bulb. If you do happen to break a bulb, don’t vacuum up the mess. Instead, place all broken glass in a plastic bag. Use lengths of duct tape to pick up dust and smaller fragments, wipe the area down with a damp paper towel, and put all this waste material into a plastic bag that you tightly seal inside another plastic bag. Since disposal regulations vary, call your local sanitation department to find out where the waste material can be delivered.

Also read about the energy efficiency of LED lights.

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